In northern Israel, everyday life has come to a halt, disrupted by the ceaseless threat of rocket and UAV attacks launched by Hezbollah. In areas close to the border, schools have closed, roads are unsafe, and families – including mine – live on edge with a mere 15 seconds to reach shelter when alarms sound.
Israel’s war aim is clear: a return to normalcy, one not bound by tenuous ceasefires but underpinned by a lasting security arrangement. Yet achieving this stability necessitates addressing the heart of Lebanon’s struggle—its inability to make national decisions without Hezbollah’s approval, both politically and militarily. As long as Hezbollah retains its stronghold in Lebanon’s government, a stable, long-lasting ceasefire will remain elusive, not only for Israelis but for the Lebanese people as well.
Israel faces three strategic options in seeking a solution. The first, a deeply challenging one, involves establishing a physical security buffer within southern Lebanon to limit Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks, with the Israeli military stationed in southern Lebanon. However, this security zone would come at a high cost, recalling painful memories for Israelis of previous military interventions in Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s, with soldiers stationed in hostile territory and risking their lives daily. Such an approach is not attractive after decades of bitter experience that Israel will not want to repeat.
The second option, often debated in Israeli media during the current truce negotiations, involves intense, ongoing enforcement by the IDF to curb Hezbollah’s activities in southern Lebanon. However, this approach raises questions too. Sustained military enforcement could prevent daily disruptions, but it could provoke further retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah, perpetuating instability for northern Israel. Israeli communities would remain vulnerable to attacks, and normal life would remain out of reach for the area.
The third, and most viable, option is the establishment of a comprehensive ceasefire and a robust, enforceable security agreement. Such an agreement must not only limit Hezbollah’s freedom of action but also redefine Lebanon’s relationship with the Iranian-backed terror organization altogether. To achieve this, Israel and the international community must adopt a strategic approach that emphasizes both incentives and accountability for Lebanon, pressing it to sever official ties with Hezbollah and regard it for what it is—a terrorist organization.
To reach a sustainable security arrangement, we must first examine the nature of Hezbollah’s relationship with Lebanon. The organization is more than a heavily armed terrorist entity – it is an integral part of Lebanon’s political structure, with members of Hezbollah holding high-level positions within the Lebanese government. This is no casual affiliation; Hezbollah holds a recognized seat at the table, exerting influence over national Lebanese policy and leveraging its position to bolster its operations.
For example, Hezbollah’s presence extends even to Lebanon’s critical entry points, such as Beirut’s airport and the border crossings with Syria, which remain under Hezbollah’s partial control. This is due to the fact that the caretaker minister responsible for
Lebanon’s entry and exit points is Transport and Public Works Minister Ali Hamie, who is affiliated with Hezbollah. This allows Hezbollah to smuggle arms and resources across borders, further strengthening its military capabilities and eroding Lebanese sovereignty.
It is unreasonable to expect Lebanon to enforce a truce agreement if Hezbollah remains embedded in its governance. While Lebanon’s officials may offer assurances, the reality is that their hands are tied as long as Hezbollah’s influence goes unchallenged. A clear, public disavowal of Hezbollah is essential for Lebanon to reclaim its status as a sovereign nation and to become a credible partner in securing peace.
For Lebanon to break free from Hezbollah’s influence, the international community must step in with both incentives and pressures. This approach has precedence in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for the disbanding of all illegal non-governmental armed forces in Lebanon. Yet, until now, this resolution has remained a largely symbolic gesture, unenforced and largely ignored.
The United States, the United Nations, and key Western nations must play an active role in supporting Lebanon’s government to stand independently from Hezbollah’s influence. Financial aid, military support, and international legitimacy should all be conditional on Lebanon taking measurable steps to cut ties with Hezbollah. It is contradictory to send aid to Lebanon’s armed forces while Hezbollah, effectively a state within a state, undermines Lebanon’s own security.
Beyond the security implications for Israel, Hezbollah’s unchecked power has devastating consequences for Lebanon itself. The Lebanese people face economic hardship, political instability, and the constant threat of becoming collateral damage in Hezbollah’s terror campaigns against Israel. Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria’s civil war, at Iran’s behest, pulled Lebanon into regional conflicts that only exacerbated internal turmoil and economic distress. Lebanon cannot thrive if it remains shackled to Hezbollah’s and Iran’s agenda, an agenda that prioritizes foreign interests and religious wars over Lebanese prosperity.
There are those within Lebanon who oppose Hezbollah, advocating for a sovereign Lebanon that can thrive independently. Yet, without a concerted effort by the international community to pressure the Lebanese government, these voices are too weak and risk being drowned out. The international community must make it clear that Lebanon’s future as a peaceful, prosperous nation depends on its willingness to confront Hezbollah’s destabilizing presence.
As an Israeli citizen living in the north, I understand deeply the desire for calm and security. But this calm cannot be superficial, nor can it be achieved through fake solutions. Israel will take the steps necessary to protect its citizens, but we must also urge Lebanon to recognize that Hezbollah is an impediment to its own stability and future.
Hezbollah must be stripped of its political legitimacy. Only then can Lebanon reclaim its sovereignty, and only then can Israel and Lebanon pursue a more secure future.
