Tensions have been high along the Lebanese border with Israel for several days, and there have been frequent exchanges of fire between heavily armed militants in Lebanon and the Israeli army. The Israeli army is also present.
Concerns have been raised that these skirmishes could lead to larger scale conflicts as the violence continues to grow.
In the southern village of Bein Jbeil, which is located not too far from the border on the Lebanese side, there was peace and quiet in the streets. The majority of stores were closed.
Fearing that an escalation of the battle between Israel and Hamas may convert this area, which is dominated by the powerful Shia Islamist party Hezbollah, into another front in the conflict, many inhabitants here and in other border towns have departed. This worry is shared by residents of other border communities as well.
One of the few groups of people that could be spotted outside, a half dozen males were seen sitting around a table made of plastic. Some were smoking while others were eating pizza. They did not give the impression that they were worried.
Mohammed Baidoun, 52 years old, said, “I’m not going to leave unless [the situation] gets out of hand, which I doubt,” while under the watchful eye of a handful of Hezbollah minders, who came from several locations as soon as we arrived. “I’m not going to leave unless [the situation] gets out of hand,” “I have faith in the resistance that we have here… I believe deep down that [Hezbollah] will protect us.”
The uncertainty about Hezbollah’s future actions casts a shadow over the entire nation. The United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries view this group in the same light as they do Hamas: as a terrorist organization. Since the beginning of the battle between Israel and Hamas, the organization’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has maintained radio silence.
Hezbollah’s number two, Naim Qassem, characterized the organization as “fully ready” and stated that they would not be frightened by pleas from the United States and others to stay away from the conflict. Due to the fact that they are so covert, it is difficult to determine what kinds of preparations they could be preparing.
Hezbollah is also a social and political movement that was founded in the 1980s, and Israel has long considered it to be a significantly more dangerous adversary than Hamas. This is due to the fact that Hezbollah possesses a vast arsenal of weapons, including precision-guided missiles that can strike deep into Israeli territory, as well as tens of thousands of well-trained, battle-hardened fighters.
The operations of Hezbollah have been limited to strikes over the border, along the Blue Line established by the United Nations, which is the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel.
Several times a day, the organization has engaged in an exchange of artillery and missile fire with the Israeli military. At the same time, the group’s linked Palestinian factions have also carried out attacks, including a number of failed incursion attempts into Israel from southern Lebanon.
The conflicts have led to fatalities on both sides, including civilians. These deaths have occurred on both sides.
On the Israeli side, locals are also evacuating their homes.
On Friday, the Israeli military announced that it will be evacuating people from the city of Kiryat Shmona, which is located in the northern part of the country and has approximately 20,000 residents. Over the past few days, it has come under assault from rockets.
A few days before, it had stated that 28 towns would be evacuating, and it had established a no-go zone within 2 kilometers of the border.
On Tuesday, tensions continued to rise in Lebanon in the wake of an incident that took place in a hospital in Gaza.
Hamas was quick to place blame on Israel for the explosion, while the Israeli military claimed that it was caused by a Palestinian militant rocket that was fired in error.
Hezbollah, on the other hand, has referred to it as a “massacre” by Israel, and hundreds of its supporters have demonstrated in Beirut, chanting chants that are hostile toward both Israel and the United States. However, considering what the group had referred to as a “unprecedented day of anger,” the demonstration was rather tiny.
Under the condition of maintaining their anonymity, a source who is familiar with Hezbollah’s thoughts revealed that the organization’s actions will be dictated by what takes place in Gaza. “If the Israelis invade [the territory],” according to the source, “this will lead to a regional catastrophe” .
Some people have the opinion that Hezbollah’s primary financial sponsor, Iran, will most likely be the one to decide what comes next.
Last Monday, Israel accused Tehran of giving Hezbollah orders to carry out a string of strikes on Israeli soil over the previous weekend. In the meantime, Tehran issued a warning that the “resistance front,” which is an alliance of forces in the region that includes groups in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, could carry out a “pre-emptive action.”
Prior to the most recent outbreak of violence, the general assumption among observers was that neither Israel nor Hezbollah were interested in engaging in another war, as many people were still smarting from the debilitating month-long struggle that they waged in 2006.
Lebanon has been enduring an economic crisis for some years, and due to political infighting, the country now does not have a functioning government or president. Furthermore, sectarian divides have become more pronounced throughout this time.
Last week, Israeli retaliation attacks hit the local mosque and several residences in the community of Dhayra, which is located to the west of Bein Jbeil near the border.
Sabrina Fanash, a local who is 36 years old and relocated to Beirut after the conflict began, was vociferous in her disapproval of terrorists who, she said, were utilizing her Sunni-majority community for their attacks. She moved to Beirut when the war began.
“It’s not right that our homes are laid out in such a manner. Who will be in charge of rebuilding them? She remarked this as she walked through the wreckage of her cousin’s house, which had been largely demolished.
Everyone here is miserable… We are dependent on God, and we know that God will protect us.
