Lebanon Moves to Ban Hezbollah’s Military Wing as Airstrikes Shake Beirut

In a dramatic and unprecedented decision, Lebanon’s government has officially banned all military and security activities carried out by Hezbollah, marking a significant shift in the country’s internal power balance.

The announcement came just hours after Hezbollah said it had launched rockets and drones toward Israel, describing the action as retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in what it called US-Israeli attacks.

The response was swift.

Israel launched a series of powerful airstrikes across Beirut’s southern suburbs and dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, vowing that Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price.” According to Lebanese authorities, the strikes left at least 52 people dead and more than 150 injured. Entire neighborhoods shook under the bombardment, and civilians fled their homes in fear.

The Israeli military later confirmed it had completed a “broad wave of strikes,” targeting more than 70 sites including weapons storage facilities and missile launch positions in southern Lebanon.

Government Takes a Defining Stand

Following an emergency cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed the nation with a firm message.

He declared that the Lebanese state “absolutely and unequivocally rejects any military or security actions launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of legitimate institutions.”

The decision effectively criminalizes Hezbollah’s independent military operations and calls for the immediate handover of its weapons.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar confirmed that security forces were instructed to arrest those responsible for launching the rockets, along with anyone who instigated the attacks.

Significantly, ministers from the Amal Movement — Hezbollah’s key Shiite ally — and even one minister affiliated with Hezbollah reportedly approved the cabinet’s resolution, signaling rare political alignment during a moment of national crisis.

Hezbollah Pushes Back

Hezbollah swiftly condemned the move, describing it as “rash.”

Mohammed Raad, head of the group’s parliamentary bloc, criticized Beirut’s decision, saying citizens had expected the government to condemn Israeli aggression instead.

In a statement released early Tuesday, Hezbollah defended its rocket attacks as a “defensive act and legitimate right,” arguing that diplomatic efforts had failed to force Israel to respect a ceasefire agreed upon 15 months earlier.

The group insisted that Israel’s continued strikes had left it no choice.

Civilians Caught in the Middle

As explosions echoed across Beirut, panic spread quickly.

Traffic gridlocked the capital as families fled in cars and on motorcycles, grabbing what little they could carry. Parents held children tightly. Streets that once bustled with everyday life turned into corridors of fear.

One resident, Ali Deeb, wrote online that he and his baby daughter had been trapped in traffic for over three hours, asking in frustration, “For what? Why? For whom?”

Schools and universities announced closures due to security concerns. The US Embassy urged American citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.

For many ordinary Lebanese citizens, the political and military decisions unfolding at the highest levels mean sleepless nights, uncertain futures, and the terrifying sound of warplanes overhead.

Renewed Strikes and Regional Pressure

Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit properties linked to Al-Qard al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-affiliated financial organization previously sanctioned by Washington.

Evacuation warnings were issued for multiple towns in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed that one of its commanders in Lebanon was killed in the strikes.

Lebanon’s leadership has repeatedly emphasized that it does not want to be drawn into a broader regional conflict, which escalated after a major US-Israeli strike on Iran.

Last August, Beirut had already announced plans to gradually disarm Hezbollah following a year-long war with Israel that ended in a November 2024 ceasefire. However, Israel continued targeting what it described as Hezbollah-linked sites, accusing the group of attempting to rearm.

The fragile truce is monitored by a multinational committee including Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France, and UN peacekeepers.

Prime Minister Salam has now called on the United States and France — key guarantors of the ceasefire — to secure a firm Israeli commitment to halt all attacks across Lebanese territory. He also announced Lebanon’s readiness to resume negotiations under international supervision.

A Nation at a Crossroads

Lebanon now stands at a defining moment.

The government’s decision to ban Hezbollah’s military wing signals an attempt to assert state authority over armed factions operating independently. Yet the move also risks deepening internal divisions and escalating tensions in an already volatile region.

Beyond political statements and military strategies lies a simple truth: it is ordinary people who suffer most when rockets fly and bombs fall.

Parents wonder whether schools will reopen. Shopkeepers question if businesses will survive another crisis. Children wake up to sirens instead of sunlight.

At its heart, this story is not just about governments or armed groups. It is about a country exhausted by conflict, yearning for stability, dignity, and peace.

Lebanon’s future now depends on whether diplomacy can outpace destruction — and whether leaders, on all sides, choose restraint over retaliation.