Lebanon suffers in a war not of its making – thenationalnews.com

Opinion
Editorial
March 06, 2026
To get an idea of how ordinary Lebanese feel about the latest turmoil to hit their country, one need only listen to Maguy Chebli, owner of Beirut’s Comfort Hotel, which was damaged in an Israeli air strike this week. “They’re worse than each other,” she told The National, referring to Israel and Hezbollah. “Two sides of the same coin.”
Ms Chebli’s anger is shared by many who are seeing another painful chapter for Lebanon unfolding as it is dragged into a regional war. On one hand Israel has escalated its bombardment of its neighbour, leaving an ostensible ceasefire with Hezbollah in tatters. In addition to the air strikes – which have gone on for months – this week Israel ordered a quarter of a million Lebanese to leave their homes while authorising its troops to advance further into the country. An occupation in all but name appears to be unfolding
On the other hand, an unprepared and rudderless Hezbollah has also played its part in further destabilising Lebanon. By reigniting conflict with Israel during its war with Iran – Hezbollah’s long-time backer – the militants drew more Israeli firepower down on Lebanese cities and communities, and gave the Israeli government an excuse to see through their plans.
Once again, Lebanon is paying the price for decisions made in other countries. So, where does it go from here? Amid the chaos, some critical changes are happening. On Wednesday, The National reported that the Lebanese army was arresting a number of Hezbollah members following an unprecedented cabinet decision outlawing the group’s military activities. Anger at the group is widespread enough that even some politicians from Amal, a party long aligned with Hezbollah, voted in favour of the measures.
It is a step-change for Lebanon but it remains to be seen how this will play out. Although the government wants to reassert its authority in all parts of the country, its armed forces are chronically underfunded and Hezbollah, although weakened, remains an entrenched and tenacious organisation. Beirut will have to move carefully if it wants to avoid open conflict with the militants.
As the Lebanese state takes action to rein in Hezbollah, one would hope that Israel would cease its attempts to strongarm its northern neighbour and stop undercutting Beirut’s government. If further occupation, bombardment and displacement continue, Israel threatens to not only revive Hezbollah’s fortunes but fuel the instability faced by a Lebanese government ill-equipped to navigate the storm engulfing the region.
For the vast majority of the Lebanese people, enough is enough. They want, and deserve, an end to their state being a battleground for foreign-backed paramilitaries and aggressive neighbours. As Ms Chebli, the hotel owner in Beirut, says: “We’re all victims of a regional conflict, but yet we have nothing to do with it.”
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