No area in Lebanon is safe anymore. Every region is now a potential target for Israel, which has carried out strikes across the country.
The latest strike hit a building in Aito, in the Zgharta region in northern Lebanon, where people displaced from Aitaroun in the south were sheltering.
It killed 23 people and injured others. Earlier strikes targeted Maysrah in Keserwan, killing 17 and injuring 21, along with attacks in Beirut’s Noueiri area and several towns in Iqlim al-Kharroub and the Chouf, which caused further casualties.
Israel claims these strikes, outside Hezbollah’s usual strongholds like Beirut’s southern suburbs, the eastern Bekaa region, and the south, were targeting Hezbollah members.
This has left residents of remote host communities, where displaced people have fled, afraid. Many fear that Hezbollah members among the displaced could make their towns targets, as it’s becoming harder to tell civilian from military targets.
In response, tensions are rising in some areas, with certain individuals asked to leave due to their ties to Hezbollah.
Political parties and local authorities are working to prevent conflict, fearing Israel might exploit these tensions to turn host communities against the displaced, increasing pressure on Hezbollah.
Local parties are in touch with Hezbollah, asking them to remove individuals who might pose a risk to the communities. But this is proving difficult due to Hezbollah’s state of disarray after Israel assassinated its top leaders.
While residents fear becoming Israeli targets, they’re also committed to protecting the displaced. Yet concerns are growing about Hezbollah members among them, especially after the Israeli strike on Aito in Zgharta.
Mount Lebanon, the north, and Beirut host the largest number of displaced people—over 1.2 million. The mainly Druze Progressive Socialist Party has taken action in the Chouf, where it holds influence.
MP Bilal Abdullah called for protecting both displaced people and locals, urging Hezbollah members not to visit crowded areas. Municipalities in Iqlim al-Kharroub, where several towns were hit, have made similar appeals.
Abdullah also mentioned ongoing coordination with security agencies and Hezbollah to keep fighters and officials away from areas with displaced people. He noted the difficulty of this, given Hezbollah’s current disarray.
He hopes the efforts will bring positive results, especially in Iqlim al-Kharroub, where over 120,000 displaced people are now sheltering.
The biggest issue, he said, is rented homes, which municipalities are monitoring, while security forces are responsible for official shelters.
