Israel is pressing the Lebanese government through U.S
Israel is pressing the Lebanese government through U.S. mediation to redeploy the Lebanese army and set up checkpoints in areas where Hezbollah elements reside. This diplomatic pressure arrives amid fears that Hezbollah might open a new front if Israel resumes its war against Iran. The current standoff follows weeks of Israeli airstrikes targeting perceived Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, particularly in open areas where the Lebanese army lacks presence due to personnel shortages and limited capabilities.
Rubio Warns Israel May Strike Beirut and Sidon
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has utilized his regional and international political connections after receiving a direct warning from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio cautioned that Israel will not stand idly by if Hezbollah resumes supporting Iran, noting that military actions could extend from south of the Litani River northward to cover the Sidon-Zahrani district, alongside potential strikes on the southern suburbs and neighborhoods of Beirut. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri swiftly contacted Hezbollah to relay these warnings. A ministerial source told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the party’s political wing conveyed its commitment not to intervene in support of Iran. Through intermediaries, it was communicated that Iran is not in need of the party’s support and has the capabilities enabling it to confront American attacks,
while the source noted that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei insists on the unity of fronts and refuses geographical limits. However, the source pointed out that it remains questionable whether this commitment will extend to the military wing, which directly follows the party’s Jihad Council and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was behind the previous rocket fire.
Israeli Navy Completes War Week Drills
Concurrent with diplomatic pressures, the Israeli military has escalated its readiness. Walla reported that the Israeli Navy recently completed a large-scale drill titled “War Week,” involving the Haifa naval base, missile boat fleets, submarine units, and underwater task forces. Meanwhile, intensive coordination has taken place between the Israel Defense Forces and U.S. Central Command.
Reports have outlined operational scenarios involving potential strikes reaching Nabatieh, Tyre, Sidon, and Beirut’s southern suburbs, alongside the blockade of Beirut and Tripoli ports. Israeli security officials have stated they are monitoring Hezbollah’s efforts to rehabilitate and build military infrastructure in Beirut.
Community Disruption and Relocation in Beirut
The persistent threat of renewed conflict has begun reshaping residential patterns across Lebanon. Residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs are actively altering their living arrangements, seeking alternative housing in safer regions despite having undamaged homes, as detailed in reports by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat. Families are relocating to areas like Bhamoun, Khalde, and Faria, securing apartments and seasonal chalets as precautionary measures against sudden military escalation.
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One resident, identified by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat as residing in the Saint Therese area of the southern suburbs, chose to rent a home in Khalde with his wife for $600 a month to escape the constant cycle of anxiety and potential displacement. Similarly, an 80-year-old resident secured a seasonal chalet in Faria to ensure immediate shelter if hostilities break out again.
Housing Transformations and Family Planning
The psychological toll of potential military escalation has extended beyond current homeowners to influence marriage and long-term retirement plans. A recently married woman who previously lived in the southern suburbs decided to relocate to Bhamoun while placing the possibility of renewed war at the forefront of her considerations. Describing her choice to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, houri explained: When I decided to get married, I didn’t just think about the home I would live in with my husband, but also about the place where my family and my husband’s family could take refuge if a new war breaks out.
She added: I therefore chose to move to Bhamoun, and was careful that the building be safe and the apartment spacious enough to welcome both families,
noting that she preferred bearing the extra cost rather than finding her family or in-laws forced to displace without a place to welcome them.
Another resident, Khair al-Din, chose to leave his undamaged home in the Saint Therese area alongside his wife to rent in Khalde, Mount Lebanon, to spend his retirement years away from fear and repeated displacement. He told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: My house was not damaged, and we could have stayed in it, but we got tired of fear and the possibility of having to flee again,
adding that they want to live the remainder of their lives away from fear and running.
Meanwhile, an 80-year-old resident known as Abu Ali noted that he continues to live in his southern suburbs home and does not want to leave it, but he rents a chalet in Faria year-round as a precaution. He stated: I still live in the southern suburbs, and I do not want to leave my home, but I rented a chalet in Faria all year so that I have a place to go if the war renews,
explaining that his advanced age made him more eager to secure a place to move to immediately if security conditions deteriorate.
