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In Lebanon, Life on Hold Four Times Amid Conflict

A billboard in a Beirut street features images of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr, and Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force (Reuters)
A billboard in a Beirut street features images of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr, and Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force (Reuters)
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In Lebanon, Life on Hold Four Times Amid Conflict

A billboard in a Beirut street features images of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr, and Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force (Reuters)
A billboard in a Beirut street features images of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr, and Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force (Reuters)

Since Hezbollah opened a front in southern Lebanon to support Gaza, Lebanese lives have been upended, with fears that this support could escalate into a devastating war.
The conflict has seen four key moments. Initially, diplomatic efforts tried to contain the situation. Tensions grew after the Israeli military killed Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut’s southern suburbs in early January. This led to a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at preventing the war from spreading.
The third phase came after Israel's killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard leaders at the Iranian consulate in Damascus and Iran’s retaliation. The fourth phase is unfolding now, with Israel recently assassinating Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut’s southern suburbs and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
This has left Lebanon in suspense, with everyday life paused as everyone waits for responses from Iran, Hezbollah, and Israel.
The strategies of both sides have shifted. Hezbollah thought that attacking northern Israeli settlements would force Israel to stop its assault on Gaza and meet its demands.
However, Hezbollah’s goals were not met. On the other hand, the Israeli military believed that its strikes in Lebanon and Syria would make Hezbollah retreat and comply with Resolution 1701 by withdrawing north of the Litani River. This has not happened, despite international pressure.
Whenever tensions rose, diplomatic efforts were made to prevent the conflict from widening. These efforts succeeded in stopping the war from expanding before the recent assassinations of Shukr and Haniyeh but failed to de-escalate or end the current conflict.
A diplomatic source, speaking under the conditions of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international efforts have not yet managed to ease the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon is now facing crucial and challenging days as it awaits Hezbollah’s response to the assassinations and Israel’s reaction.
The source pointed out that embassy closures and urgent evacuation warnings from Western embassies underline the serious risks, signaling that any major attack on Israel could have severe consequences for Lebanon.
The source hopes that all parties understand that the ongoing diplomatic efforts are the last chance to avoid a wider war.
As Lebanon waits for Hezbollah’s response to the killing of Shukr and Iran’s reaction to the assassination of Haniyeh, the country is facing high tension.
Western and Arab embassies have urgently advised their citizens to leave Lebanon, and most airlines have suspended flights to Beirut International Airport.

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Lebanon Arrests ‘Parent Group’ Behind Rocket Launches toward Israel

Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 
Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 
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Lebanon Arrests ‘Parent Group’ Behind Rocket Launches toward Israel

Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 
Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 

The Lebanese Army has arrested members of what is believed to be the “parent group” behind recent rocket launches toward Israel, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The group was apprehended by Military Intelligence in a raid as they were preparing to fire rockets from southern Lebanon, in what appears to be part of a larger, coordinated campaign.

According to investigators, the detainees confessed to carrying out two rocket attacks in March—one launched from the area between Kfartebnit and Arnoun, and the second from Qaaqaiyat al-Jisr, both in the Nabatieh district. The projectiles were intercepted by Israeli defenses before reaching their intended targets in Metula and Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

The army announced Sunday that it had seized a number of rockets and launchers in a raid on an apartment in the Sidon-Zahrani area, and arrested several individuals involved in the planned operation. The military said the bust followed extensive surveillance and intelligence-gathering.

Security sources said the volume of weapons recovered suggests a larger logistical operation designed to supply multiple attacks. The cache included enough rockets and launch platforms to sustain repeated launches, rather than a single strike. The weapons were found stored in a residential area in the town of Aqtnit, in the Zahrani region near Sidon.

Investigators believe the cell is part of a broader Palestinian network operating in the South. The arrests were reportedly aided by information obtained from earlier detainees and ongoing surveillance. The sources confirmed that the suspects are now under questioning, with investigations being conducted under judicial supervision.

Following the March attacks, army units intensified security operations in areas north of the Litani River and ramped up monitoring of Palestinian camps, particularly Ain al-Hilweh and Rashidieh. Access to and from the camps has been placed under tighter scrutiny. The Lebanese Army is also said to be cooperating with Hezbollah in some areas, particularly along the southern frontier.

Military sources emphasized that the army’s actions reflect Lebanon’s continued commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of all non-state actors south of the Litani and reserves military authority to the state.

The arrest operation has been met with praise from Lebanese political and military circles, who see it as a reaffirmation of the state’s authority and a message to the international community that Lebanon remains committed to preventing escalation with Israel.