A Christian-Druze town in Lebanon is reportedly determined to keep Hezbollah terrorists out of its perimeter, thereby saving the town from potential Israeli strikes, according to the New York Times.
The report is a sign that ordinary Lebanese people are beginning to stand up to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization, which has been greatly weakened by the war — though it still retains a base of support within the Shia Muslim population.
The Times reports Sunday:
Lebanon has long been deeply divided along sectarian lines, mainly among its three dominant groups — Shiite and Sunni Muslims and Christians. Hezbollah is the most powerful political and military group in the country, representing many Shiites.
While Lebanese people are largely united against Israel’s onslaught, some in southern towns where Hezbollah does not hold sway say they feel trapped in the crossfire between Israel’s firepower and Hezbollah’s fighters. Desperate to shield their communities, some are cobbling together informal defenses of their own.
In Hasbayya, residents have established a neighborhood watch group. Some local leaders have negotiated with Hezbollah to keep its fighters from launching rockets from the town.
Reports last week suggested that the Israeli government is prepared for a ceasefire and that most of the goals of the Israeli military operation in southern Lebanon, aimed at removing Hezbollah’s border posts, have been achieved.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
