A new war between Israel and Hezbollah is exposing a rare crack in the militant group’s support base, as exhausted Lebanese civilians flee their homes and quietly question the decision to fire first.

When Israeli jets began bombing southern Lebanon before dawn on 2 March, a mother of two in the city of Nabatiyeh grabbed her family and fled north. The journey to Beirut — normally an hour — took 15.

“I’m against giving Israel pretexts,” she said, speaking anonymously out of fear of reprisals from supporters of Hezbollah.

A population still scarred by the last war

The latest escalation erupted just two days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran widened the regional conflict. Hezbollah responded with rockets and drones into Israel — its first such attack in more than a year.

The consequences were immediate. Hundreds of thousands fled southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs after Israeli warnings of incoming strikes.

The timing is brutal. The last Israel-Hezbollah war ended only in November 2024 and left more than 4,000 people dead and $11bn in damage, according to the World Bank.

Anger surfaces inside Hezbollah’s heartland

In the past, public criticism of Hezbollah was rare in Shiite communities. Now some residents openly blame the group for dragging Lebanon back into war before reconstruction from the previous conflict is complete.

Hussein Ali, a vegetable seller displaced again from Beirut’s suburb of Haret Hreik, said people are simply exhausted. His previous apartment was destroyed in the last war and he fears it could happen again.

“No one wanted this war,” he said from a school now housing displaced families.

The Lebanese state draws a line

The backlash is now echoing in government halls. In a dramatic shift, Lebanon’s cabinet voted overwhelmingly to declare Hezbollah’s military activities illegal.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the state alone must control decisions of war and peace, demanding the group hand over its weapons. Even ministers allied with parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri backed the move.

The Lebanese Armed Forces have begun enforcing the order, arresting suspected Hezbollah members transporting weapons.

Support remains — but fear runs deep

Despite the criticism, Hezbollah’s grip has not collapsed. Many residents still back the group, arguing Israel repeatedly violated the 2024 ceasefire with near-daily strikes that killed hundreds.

Others remain silent for a different reason: fear. Critics say people risk intimidation or losing financial support if they speak too loudly against the militia.

For now, the war has returned to Lebanon’s streets — and so has a dangerous question that few dared ask before: whether Hezbollah’s fight is worth the cost.

Lebanon's latest conflict brings rare public backlash against Hezbollah as war flares again

Lebanon seeks talks with Israel as Minister warns: Iran’s funding lifeline to Hezbollah must be cut

Lebanon has quietly asked for direct talks with Israel in a desperate attempt to halt a new cross-border war that has already killed hundreds and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Energy Minister Joe Saddi confirmed the request, saying Beirut is seeking negotiations through a US intermediary as Israeli operations escalate along the frontier. Nearly 500 people have died and about 700,000 residents have fled border regions since the latest fighting erupted.

A ceasefire plea meets silence

Earlier this week Lebanese President Joseph Aoun publicly called for an immediate ceasefire, warning the country faces a stark choice: direct war with Israel or the risk of becoming “another Gaza”.

Lebanese officials have also sought European backing. Meetings were held with Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa to rally diplomatic pressure.

So far, however, the proposed talks appear stalled. Saddi said Beirut has yet to receive any formal response.

Israel demands Hezbollah’s disarmament

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the conflict will not end until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.

Israel argues Lebanon has failed to enforce a 2024 ceasefire agreement requiring the militant group to surrender its weapons. Hezbollah’s rocket attacks earlier this month — launched after Israeli strikes on Iran — reignited the conflict.

Saddi acknowledged that Lebanon’s military has struggled to implement the disarmament plan.

A weak state facing a powerful militia

The Lebanese Armed Forces simply lack the capacity to dismantle Hezbollah quickly, Saddi admitted.

The ceasefire agreement envisioned a gradual process across multiple phases. But Hezbollah had already rejected full disarmament long before the latest crisis erupted.

Lebanon’s government has since declared the group’s military activities illegal, though enforcement remains fragile.

Iran’s money at the centre of the fight

Saddi argued that Hezbollah’s power ultimately depends on external support.

“There is a financial lifeline coming from Iran,” he said, warning that cutting that funding would be the most effective way to weaken the group.

Without that support, Lebanon might finally reassert state authority. But as long as the regional war rages, Beirut risks remaining trapped between Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah’s arsenal and a state too weak to control either.

Cutting off Iranian lifeline for Hezbollah is critical, Lebanese minister tells Euronews