Amid costly war with Israel, Hezbollah faces fire from its own supporters
| BEIRUT
With Hezbollah and Israel locked in another punishing war, disappointment and anger echo increasingly across Lebanon鈥檚 Shiite community, which has borne the brunt of thousands of Israeli airstrikes in south and east Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Weeks of an intensely destructive Israeli military campaign, which has included the killing of Hezbollah鈥檚 revered leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and much of the Iran-backed Shiite militia鈥檚 senior leadership, has displaced 1.3 million Lebanese. Across the south, near the border with Israel, entire villages have been destroyed.
Hezbollah supporters are tired, and far less forgiving of what they perceive to be the organization鈥檚 mistakes and battlefield shortcomings.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onFor years, Hezbollah confidently assured its Shiite Lebanese base that when the time came, it would robustly defend Lebanon and punish Israel. Now, amid another destructive war, many supporters are losing faith. Can it win them back?
One such longtime supporter, a 30-something businessman in Beirut who gives the name Hussein, had his loyalty tested before, in the last all-out Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. Then, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed 16 members of his family, including five children.
That destructive conflict was widely seen to have been triggered by Hezbollah鈥檚 own miscalculation back then: that a cross-border kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldiers would yield only a limited Israeli response.
And yet, until now, Hussein鈥檚 personal loss so many years ago did not detract from his support for Hezbollah. In fact, he says, it increased his backing for Hezbollah and its armed 鈥渞esistance鈥� against Israel, as a way to achieve revenge.
But fast-forward 18 years, and Hussein, along with many traditional Hezbollah supporters, today expresses doubts about Hezbollah and its decisions. This time the Israeli onslaught was sparked by more than a year of Hezbollah rocket attacks against northern Israel, in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, its Palestinian ally in the Iran-led 鈥淎xis of Resistance.鈥�
鈥淭hey are saying they have surprises, but we are waiting to see,鈥� says Hussein, of Hezbollah鈥檚 continued promises of fighting prowess.
鈥淲e expected much, much more than what is happening now. Like Sayyed Nasrallah said, one building destroyed in Dahiyeh [Hezbollah鈥檚 south Beirut stronghold] will be met with many buildings destroyed in Tel Aviv,鈥� he says. 鈥淯nfortunately, until now, no buildings have been destroyed in Tel Aviv, which is surprising and disappointing us.鈥�
Instead, entire apartment blocks have been flattened by Israel in Dahiyeh, as it targets Hezbollah leadership and infrastructure. Hussein鈥檚 shop remains intact, despite airstrikes two streets away.
Years of Hezbollah promises
鈥淲e feel that everything is happening for no reason, for nothing,鈥� says Hussein, explaining that Hezbollah鈥檚 standing nearly alone in solidarity with Hamas was an insufficient argument for war.
Hezbollah 鈥渆ntered this war supporting Hamas, and no one else supported Hamas,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou have many Arab and Muslim countries. So why no one [else took] any action? And you want to do this.鈥�
Hussein says he is angry that Israel has managed to deliver multiple body blows to Hezbollah 鈥� including an exploding pager attack that wounded thousands of fighters, and the assassination of Mr. Nasrallah 鈥� while Hezbollah so far has failed to deliver on years of promises that it would always inflict far greater pain on the Jewish state. Indeed, Hezbollah has yet to use many of its most potent weapons 鈥� precision-guided missiles 鈥� against Israel.
Hezbollah, which is also a well-funded political party that provides services to the Shiite community, still has some popular support. But patience is wearing thin because of intense civilian suffering.
鈥淵ou know, this time we moved several times from house to house, because the places that are targeted are expanding,鈥� says Hussein. 鈥淓ven in Beirut we were thinking it was safe 鈥� it鈥檚 not safe anymore.
鈥淲e lost our jobs, our work 鈥� it鈥檚 a disaster. And all the news speaks about [Hezbollah] support. We are not supporting.鈥�
That said, recent more effective Hezbollah strikes have won praise, and include a mid-October drone strike on the dining hall of Israel鈥檚 Golani Brigade, which killed four soldiers and wounded 67.
鈥淧eople are seeing this, people are happy,鈥� says Hussein.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not done; it is taking a long time,鈥� he adds. 鈥淭he result of this war will be so important to the future of Hezbollah.鈥�
Indeed, Hezbollah鈥檚 carefully burnished reputation as the most powerful arm of Iran鈥檚 鈥淎xis鈥� has been damaged.
For decades it has acted as a state with in a state, the self-declared defender of Lebanese territorial sovereignty 鈥� in place of Lebanese state forces too weak to do the job.
鈥淥n the path of war鈥�
The organization鈥檚 newly named leader, Naim Qassem, vowed in a recorded speech Wednesday that Hezbollah was open to a cease-fire, but otherwise 鈥渨ill remain on the path of war.鈥�
Referring to Hezbollah鈥檚 drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 coastal home two weeks ago, he said, 鈥淣etanyahu survived this time, perhaps his time hasn鈥檛 come yet.鈥�
But with the other top 20 or more Hezbollah chiefs and commanders killed in recent weeks, rumors swirled that Mr. Qassem had sought sanctuary in Iran. Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant posted on the social platform X, 鈥淭emporary appointment. Not for long.鈥�
So far, Hezbollah鈥檚 pledges are not enough for some former supporters.
鈥淥ur kids are on the streets because of you. Our houses are gone because of you,鈥� complains one Shiite resident of Dahiyeh, describing the prevalent mood. 鈥淲here are you? Nobody to be found. You know what? We quit. We鈥檙e going to find a different way. They are struggling to get water, never mind getting food.
鈥淎ll this happened in 10 days, I just can鈥檛 believe it,鈥� says the resident, who asks not to be named and says he knew many Hezbollah members wounded in the pager attacks. 鈥淣ever in my wildest dreams did I think this could ever, ever happen to Hezbollah. All the [big] talk, all the cause, all the strength, all the missiles, all the military, all the training, the [elite] Radwan Brigade. ... 鈥榃e will go into Galilee.鈥� None of that.鈥�
After Hezbollah鈥檚 strike on the Israeli dining hall, 鈥淧eople breathed a deep sigh of relief: Hezbollah still exists,鈥� he says, recounting the scene: 鈥淥ne hundred of them watching one TV, with bad reception, staying up until morning. 鈥楧id they really do that?鈥� they asked. Another man: 鈥極h, they still have it; they still have it! Let鈥檚 give them another week.鈥� ...
鈥淢y brother jumped up [from the TV] and said, 鈥業 told you, they can鈥檛 be finished that fast: 40 years of training, 40 years of depositing missiles all over the country, 40 years of education, engineers sent all over the world to learn how to fire missiles, how to train special forces. ... They cannot be over in 10 days.鈥欌��
鈥淧eople are tired鈥�
Israel says it has destroyed half of Hezbollah鈥檚 missile arsenal and has uncovered elaborate fortified tunnel networks along the border. Hezbollah announces daily rocket attacks against Israeli military formations and communities in northern Israel 鈥� and says it is slowing Israel鈥檚 ground incursion 鈥� but those efforts inflict few casualties.
鈥淩eally, the bombing of the last one or two weeks is not enough to satisfy the bloodlust of people, who are waiting to see the reaction after the death of Nasrallah,鈥� says another Shiite from southern Lebanon, who asks not to use his name, because of the sensitivity of criticizing Hezbollah.
鈥淧eople are still on the streets,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was a supporter before. What Hezbollah promised the people [to support them], they should fulfill, because people are tired. They are given a bit of help here and there. But if we [only] eat and drink water, is that what you call life? What kind of living is that?鈥�
He says the party can still restore its reputation, despite the blows from Israel.
鈥淚t鈥檚 possible. We can see Hezbollah now breathing better, acting better, performing better. They are escalating,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey should make painful hits to the Israelis. For the people to change their minds 鈥� they have to hit real hard. Hit your enemy hard, hurt your enemy hard, make people come home.
鈥淲hen we see victory, we forget how homeless we are 鈥� and we support Hezbollah again,鈥� he says.
