BEIRUT — On Monday, Lebanon’s president and prime minister asserted that their nation should remain uninvolved in the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, highlighting that any involvement could further harm Lebanon, currently mired in a severe economic crisis and the repercussions of its recent war with Israel and Hezbollah.
The leaders’ statements indirectly addressed Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia allied with both Iran and Hamas in Gaza, signaling a call for neutrality in the escalating regional strife. Following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah retaliated against Israel, experiencing heavy casualties until a U.S.-brokered ceasefire paused the 14-month long conflict in November of the previous year.
Earlier in 2023, confrontations saw Hamas launching rockets into Israel from Lebanon, provoking retaliatory airstrikes by Israel and subsequent arrests of Hamas operatives by Lebanese forces. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel led to over 4,000 Lebanese deaths and inflicted $11 billion in destruction, while decimating Hezbollah’s hold near the Israeli border. Israel recorded 127 fatalities, including 80 soldiers.
During a Cabinet meeting on Monday, President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam discussed the escalating battle between Iran and Israel, emphasizing the need for Lebanon to maintain its peace and stability amidst regional tensions. Information Minister Paul Morkos relayed Aoun’s appeal for domestic tranquility and Salam’s insistence on Lebanon’s non-involvement in the ongoing conflict.
Hezbollah, long regarded as Iran’s most significant ally, both politically and militarily, faced substantial losses in the recent Israel war, losing many of its leaders in targeted airstrikes by Israel. Recent events, notably Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear assets and Iran’s missile retaliation, have amplified concerns over potential widespread unrest in the region, which is already fraught with tensions following the Israel-Hamas altercation in Gaza.