“Hezbollah is coming,” mourners chanted at funeral of Palestinian fighter
Hezbollah becoming more visible in West Bank after assassination of its military chief
The Associated Press March 13, 2008
"Hezbollah is coming," mourners chanted at Thursday's funeral of a Palestinian militant killed by Israel, his body wrapped in the flag of the Lebanese guerrilla group. The bodies of local Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Shehadeh and another militant were wrapped in Hezbollah flags.
The slain man's cousin, Khalil, said Shehadeh converted from Sunni to Shiite Islam — the denomination of Hezbollah supporters — in a show of support.
Hezbollah enjoys widespread popularity in the Palestinian territories because of its brazen actions against Israel, including a guerrilla war that pushed Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in May 2000. Hezbollah's star rose further after fighting Israel's mighty army to a draw in the summer of 2006.