The city of Tyre and the Melkite Greek Catholic Archdiocese bid farewell to Lebanese Red Cross paramedic martyr Youssef Raymond Assaf, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike while carrying out a humanitarian mission to evacuate a citizen from the town of Majdal Zoun.
Assaf’s body was transferred to the Fishermen’s Port in Tyre, where residents and his colleagues from the Lebanese Red Cross gathered to receive him in an emotional scene.
He was welcomed with a sorrowful procession and applause before being taken to the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle, where a funeral mass and prayers were held for the repose of his soul.
The service was led by the Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Tyre, Metropolitan Georges Iskandar, assisted by several priests. The ceremony was attended by the Mufti of Tyre and Jabal Amel Sheikh Hassan Abdullah, Jabal Amel regional official in the Amal Movement Ali Ismail with a delegation from the movement, representatives of Hezbollah, Tyre Municipality Deputy President Alwan Sharafeddine representing Mayor Hassan Dbouk, Sheikh Rabih Qbeissi, Director of the Emergency Medical Services at the Lebanese Red Cross Alexi Nemeh, as well as security officials, members of the municipal council, and a large crowd of residents.
Following the funeral, Metropolitan Iskandar delivered a moving farewell speech praising Assaf’s dedication to serving others, describing him as a man who placed his life at the service of humanity. He said Tyre mourns his loss today, expressing hope that the war will end and that God will protect Lebanon and its people.
He noted that Assaf “did not die seeking personal glory, but fell while fulfilling his humanitarian duty to save others,” stressing that his work with the Red Cross, civil defense, and maritime rescue embodied the highest values of sacrifice and compassion.
He also extended condolences to Assaf’s family, colleagues, and all who knew him, affirming that the city had lost one of its kindest and most devoted sons.
At the end of the ceremony, the martyr was laid to rest in the family cemetery in Tyre, where his family received condolences from those in attendance.
