Photo taken from the X account of Sunni Sheikh Hassan Merheb.
Sheikh Hassan Merheb, known for his provocative social media statements, accused Hezbollah supporters on Wednesday of attempting to assassinate him the night before in Saida.
Merheb claimed his car came under fire. But local sources contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South, as well as a journalist at the scene, reported tensions but no gunfire or assassination attempt.
“Last night, I was the victim of an assassination attempt by Hezbollah thugs, which I survived. My driver was wounded in the finger. This recording is in the hands of the state, law enforcement, the judiciary, those who claim to be the resistance, and the Sunnis in Lebanon,” Merheb said in a video posted on X.
Merheb told authorities he intends to take legal action. A security source said authorities are “awaiting the file.” Army intelligence told L’Orient-Le Jour that the case falls under the jurisdiction of the Internal Security Forces.
A Hezbollah source said the party would not “comment on the matter,” calling the sheikh’s accusations baseless and saying it would rely on law enforcement authorities “who will surely shed light” on the incident.
100 to 150 youths opposed filming in Haret Saida
The incident reportedly occurred after a group of young men stopped Merheb from recording a podcast on sectarian discord in Haret Saida with Al-Jadeed journalist Tammam Bleik. The podcast was to be filmed at a café at the entrance of the neighborhood.
According to our correspondent, the men verified Merheb’s identity, then told him to leave because of his hostility toward the “resistance” and the Amal-Hezbollah alliance.
In a second video, Merheb showed what he claimed was a bullet and the mark it left on his car. He said that upon his arrival at the cafe, young Hezbollah supporters immediately confronted him and threatened him.
“We had just started recording when young men appeared, ordering me to leave within two minutes and forbidding me to film or even stay,” he said, claiming “100 to 150” young men surrounded him.
“As the car headed toward Beirut, after turning around, we came under fire near the restaurant where the young men had gathered,” he added, blaming Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem responsible for the alleged “assassination attempt.”
No gunfire confirmed
Hezbollah supporters quickly dismissed the accusations. “Saida belongs to all honorable people, but not to those like you who incite fitna [discord] and threaten civil peace,” said Sunni cleric Khodor Kebesh in a video response. “The young people of Saida spoke to you politely and respectfully, as Tammam Bleik confirmed,” he added, accusing Merheb of slander.
Bleik also said in a video that the young men “simply asked Sheikh Merheb to leave, nothing more.” He added, “We hadn’t realized the area was affiliated with Hezbollah.” Afterward, Merheb accused the journalist of “cowardice.”
The dispute comes two days after Merheb published a harsh critique of Hezbollah on the Al-Haweyah news site: “I am with Lebanon, its state, its army. I am not with a militia and a gang that have sold us hollow slogans for years and were only a tool of Iran and its destructive plans for the region — from Syria to Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon.”
At the end of September, Merheb openly supported Prime Minister Nawaf Salam after Hezbollah illuminated Beirut’s Raouche Rocks to commemorate the anniversary of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination by Israel last year, calling for sanctions against those responsible.
Once a staunch defender of Harirism, Merheb briefly aligned with Hezbollah in October 2023 after the start of the war in southern Lebanon. But his recent statements have reignited tensions with the party.
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