Security
Lebanese unity rises as displaced return to ruined homes
As families face the devastating aftermath of conflict in southern Lebanon, a growing consensus demands the national military take control to prevent future unilateral wars.
![Vehicles carrying household items jam a highway in southern Lebanon on June 15, 2026, as displaced families return to their villages following a ceasefire. [Fadel Itani/AFP]](/gc1/images/2026/06/25/56711-lebanon-600_384.webp)
By Al-Fassel |
Thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are making the agonizing journey back to southern Lebanon.
They are returning to the south only to find their local communities completely reduced to rubble.
The extensive destruction is the direct result of the recent conflict between Hizbullah and Israel.
Families who fled the violence now face the harsh reality of collapsed homes and shattered livelihoods.
Citizens are expressing deep resentment over being dragged into a devastating war without their explicit consent.
The Lebanese people are increasingly rejecting the unilateral military actions that brought this ruin to their doorsteps.
A push for sovereign military control
Many citizens argue that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) must serve as the sole legitimate military power.
Public sentiment strongly opposes Hizbullah operating outside the formal authority of the sovereign Lebanese state.
A recent Gallup survey shows broad public support for allowing only the state military to hold weapons.
Nearly four in five Lebanese say only the LAF should be allowed to maintain weapons in the country.
"There is simmering anger that Lebanon is again being dragged into a war in which most people in the country want no part," an analyst noted.
The extensive destruction in the south has united diverse factions against unauthorized external military engagements.
The LAF represents a unifying national institution that can effectively protect borders and maintain internal peace.
International partners including the US have pledged crucial support to significantly strengthen the official national military.
Civilians emphasize that only a state-controlled military can provide the necessary stability to rebuild shattered communities.
They demand an immediate end to independent militias making decisions that severely jeopardize the entire nation.
Lebanon simply cannot afford another cycle of violence triggered by groups acting completely without national consensus.
Empowering the official army is the most viable strategy to secure a peaceful future for residents.