Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Israel’s recent kidnapping of Imad Amhaz, Hezbollah’s top maritime operative, is not a violation of Lebanese sovereignty Elias Bejjani/November 06, 2024
Click Here to read & watch the the Arabic Video version of this piece اضغط هنا لقراء ومشاهدة فيديو المقالة بالعربية
Hezbollah’s Occupation and Israel’s Response: A Battle Over Sovereignty
Israel’s recent kidnapping of Imad Amhaz, Hezbollah’s top maritime operative, is not a violation of Lebanese sovereignty, as Hezbollah itself occupies Lebanon and has effectively seized its, independence, decision making process, the ware peace decision, and sovereignty. In this context the military actions Israel is carrying out in Lebanon amid its war with Hezbollah do not infringe on Lebanese sovereignty because that sovereignty has been suspended, seized, and rendered nonexistent by Hezbollah’s dominance. Under its control, Hezbollah occupies Lebanon, dictating decision-making mechanisms and institutions.
Since 2005, Lebanon has been under Hezbollah’s occupation—a terrorist armed jihadist Iranian proxy that serves Iran’s regional schemes ambitions, not Lebanese interests. The ongoing divesting ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah is therefore not a Lebanese war but a proxy war, waged by Hezbollah on Lebanese soil to advance Iran’s broader regional strategy. This is a war fought not by the Lebanese state nor in service of Lebanese people, but in submission to Hezbollah’s—and by extension, Iran’s—control over Lebanon’s political and military apparatus.
Hezbollah’s influence permeates the Lebanese government and military, rendering them tools in its hands. The recent kidnapping of Imad Amhaz by Israeli commandos from the coastal town of Batroun illustrates the extent to which Hezbollah has transformed Lebanon into a battleground for its proxy wars. Israel’s operations, including this and other targeted actions against Hezbollah’s infrastructure and leadership, underscore that Israel’s conflict is with Hezbollah—not the Lebanese state or its people.
When Hezbollah and its affiliates decry these actions as violations of Lebanese sovereignty, they ignore a fundamental truth: Lebanon’s sovereignty was already compromised by Hezbollah itself. Israel’s strikes are intended to dismantle Hezbollah’s Iranian-backed military and financial network, which has eroded Lebanon’s independence and drawn it into foreign conflicts.
Those opposed to Hezbollah’s occupation are not bound to condemn Israel’s actions against Hezbollah. For many Lebanese, it is consistent to oppose Hezbollah’s authoritarian rule and stranglehold over the state while understanding Israel’s targeted actions as assaults on Hezbollah’s illegitimate power—not on Lebanon itself. Recognizing this distinction allows Lebanese to grasp the complex realities facing their country and to advocate for true Lebanese sovereignty, free from foreign interference and armed militias.
In the struggle for Lebanon’s future, it is essential to underscore that Hezbollah’s presence and control are the real threats to the country’s identity, stability, and independence. Only with an end to Hezbollah’s occupation can Lebanon’s sovereignty and neutrality truly be restored.
