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Report: Hezbollah Orders Its Fighters to Vacate Areas South of Litani

A woman reacts as she visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last year, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon February 24, 2025. (Reuters)
A woman reacts as she visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last year, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon February 24, 2025. (Reuters)
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Report: Hezbollah Orders Its Fighters to Vacate Areas South of Litani

A woman reacts as she visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last year, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon February 24, 2025. (Reuters)
A woman reacts as she visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last year, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon February 24, 2025. (Reuters)

Hezbollah has issued internal directives for its operatives who do not live south of the Litani River in Lebanon to vacate the area, The Wall Street Journal said in a report published on Monday.

The party has also temporarily suspended payments for compensation checks to those affected by Israel's war on Lebanon, it revealed.

The decisions come as Hezbollah announced the suspension of its military activities pending the outcome of diplomatic efforts currently initiated by the Lebanese state to secure a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and to stop air and ground violations.

The Wall Street Journal said the damage inflicted by Israel on Hezbollah is becoming clear: its military abilities have been severely degraded and its finances are strained to the point that it is struggling to meet its commitments to followers.

But the spiraling bill from its latest war is making many of those payments impossible, it explained.

WSJ added, citing residents, that the group’s primary financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan has recently “frozen payments for compensation checks that had already been issued.”

It said Hezbollah-run committees have evaluated hundreds of thousands of damaged homes and the group has issued $630 million in payments to people for loss or damage to their homes, according to an official at Al-Qard Al-Hassan.

It also said the party has temporarily frozen compensation payments for its supporters and those affected, but not for party members and operatives.

A person close to Hezbollah told the Journal that an internal memo was distributed to its combat units, ordering fighters who were not originally from areas south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon to vacate their positions, and that Lebanese army troops would be allowed to take control of the area in accordance with the ceasefire.

“The party has suffered heavy losses,” the person said, with some military units completely dismantled. But Hezbollah has partially replenished its ranks with fighters who had been stationed in Syria, the person added, with some restructured units ready for any resumption of fighting. “The group has been weakened, but it is not defeated,” he stated.

Hezbollah’s new secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has repeatedly emphasized the party's military readiness, asserting that the resistance remains strong in manpower and weaponry. However, he said United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 only relates to Hezbollah’s weapons south of the Litani River and not its north.

Qassem suggested that his party's weapons in northern Lebanon be discussed by the Lebanese state and various political forces as part of a defensive strategy.

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Yemen’s Humanitarian Lifeline on the Brink, IRC Warns

Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
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Yemen’s Humanitarian Lifeline on the Brink, IRC Warns

Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)

As Yemen marks ten years of conflict and crisis ignited by the Houthis, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the country will face unprecedented challenges this year with expected reductions in US contributions, which accounted for more than half of total humanitarian funding to Yemen in 2024.

The Committee said the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) seeks $2.47 billion to reach 10.5 million people—but as of March 2025, it is just 5% funded.

In 2024, the response received just over half of what was required, forcing aid agencies to scale back essential support such as food distributions and limit access to clean water and other services.

Therefore, IRC warned that expected reductions in US contributions, which accounted for more than half of total humanitarian funding to Yemen in 2024, threaten to widen this gap even further, placing millions at greater risk of hunger, disease, and further displacement.

The Committee also cautioned that a widening chasm between rising humanitarian needs and the funding required to alleviate them, risks leaving millions of Yemenis without access to food, healthcare and protection services.

In 2025, it said, an estimated 19.5 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection—an increase of nearly 7% compared to 2024. Across the country, more than 83% of the population now lives in poverty.

More than 4.5 million people are now internally displaced with most displaced multiple times over the past decade. IRC teams said they are witnessing rising demand in displacement sites, where families face limited access to food, healthcare and clean water.

“These figures reflect the compounding toll of a crisis that has deepened year after year, leaving families with fewer resources, fewer services and no safe alternatives,” the Committee warned.

For families who have endured years of displacement and insecurity, humanitarian aid has been critical to survival.

“I remember the first time I heard the sounds of war. I felt a fear I had never known before. We lost our home, our livelihood, and most importantly, our sense of security. Living in this camp is a daily struggle with no privacy or safety,” said Abdulnasser Abdullah, a displaced father living in Al Qataysh camp.

He added: “But the healthcare assistance we have received has made a real difference—especially since we can’t afford basic medication or even a simple meal.”

Caroline Sekyewa, IRC’s Country Director in Yemen, said that for ten years, Yemenis have endured relentless conflict, economic collapse, and limited access to lifesaving health and nutrition services.

“Humanitarian aid has been their lifeline-preventing disease outbreaks, delivering healthcare, responding to natural disasters, and helping families to survive,” she said.

For donor governments to consider reducing or removing that support is not just short-sighted, it puts millions of lives at risk, the aid director affirmed.

“Yemen now stands on a precipice and without urgent support, we risk reversing years of hard-fought gains. Ultimately, humanitarian aid on its own cannot end the suffering being felt by millions in Yemen,” she said.

Sekyewa then revealed that last year, humanitarian organizations, in spite of a huge funding shortfall, reached more than 8 million people in need across the country.

“2025 must be a turning point in this crisis. With needs steadily increasing, we call upon all donors to step up and ensure that this year’s humanitarian needs and response plan is fully funded,” she affirmed.