By Nohad Topalian | 2024-12-09

BEIRUT -- A rumble of unease with Hizbullah's transportation of weapons across Lebanon and its use of residential areas to conduct military operations has grown to a roar in recent weeks as civilians increasingly fear for their lives.

Tensions flared anew between Hizbullah and residents of the eastern Bekka Valley town of Rashaya following the November 13 interception of a van carrying weapons and missiles for the Iran-backed party.

A similar incident in August 2023 turned deadly when a local resident was killed in armed clashes that erupted between Hizbullah elements and local residents in Kahaleh, southeast of Beirut, after a Hizbullah munitions truck overturned.

In October, residents of Aley in Lebanon's Chouf district halted several vehicles transporting weapons and ammunition through the town.

The mood of public defiance toward Hizbullah has reached Lebanon's parliament, according to Al-Hadath news channel.

Multiple Lebanese MPs have privately urged Speaker Nabih Berri to warn Hizbullah that the presence of its leadership and weapons in residential areas is "unwelcome" and poses unacceptable safety risks, it reported.

The human cost

Security analysts point to deepening public opposition to Hizbullah's military footprint across Lebanon.

Hizbullah views "civilian casualties, the destruction of cities and villages" and participation in conflicts as justifiable costs to advance the Iranian regime's agenda, said Lebanese Center for Research and Consulting director Hassan Qutb.

"By operating within civilian infrastructure, Hizbullah is seen by many Lebanese as endangering innocent civilian lives where residential zones are potentially turned into military targets," political analyst Jad Al Hakim told NOW Lebanon.

Hizbullah's operations in residential areas create a climate of fear and uncertainty, according to NOW Lebanon, though many are reluctant to voice their concerns, fearing backlash from the party and its supporters.

Qutb noted rising dissent even among Hizbullah's base as a result of "heavy losses in lives and property, displacement and destruction of infrastructure."

Hizbullah's weapons facilitate "Iranian strife," journalist Georges Hayek said in a post on X, noting that the Rashaya incident "confirms there is no Lebanese popular support for these weapons."

Political writer Sawsan Mhanna, who hails from Rashaya, said Hizbullah claims weapon transport among Syria, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon as "its natural right."

"Civilians are paying the price for Hizbullah's actions with their livelihoods and lives," Mhanna told Al-Fassel, pointing to the party's history of operating outside state control via tunnel networks and weapon storage in residential zones.

On December 3, Hizbullah's liaison with the Syrian regime's army, Salman Nemer Jomaa -- who reportedly played a key role in weapon smuggling and deliveries -- was killed in an air strike on Damascus, AFP reported.