About Nasrallah.. An Israeli Report Tracks the Latest Statements

The Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom" published a report addressing the conditions of Shia communities in southern Lebanon two years after the assassination of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, focusing on the cost borne by southern residents as a result of wars, destruction, and displacement.

In its report, the newspaper stated that Nasrallah linked Hezbollah's weapons to the defense of Lebanon, particularly the south, for more than three decades. It noted that after the 2006 war, he faced demands to disarm the party by asking who would protect Lebanon if it were attacked by Israel—the Lebanese Army or UNIFIL forces—presenting the "Resistance"'s arms as part of the country's defense system.

However, the newspaper argued that two years after his assassination, this equation has come into question given the scale of destruction in southern villages, the demolition of homes, the displacement of families, and the difficulties facing the reconstruction process.

The report pointed to Hezbollah's decision to open a front against Israel on October 8, 2023, under the banner of supporting Gaza, noting that the decision did not emanate from the Lebanese government or the army.

The report mentioned that southern residents, most of whom are Shia in border areas, were among those who paid the highest price for the confrontations, before large numbers were displaced again with the outbreak of renewed war in March 2026.

While holding Israel responsible for the strikes it carried out and the destruction it caused in Lebanon, the newspaper said that, according to its reading, this does not absolve Hezbollah from answering why Shia villages were repeatedly turned into arenas for confrontations beyond Lebanon's borders.

The report cited opposition stances within the Shia environment, including a statement by Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hajj Hassan, head of the "Free Shia Movement," who described the community's situation in 2024 as a "real catastrophe." When asked what Hezbollah's weapons had provided him as a Shia and a Lebanese citizen, he replied: "The result is zero, nothing at all."

Additionally, the report quoted a southern Shia activist saying that Hezbollah had faced a choice between investing in people, agriculture, and infrastructure or in tunnels and wars, adding: "They chose to dig underground instead of building above ground."

Conversely, "Israel Hayom" acknowledged that these positions do not mean all Shias oppose Hezbollah, noting that the party still enjoys significant support within the sect.

The report concluded by calling for a distinction between Hezbollah and the Shia community when approaching the war's repercussions, arguing that southern residents bore a large share of the cost of military decisions they did not participate in making.

"Lebanon 24"