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Beirut Southern Suburbs Residents Return as War Risks Ease

Citizens listen to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah at a café in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday evening, just hours after the party’s attack on northern Israel in response to the assassination of leader Fouad Shukr (EPA)
Citizens listen to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah at a café in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday evening, just hours after the party’s attack on northern Israel in response to the assassination of leader Fouad Shukr (EPA)
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Beirut Southern Suburbs Residents Return as War Risks Ease

Citizens listen to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah at a café in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday evening, just hours after the party’s attack on northern Israel in response to the assassination of leader Fouad Shukr (EPA)
Citizens listen to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah at a café in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday evening, just hours after the party’s attack on northern Israel in response to the assassination of leader Fouad Shukr (EPA)

Many residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs quickly returned home after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah urged them to do so on Sunday evening.

Following Israel’s assassination of senior Hezbollah figure Fouad Shukr on July 30 and the party’s pledge to retaliate, those who could had already left their homes, worried that the conflict might spread to their area, a major Hezbollah stronghold.

Many residents moved to the Bekaa Valley or southern Lebanon to stay with family or in their own homes, while a few rented apartments in Mount Lebanon. Many expats visiting the southern suburbs left the country right after Shukr’s assassination.

Haitham M., aged 50, from the southern suburbs, left his home the night Shukr was assassinated.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Haitham M. explained that he feared for his safety and anticipated Hezbollah’s retaliation might lead to more Israeli strikes.

Luckily, he owns another house in a safer village north of the Litani River and stayed there for about 25 days before returning to Beirut on Monday.

In his Sunday evening speech, Nasrallah described Hezbollah’s response, which included hundreds of rockets and drones targeting over 11 Israeli military sites, including an intelligence base with Unit 8200.

The southern suburbs of Beirut seemed to relax after the recent tensions.

Hoda A., aged 33, who owns a clothing store in Bir al-Abed, reported a revival in business after a severe slowdown. She previously sold between $1,000 and $2,000 worth of goods daily, with holiday sales sometimes reaching $10,000.

Since Shukr’s assassination, her sales had dropped to just $30 a day.

The suburbs have seen two assassinations since Hezbollah declared southern Lebanon a support front for Gaza on October 8. The first was the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader, and two aides on January 2.

Shukr was assassinated on July 30.

Political analyst and researcher Dr. Qassem Qassir, who closely follows Hezbollah’s affairs, said that “the situation in the southern suburbs has returned to normal after a period of anxiety.”

“Overall, the southern suburbs are safe. While there have been two Israeli attacks, the area does not experience a state of war, except for occasional sonic booms,” Qassir affirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat.

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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.