Men remove debris from a building's roof at the site of an Israeli air strike on the village of Aito in northern Lebanon on Oct. 15, 2024. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
Monday's Israeli airstrike on a house sheltering displaced families in Aito, Zgharta district, North Lebanon, has fueled growing paranoia in areas hosting people fleeing from southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley or Beirut's southern suburbs. The strike killed 22 people, including what some media reports alleged was a Hezbollah member. Since then, distrust towards displaced individuals has intensified, exacerbated by often dubious social media posts.
One such affected area is Bikfaya, a key town in the Metn district. Nicole Gemayel, the head of the municipal council, told L'Orient Today that the municipality initially tried to ease tensions with a press release on Tuesday, urging landlords to notify the municipality of their tenants’ names and numbers, as well as any changes that may occur in occupancy.
“This morning [Wednesday], a message on X once again stirred panic, telling residents to expel the displaced from the village,” Gemayel said. She added that the message came from a mysterious account named “Mount Levnon,” which displays the Israeli flag and was reposted by Israeli journalist Edy Cohen. In response, the municipality issued a second statement urging calm and assuring residents that it had been vigilant from the beginning. It also provided a contact number (03/224755) for residents to report any concerns.
Gemayel stressed that there was "no intention of expelling displaced people who have sought refuge in the village." Instead, she said, “We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of both our residents and visitors.”
Baabdat, another town in the Metn district, has also been the target of social media rumors. Panic arose due to suspicions surrounding the presence of businessman Hassan Moukalled, who is reportedly close to Hezbollah and is under U.S. sanctions. In a statement on Wednesday, the municipality confirmed it was “closely following this case.” The statement noted that Moukalled had stayed in a house belonging to his ex-wife nearly two months ago, but he had not been there for three weeks and was reportedly abroad. “The municipality does not wish to expose its citizens to any risks and is following the case of the displaced persons in all its facets,” the statement added.
Dikwaneh, Sahel Alma or Saida
Dikwaneh, a coastal town in Metn, has also been the subject of rumors. Antoine Chakhtoura, the head of the municipal council, dismissed the claims as baseless when contacted by our publication. In a press release on Wednesday, the municipality referenced a social media post that claimed displaced people posed a danger, adding that it had "no credibility." The statement reassured residents that authorities were closely monitoring those who had rented homes in the area, in coordination with law enforcement. The municipality urged people not to panic but to report any concerns while ruling out any imminent danger.
In Sahel Alma, a neighborhood in the city of Jounieh (Kesrouan district), panic erupted on Monday after residents of the Flower Building in the Mar Doumit area received WhatsApp messages from an Israeli number warning of an "imminent Israeli threat" due to rockets in possession of a Hezbollah fighter allegedly in the building. The building was temporarily evacuated. Later, a report attributing similar warnings to local channel Al-Jadeed then circulated, further fueling the alarm. However, a senior Lebanese Army source confirmed to us on Tuesday that no rockets were found in the building. Al-Jadeed also denied any involvement in the circulating messages attributed to its channel.
In the southern city of Saida, the municipality on Wednesday refuted social media rumors claiming its president had received warnings from an Israeli number, calling for the evacuation of the area up to the Awali River. The municipality called on authorities to take action against those spreading false information and urged residents to remain alert and refrain from sharing unverified rumors.