Nabatiyeh  residents are increasingly looking to the Lebanese State and army for protection, rejecting years of reliance on Hezbollah and its “resistance” ideology, according to a report by Nidaa al-Watan.

The report said Nabatiyeh  did not want to become another Bint Jbeil or Khiyam, two southern Lebanese towns that have suffered heavily during repeated conflicts, and had drawn a lesson from Israel’s takeover of the Ali al-Taher ridge: State protection was the safest way to protect residents.

An official source told Nidaa al-Watan that Nabatiyeh  and surrounding areas could now be considered under the authority of the Lebanese State. The army had already been deployed in the area but has increased its presence and strengthened its control on the ground, the source said.

The latest security meeting at Baabda Palace was also seen as evidence of President Joseph Aoun’s efforts to reinforce State authority and protect Nabatiyeh , the source said. 

During the security meeting, Aoun stressed the need to prevent any security vacuum that could provide Israel with a pretext for further attacks, according to the report. He also linked the army and security forces’ strengthened presence to Lebanon’s state commitments and its position in negotiations.

The meeting resulted in plans to increase patrols and checkpoints and strengthen protection for residents and property in villages that are not under Israeli occupation, reinforcing the State’s presence and residents’ confidence in it.

The source said the stronger army presence sends a clear message domestically and internationally that the State is determined to assert its authority and protect its citizens. With the army deployed, Israel would be confronting the Lebanese state rather than militias, potentially removing one of the arguments used to justify expanding its military operations and territorial control.

The move comes amid what Nidaa al-Watan described as an Israeli message conveyed by U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa to Aoun during a September 4 meeting at Baabda. According to the newspaper, the message was that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bottom line was the surrender of Hezbollah’s weapons and that Israel would escalate if that did not happen.

Berri seeks Hezbollah withdrawal

At the same time, Nidaa al-Watan reported that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was conducting contacts with Hezbollah aimed at removing its fighters from residential neighborhoods and areas among civilians, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy without confrontation.

The contacts come amid growing anger within the Shiite community over allegations that Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have used civilians as human shields, exposing them to further Israeli strikes and military incursions, the report said.

Berri’s efforts are also aimed at containing that anger, which has spilled over in some areas into tensions and clashes between Hezbollah members and supporters of the Amal Movement, extending from southern Lebanon to Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to the report.

Army steps up operations

Alongside the political efforts, the Lebanese army outlined its latest operations on the ground, saying it had established six checkpoints and 13 observation posts in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Froun and Srifa.

The army said it was conducting patrols around the clock and carrying out searches in accordance with Lebanese law and with homeowners’ consent. Residents, it added, had cooperated fully with measures aimed at removing sources of danger and clearing weapons and ammunition left behind by the war.

Military units seized about 1,818 weapons and ammunition items, including launchers, missiles and drones, as well as mines and explosive devices. The army also reopened about 12 kilometers of roads, according to its statement.

In Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, about 70% of residents have been able to return to inspect their properties, but only 16% have been able to resettle, the army said. Israel completely destroyed 85% of the homes in the area and partially destroyed another 15%.

The army also reported about 7,700 Israeli violations since the framework agreement was signed on June 26, including incidents of gunfire near army personnel and patrols.

It said it was continuing to fulfill its commitments on the ground but that continued Israeli attacks were hampering its deployment, triggering renewed displacement and threatening the credibility of existing arrangements and understandings.

Negotiations delayed

On negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Nidaa al-Watan reported that talks were almost certain to be postponed until after the preparatory conference in Paris to support the Lebanese army.