Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut

Beirut, Mar 11: Thousands of residents in southern Lebanon have fled their homes as a new round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel intensifies, with some civilians expressing growing frustration over the militant group’s actions.

A Lebanese mother of two said she had just woken up to prepare the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan when Israeli warplanes began bombing southern Lebanon in retaliation for rockets and drones fired by Hezbollah.

The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said her family fled from the southern city of Nabatiyeh to Beirut. The journey, which usually takes about an hour, lasted nearly 15 hours as tens of thousands of residents tried to escape the violence.

“I am totally against Hezbollah’s decision to start with the first strike,” she said. The woman is now living in a school converted into a shelter along with her husband, their two children and her mother-in-law.

The latest escalation comes just 15 months after the previous Israel-Hezbollah war ended with a ceasefire in November 2024 brokered by the United States.

On March 2, two days after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, Hezbollah fired missiles and drones into Israel for the first time in more than a year.

Hundreds of thousands of people from southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs have since fled after Israeli warnings that their areas could be targeted.

The previous Israel-Hezbollah war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and caused about $11 billion in damage, according to the World Bank.

Some residents now openly blame Hezbollah for their renewed displacement, something rarely voiced publicly in the past due to fear of retaliation.

Hussein Ali, a vegetable vendor from Haret Hreik in Beirut’s southern suburbs, said it was the second time in less than two years that he had been forced to leave his home.

“No one wanted this war,” he said, adding that many people had still not recovered from the last conflict.

The Lebanese government has also taken a tougher position against Hezbollah’s military activities.

On March 2, the cabinet voted to declare Hezbollah’s armed activities illegal, with only two ministers — both from Hezbollah — opposing the move. Even ministers aligned with the Amal Movement, led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, supported the decision.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government had ordered an immediate ban on Hezbollah’s military operations and demanded that the group hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state.

The Lebanese Armed Forces have since begun taking action and recently arrested three Hezbollah members transporting weapons at a checkpoint, though they were later released on bail.

Despite the criticism, Hezbollah continues to retain strong support among sections of the Shiite community.

Lebanese journalist Ali al-Amin said many critics still remain silent due to fear of retaliation or loss of financial assistance from Hezbollah and allied groups.

At the same time, some displaced residents say Hezbollah’s actions are justified, arguing that Israel had violated the November 2024 ceasefire through continued airstrikes that killed around 400 people in Lebanon.

Ali Saleh, who fled a village near Nabatiyeh, said the group’s retaliation was necessary.

“We cannot tolerate that anymore,” he said, expressing hope that Hezbollah fighters would prevail.

Sadek Nabulsi, a political science professor at the Lebanese University who supports Hezbollah, said such criticism often emerges during conflicts but does not necessarily indicate a loss of support for the group.

“Hezbollah’s base of support is known for tolerating pain,” he said, adding that many supporters remain patient despite the hardships.