Christian-Druze Lebanese town opposes Hezbollah takeover attempt

The Iranian-backed terror proxy group Hezbollah has dominated southern Lebanon with its military and political power for years. Yet, one Christian-Druze town - Hasbaya - a southern Lebanese Christian-Druze town with a population of 30,000 people, has decided to oppose Hezbollah taking over, according to a New York Times report on Sunday.

The ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched an unprovoked attack on northern Israel. Like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah has embraced a strategy of deliberately embedding itself in civilian structures. However, the majority of the Lebanese population opposes the war and Hezbollah’s decision to use their homes as launch sites against Israel.

Wissam Sliqqa, a local Druze leader said the town of Hasbaya asked Hezbollah operatives “not to launch rockets from inside the town.”

“We wanted to preserve the safety of our residents and ensure they could remain in their homes,” Sliqqa said.

Local residents volunteer to guard the town’s borders around the clock to avoid becoming embroiled in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The volunteers are responsible for reporting to the police any suspicious individuals attempting to seize civilian buildings on behalf of Hezbollah.

Hasbaya Deputy Mayor Ghassan Halabi stressed that the town will not host those who are affiliated with Hezbollah.

“We don’t want any strangers or anyone related to Hezbollah here,” Halabi said. “It took us years to build this town, and it could all be destroyed within minutes. We can’t allow that to happen.”

The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon has been largely confined to Shiite Muslim towns and villages where the terror group has a strong presence. However, the conflict risks escalating as residents from Shiite communities increasingly seek refuge in Christian and Druze areas.

“Families came, and we told them, respectfully, there is no more space in our shelters,” Halabi said. Some town leaders have also tried to negotiate with Hezbollah to prevent their town from being used to fire rockets.

Since launching its ground operation in southern Lebanon on Oct. 1, the Israeli military has urged residents to evacuate several Lebanese towns from which Hezbollah fires rockets and missiles into Israeli territory.

Nayef al Hassaniyeh, a local resident of Hasbaya, said that the Christian town seeks stability.

“We don’t have problems with anyone, we don’t have outgoing rockets, we just want stability,” he said, adding: “This war has been imposed on us. Did we choose it as Lebanese? No. They imposed it on us,” Hassaniyeh argued in a barely veiled criticism of Hezbollah.  “We just want to protect ourselves. We just want peace.”

The residents are concerned that the war might eventually reach their community.

“We’re worried,” said Kanj Nawfal, a municipal police officer in Hasbaya. “We are trying to be careful, but if something happens…This war is bigger than us.”

In May, Samir Geagea, the chairman of the Lebanese Christian party, Lebanese Forces (LF), blasted Hezbollah for forcing Lebanon into a conflict with Israel.

“No one has the right to control the fate of a country and people on its own,” Geagea said.