Anxiety is rising sharply in the heart of Beirut as field reports and political accounts converge, painting a complex security landscape fraught with questions and uncertainty. Observers are urging authorities and the public alike to look beyond surface-level developments to understand the deeper implications for the city’s stability.

A Beirut lawmaker shared sensitive information with kataeb.org, reporting that many apartments in the city are allegedly linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The lawmaker also noted large gatherings across a stretch of the capital from Beshara al-Khoury to Mar Elias. He disputed claims that surveillance cameras in the area had been removed or that streetlights were deliberately turned off, raising questions about the true nature of activity in this strategically significant area.

Political commentator Ahmad Al-Ayoubi provided additional context, telling our website that security agencies had discovered weapons caches in multiple locations within Beirut, particularly in Choueifat, highlighting a tangible threat posed by the presence of arms among displaced populations. 

According to Al-Ayoubi, these shelters are under the administrative and security control of Hezbollah, with access strictly limited to authorized party officials. Hezbollah also reportedly controls media access to displaced residents and oversees the distribution of humanitarian aid within these centers.

This situation, he said, raises serious questions about how Lebanese ministries have permitted aid to flow into shelters that are now effectively operating outside the State’s authority. He stressed the need for clarity, especially given reports of coercive security measures aimed at preventing interviews with displaced residents within these facilities. Al-Ayoubi also warned of the risks of withholding information about displaced populations, noting potential consequences for public safety.

He described Hamra Street—from its central section to the Grand Serail—as effectively under the control of Hezbollah-affiliated militias, with a persistent presence of operatives and frequent protests that reinforce ongoing dominance. According to Al-Ayoubi, this presence is organized and security-driven, rather than reflecting genuine displacement, highlighting the urgent need for the state to reassert authority.

He further noted attempts to limit the deployment of Lebanese security forces and the army in Beirut, including resistance to proposals to declare the capital a demilitarized zone. Some parties reportedly view an increased military presence as a provocation to Hezbollah, a concern communicated to official authorities. Al-Ayoubi warned that this approach carries serious risks for civil stability and leaves the city exposed to potential escalations that could threaten its broader security infrastructure.

Concluding, Al-Ayoubi stressed that State sovereignty must be firmly enforced in all areas outside active conflict. Any region requesting the presence of legitimate authorities should receive it without hesitation, he said, citing Mount Lebanon, Metn, Keserwan, Tripoli, and Akkar as areas where armed resistance groups have no justification. 

Citing recent events in Ain Saadeh, Al-Ayoubi cautioned that allowing armed groups to operate unchecked risks entrenching a parallel security reality, one that threatens both civil order and the broader stability of Lebanon’s capital.