JOHN: AND IN LEBANON TODAY, THOUSANDS TURNED OUT FOR THE FUNERAL FOR HASSAN NASRALLAH, THE FORMER LONGTIME LEADER OF HEZBOLLAH.

HE WAS KILLED NEARLY FIVE MONTHS AGO IN THE WAR WITH ISRAEL.

THE FUNERAL CAME JUST DAYS AFTER ISRAEL FAILED TO MEET A SECOND DEADLINE TO WITHDRAW FROM SOUTHERN LEBANON AS PART OF A FRAGILE CEASEFIRE DEAL THAT BROUGHT THE LATEST CONFLICT TO AN END.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT SIMONA FOLTYN REPORTS FROM BEIRUT.

REPORTER: IT IS THE END OF AN ERA FOR LEBANON.

NASRALLAH WAS THE COUNTRY'S MOST POWERFUL MAN, HEZBOLLAH THERE MOST STRONG LITERARY FORCE.

LABELED BY -- AS A TERRORISM IS ASIAN, IT WAS REVERED BY THE SHIITE COMMUNITY WHO GATHERED TO PAY RESPECTS.

SHE TRAVELED FROM HER VILLAGE TO SOUTHERN LEBANON.

>> WE WILL KEEP CRYING OVER HIM OR A LONG TIME.

THIS PERSON TAUGHT US WHAT IT MEANS TO STAND UP FOR OURSELVES, DEFEND OUR LAND AND OUR RIGHT.

REPORTER: NASRALLAH WAS KILLED ON SOME NUMBER 27 WHEN ISRAEL MULLED BEIRUT'S SUBURBS WITH BOMBS SUPPLIED BY THE U.S.

DESPITE HIS DEMISE, HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE REMAINED DEFIANT.

>> THEY DROPPED 84 TONS ON HIM WITH AMERICAN HELP, AMERICAN FINANCING, SO IT BREAKS US AND WE ARE AFRAID OF ISRAEL.

BUT ALL THE PEOPLE HERE ARE NOT AFRAID OF ISRAEL.

THEY WILL LIKELY FLY THEIR JETS TO SCARE THE PEOPLE, BUT WE ARE NOT AFRAID EVEN IF THEY DROP BOMBS ON US.

REPORTER: ISRAEL AND LEBANON AGREED TO A CEASE-FIRE IN NOVEMBER, BUT THIS DID NOT STOP ISRAELI JETS FROM FLYING OVERHEAD, A VIOLATION OF LEBANESE AIRSPACE WHICH DREW ANGRY CHANTS FROM THE CROWD.

RUSSIA'S DEMANDS TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ARE CLEAR.

>> WE WANT THE U.S. TO STOP FINANCING ISRAEL.

IT IS VERY SIMPLE AND WE WANT THEM TO LEAVE THE MUSLIM WORLD ALONE.

REPORTER: NASRALLAH TOOK OVER HEZBOLLAH'S LEADERSHIP IN 1992 AND WITH IRAN'S BACKING TRANSFORMED IT A POWERFUL ARMY BUT NASRALLAH UNDERESTIMATED ISRAEL WHEN HE ENTERED THE LATEST WAR IN SUPPORT OF A MOSS.

UNTIL HIS LAST DAYS HE INSISTED ON THE UNITY OF LEBANON AND GAZA'S FRONT.

>> LEBANON'S FRONT WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE AGGRESSION ON GAZA STOPS.

THE RESISTANCE IN LEBANON WILL NOT STOP SUPPORTING AND ASSISTING GAZA, THE WEST BANK AND THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE IN THOSE HOLY LANDS.

REPORTER: NASRALLAH HAS BEEN SUCCEEDED BY HIS LESS CHARISMATIC DEPUTY WHO TOOK TO THE STAGE MONDAY, DESPITE ISRAELI DRONES CIRCLING OVERHEAD.

A REMINDER THAT PARTS OF SOUTHERN LEBANON ARE STILL UNDER ISRAELI OCCUPATION.

STILL HEZBOLLAH OFFICIALS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WAR HAS BEEN A DEFEAT.

>> NOBODY CAN SURPASS HEZBOLLAH ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT.

HEZBOLLAH HAS THE MOST POPULAR SUPPORT IN LEBANON.

REPORTER: TIME WILL TELL IF HEZBOLLAH CAN MAINTAIN SUPPORT WITHOUT NASRALALH.

FOR MANY GATHERED HERE, NASRALLAH WAS A FATHER FIGURE WHO LED THE MOVEMENT FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.

HIS ASSASSINATION HAS WEAKENED THE GROUP, BUT HIS LEGACY IS LIKELY TO LIVE ON.

THIS FUNERAL SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT HEZBOLLAH HAS SURVIVED THE WAR AND STILL ENJOYS A LOT OF GRASSROOTS SUPPORT.

FOR PBS NEWS WEEKEND, I'M SIMONA FOLTYN IN BEIRUT, LEBANON