Hezbollah’s Focus on Lebanon’s Interior: A Threat to the Nation?

Feb 18, 2025

By: Ya Libnan Editorial Board

Wafiq Safa, Hezbollah’s security chief, confirmed today in an interview with Al-Mayadeen that “Hezbollah’s power will return stronger than before, and the focus will now be on the interior.” His statement signals a dangerous shift in Hezbollah’s strategy—one that threatens Lebanon’s already fragile stability.

Safa also downplayed the significance of leadership change after the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, stating that Hezbollah is “an approach, a project, an organization, and a nation.” However, this declaration serves only to reinforce Hezbollah’s dominance over Lebanon, positioning it as a state within a state.

Furthermore, he suggested that Israel’s objectives expanded following Nasrallah’s assassination and accused Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, of reaching out to certain Lebanese factions. But history has shown that Hezbollah has long turned its weapons inward against the Lebanese people, exploiting crises to tighten its grip on power.

A History of Hezbollah’s Betrayal

This is not the first time Hezbollah has directed its weapons against Lebanon’s own citizens:

2006: Following its war with Israel, Hezbollah occupied downtown Beirut—Lebanon’s economic and cultural showcase—crippling businesses and tourism.
2008: Hezbollah seized control of West Beirut by force and attempted, but failed, to overrun the Chouf region of Mount Lebanon.
2019: Nasrallah openly declared his allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader, solidifying Hezbollah’s role as an extension of Iran rather than a protector of Lebanon.
2020: The catastrophic Beirut Port explosion, caused by thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate illegally stored by Hezbollah, devastated the capital, killing hundreds and destroying Lebanon’s only grain silos. The chemicals were allegedly intended for the Syrian regime’s barrel bombs against civilians.

File : Masked Hezbollah fighters as they march through a suburb of Beirut in May 2008 , when the party occupied a large section of Beirut . and tried but failed to occupy Mount Lebanon. The majority of the Lebanese now consider the heavily armed and Iran backed militia as the biggest threat to Lebanon’s sovereignty

Lebanon’s Shiites Deserve Better

For decades, Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into war, subjected the Shiite community to destruction, and prioritized Iran’s agenda over Lebanon’s interests. Today, thousands of Shiite homes lie in ruins due to Hezbollah’s reckless military campaigns. The Lebanese Shiite community—respected for its resilience and contributions—can no longer afford to bear the cost of Hezbollah’s actions.

This August 4, 2020 file photo, is the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. 220 killed , 7000 Injured , after 2,750 Tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate Exploded . They were stored there for nearly 7 years. . President Michel Aoun and PM Diab knew about the Ammonium Nitrate 2 weeks before the explosion but did nothing about it . Judge Fadi Sawan who was initially in charge of the investigation was fired for charging Hezbollah backed Lebanese government officials with negligence over the explosion . Judge Tarek Bitar replaced Judge Sawan and Hezbollah got him fired too , reportedly because it is concerned about exposing its role in supplying the Syrian government with the explosive chemical for use in its barrel bombs (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, Beirut, Lebanon(Photo by Anwar Amro/AFP)

It is time for Lebanon’s Shiites to rise and demand new leadership—leaders who will rebuild rather than destroy, unify rather than divide, and prioritize Lebanon over foreign allegiances. The country’s future depends on breaking free from Hezbollah’s stranglehold and restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty.