The Lebanese Arena
IDF Activity in Lebanon:
February 13: The Israeli Air Force attacked Hezbollah military sites.
IAF fighter jets attacked Hezbollah military sites containing weapons and launchers, which posed a direct threat to the Israeli home front.
The IDF continues to search in buildings and complex areas where weapons depots are located, including stockpiles of missiles, rockets, mortar shells, grenades, IEDs and arms. In addition, staging areas and large-barreled launchers that were camouflaged and aimed at the territory of the country were located.
Video of the activity:
The weapons located:
February 15: Vehicle attack in Jarjouaa
The Air Force carried out a targeted attack in the town of Jarjouaa in southern Lebanon (north of Nabatiyeh) on a vehicle carrying operatives from Unit 127, Hezbollah’s Air Unit. Two operatives were killed. The main operative killed was Abbas Ahmed Hamoud, a key operative in the Hezbollah Air Unit, who was responsible recently, during the ceasefire, for the launching of several intelligence gathering UAVs towards Israel. Some of these UAVs crossed into Israeli territory. Another operative named Ahmed Farhat was also eliminated alongside him.
February 16: Fatality from IDF fire in the southern town of Houla
On February 16, Lebanese citizens advanced into the town of Houla, after passing through Lebanese army checkpoints, which did not prevent their passing. The Lebanese citizens approached IDF forces in the area and endangered their safety.
According to Lebanese reports, as a result of warning shots, a woman named Khadija Atwi was killed, and others were injured.
Hezbollah deliberately and intentionally sends Lebanese citizens to create filmed friction with the IDF.
The Lebanese army issued a statement calling on residents not to approach the southern areas where their deployment has not been completed and to adhere to the instructions of the military units deployed, in order to maintain their safety and avoid the risk of unexploded ordnance left over from the fighting.
February 16: The IDF attacked Hezbollah targets and weapons in the Bekaa Valley.
Lebanon General:
After more than two years of political stalemate in Lebanon, Nawaf Salam formed his government under the title “Reform and Rescue.”
Read about the new government in Lebanon in an article we published on the subject.
February 13: Blocking of the airport road in Beirut by Hezbollah supporters and an attack on UNIFIL forces.
Hezbollah supporters set fire to tires in front of the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut in protest of the Lebanese government’s refusal to allow the landing of an Iranian “Mahan Air” plane, citing an Israeli threat that the Iranian plane was carrying Iranian funds intended for Hezbollah.
The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority stated on February 13 that “in order to ensure the safety of the airport and the Lebanese airspace and the safety of all passengers and aircraft, some additional security measures have been taken in accordance with international regulations and standards… Some flight schedules arriving in Lebanon have been temporarily rescheduled, including those arriving from Iran, until February 18, in order to implement additional security measures to ensure the safety of passengers, aircraft and the Beirut airport.”
During the demonstrations, which continued daily, Shiite Hezbollah supporters set fire to a vehicle belonging to the UN force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on the airport road on February 14 and attacked its occupants. UNIFIL released a statement saying: “Tonight, a UNIFIL convoy leading peacekeeping forces to the Beirut airport was brutally attacked, one of the vehicles was set on fire and the deputy commander of UNIFIL forces, who had completed his duties and was on his way home, was injured.”
The Lebanese army sent reinforcements to disperse the demonstrations and deployed around the airport. During the demonstrations, the military used riot control means that caused injuries. It also made a number of isolated arrests.
Condemnations of the violence of the demonstrators came from all parts of the political spectrum in Lebanon and even from Hezbollah itself (this is a familiar pattern of behavior for Hezbollah. On the one hand, it sends demonstrators to act violently and on the other hand, it condemns the results as lip service…). However, in its statement, Hezbollah also condemned the violent actions of the army that should be investigated.
February 14: Saad al-Hariri announces that he will return to political life in Lebanon.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced his return to the “Future” movement for political activity. This comes after five years of disengaging from the political arena. His remarks were made at a large rally held in Martyrs’ Square in Beirut to mark 20 years since the assassination of his father, Rafik al-Hariri. The assassination was executed by Hezbollah using a booby-trapped truck.
The Sunni community in Lebanon currently suffers from a lack of leadership, and it is possible that the potential for regional and internal change, in light of the war, prompted Hariri to return to political activity.
Hariri stressed the importance of supporting a stable Syria and good relations between the countries and called for unity and assistance in the country’s reconstruction. He also mentioned Lebanon’s role in implementing UN Resolution 1701 and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
His speech included calls to end illegal arming and the restoration of state control to the army and legal security forces. According to him, only a stable state with legal force will be able to protect all citizens.
As usual, nice words. Deeds are another matter…
February 10: Commemorating the 46th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The Iranian embassy in Lebanon held an official event to mark the 46th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The event was attended by members of parliament and ministers past and present, people from society, politics and diplomacy, representatives of the security forces and the Lebanese national and Islamic parties, representatives of the Palestinian factions and more.
The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, spoke at the event and said, among other things, that “support for Palestine and Lebanon is not control but protection of just rights.”
February 14: Official invitations to participate in the funerals of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safi al-Din.
A senior delegation from Hezbollah, which included, alternately, the chairman of the Hezbollah faction in parliament, Muhammad Raad, the deputy chairman of the political council, Mahmoud Qamati, accompanied by council member Hassan Khadraj and the assistant for national relations, Saeed Nasr al-Din, visited a number of senior officials in Lebanon and delivered them an official invitation from Hezbollah to participate in the funerals of the eliminated Hezbollah secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, and his deputy, Hashem Safi al-Din.
The text of the invitation included a Koranic verse and the following paragraph: “In honor of the historic leader and the great Arab and Islamic symbol, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, the master of the nation’s saints, the Islamic cleric, Mr. Hassan Nasrallah, “may God have mercy on him” and the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, the Islamic cleric, Mr. Hashem Safi al-Din “may God have mercy on him.”
We invite you to participate in the funeral ceremonies of the two holy masters.
Date: Sunday, February 23, 2025; 1:00 PM.
Location: Beirut – Camille Chamoun Stadium.”
Among the most prominent recipients of the invitation were President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, former President Michel Aoun and others.
February 16: Na’im Qassem’s speech – The government is required to take a firm and decisive position regarding the Israeli withdrawal on February 18 and a sovereign position on the issue of Iranian aviation.
Summary of Naim Qassem’s speech:
- Emphasis on faith in the future appearance of Imam Mahdi and a call to support him.
- In his remarks in memory of the assassinated leaders, Qassem referred to Hezbollah’s history and mentioned the assassination of Rafiq Al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister.
- Description of Hezbollah’s beginnings in 1982 in their struggle against Israel, highlighting the key role of Sheikh Ragheb Harb during that period.
- Praise for the actions of Abbas Musawi and Imad Mughniyeh, figures of the resistance and their military leadership.
- Attack on the United States, accusing it of trying to destroy the Palestinian people through Israel.
- Condemnation of all forms of Palestinian displacement and urging Arab and Islamic countries to oppose these displacements.
- Regarding internal politics, he praised the completion of the election of the Lebanese president and the formation of the government.
- Demand for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese lands and the reconstruction of destroyed areas.
- Call for cooperation between all parties in Lebanon to rebuild the country and implement necessary reforms.
- Condemnation of the Lebanese government’s decision to ban the landing of Iranian planes and called for the decision to be reversed.
- Emphasis on the importance of the ceremony commemorating Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safi al-Din on February 23 and called for broad support for the ceremony.
February 14: Completion of initial internal investigations by Hezbollah.
According to Lebanese reports, the Hezbollah organization is conducting an internal investigation into the recent war with small committees that include members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The investigations focus on violations of military discipline, resource management, corruption, suspicions of treason or collaboration with the enemy.
In addition, according to unconfirmed reports, Hezbollah is undergoing a reorganization to reduce costs due to liquidity problems that have caused many activists to leave following the cessation of salaries and an increase in immigration requests to Europe, especially to Germany.
The reorganization includes all the party’s economic institutions, which include, among other things, construction and real estate companies.
Also, according to several reports, Hezbollah has requested financial assistance from Shiite businessmen in Africa.
In this context, it appears that in the past week there has been a significant decrease in reports in Lebanon about compensation payments by Hezbollah or the associations operating under it to those affected by the war among the Shiite base.
Read more about Hezbollah’s rehabilitation efforts in an article we published on the subject.
February 14: The funeral of Hussein Ali Hazima, Hezbollah’s intelligence chief (Unit 200):
Hezbollah held a funeral for Hussein Ali Hazima, nicknamed “al-Hajj Murtada,” in the courtyard of the Imam al-Mujtaba complex in Saint Therese in the southern Dahieh of Beirut. Hussein’s body was found earlier this month in a bunker where Hashem Safi al-Din was eliminated.
Hazima was born in 1967, lived his entire life in the Harik neighborhood and was Hezbollah’s intelligence chief. The US Counterterrorism Bureau had defined him as a serious threat to carrying out terrorist operations that threaten the safety of US citizens or their national security.
The Syrian Arena
Syria in general:
February 16: Ahmad al-Shara on a tour of the Syrian provinces
Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara arrived for a visit at the Latakia and Tartus districts. This is his first visit to the Syrian coast since taking office as president. Al-Shara’s visit to the Syrian coast comes after a tour he conducted the day before in the Idlib area.
February 15: Hundreds of thousands of refugees return to Syria
The UN Refugee Agency announced that more than 270,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8th.
Currently, 5.5 million Syrian refugees reside in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
According to the announcement, more than 825,000 internally displaced persons within Syria have returned to their areas since December 2024.
February 16: Renovation of Damascus International Airport by Turkey
A Turkish technical team, including 25 experts and engineers, has begun its work in Syria to rehabilitate and develop the Damascus International Airport, as part of efforts to support the country’s infrastructure. The team, sent by the Turkish Ministry of Transport, is intended to update the air navigation systems, in addition to improving the security and safety equipment at the airport, to ensure the safety of flights in the airspace of Syria.
The Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Ural Oulu, announced in a statement that Turkey sent 6 trucks loaded with 113 advanced devices and equipment to Syria, including X-ray machines, explosive detectors and metal detectors. He added that the Turkish team will install the devices and train the Syrian workers to use them.
