
Two men on a motorcycle brandish a portrait of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as they return to the southern suburbs of Beirut on the first day of the ceasefire, November 27, 2024. Photo by Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour
Two mysterious statements published on Thursday and signed by 'young people from the southern suburbs of Beirut' or 'young people from the border villages of occupied Palestine' call on Hezbollah to defend them or to create a popular resistance against the Israeli army that continues to occupy several villages in southern Lebanon, despite a cease-fire agreement that took effect on Nov. 27.
Shared on social media, notably by accounts close to Hezbollah, these statements emerged amidst rumors about Israel's intent to remain in Lebanese territory, even after the 60 days dictated by the truce.
"We, the young people from the southern suburbs of Beirut originating from the south and the Bekaa, legally, religiously and morally entrust the mission of fighting to defend our lands to the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon, represented by Hezbollah. We ask them to arm and train us, so we can resist the Israeli occupation and liberate our lands with our own hands," read one of the statements.
"As young Lebanese from the south from the destroyed villages in violation of the [cease-fire] agreement and with no political or partisan affiliation ... we might be forced to defend our villages and properties with the arms we might find ... We might be led to launch a popular resistance in the south," the second statement said.
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, the party was not available to comment on these statements.
On Friday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati refuted, in a statement, reports from the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper al-Akhbar, claims that Lebanon had been informed "through mediators that Israel would not withdraw from the south after the end of the truce." On Thursday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing Israeli military sources, said that the army "is preparing" to remain in Lebanese territory even after the 60-day period, until the end of January. Al-Akhbar reported that several members of the international committee informed Mikati, during a meeting on Tuesday at the Grand Serail, of the "Israeli army’s desire to delay its withdrawal."
Hezbollah, 'in crisis'
"These statements could serve as a means to pressure Israel," explained Mohanad Hage Ali, a Hezbollah specialist at the Carnegie Center, adding that the statements were "ridiculous attempts especially since there is no longer a balance of power" between the party and Israel.
"These statements were probably published by the Hezbollah leadership. If so, it means the party is in crisis and is in a very weak position," he added.
To justify their demands, the authors explained they wanted to respond to the many Israeli violations in southern Lebanon, particularly in the strategic valley of Wadi Hujeir where Israeli soldiers briefly entered on Thursday.
"We suffered greatly when we saw ... the tanks of the Israeli occupation sinking into the Wadi Hujeir valley without justification, blatantly violating UN resolution 1701," one of the statements said.
"The Israeli enemy is blowing up civilian homes and mosques, destroying agricultural lands," one statement stated, denouncing "the inaction of the government and the Lebanese army, on which we rely to protect our lands and our lives."
The statements, which do not bear the logo of Hezbollah, "could also have been drafted by Hezbollah members trying to take advantage of changes within the party," Hage Ali said. "Before the war [from Oct. 8, 2023, to Nov. 27, 2024], prominent figures intervened to resolve issues that might arise between the different party offices. However, the historical leadership of Hezbollah was destroyed by the last war, and the new secretary-general, Naim Qassem, is not convincing, neither on the internal scene nor abroad."
For the researcher, the danger also lies in Iran's projects in Syria and Hezbollah's role in this context.
"Iran might use Hezbollah to carry out security operations against the new regime in Syria," he stated.