Resentment is growing among Hezbollah’s popular support base in the wake of the latest war against Israel, as more families begin to realize the extent of the damage inflicted on their properties during the conflict.

While Hezbollah supporters have privately expressed their resentment, some have now started to speak openly about refusing to return to their homes in the southern suburb of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, or even rebuild their houses in the South. They fear the eruption of a new war that could once again leave their livelihoods in ruins.

Some residents of Dahiyeh, the South, and the eastern Bekaa region have opted to return to homes that were not destroyed, while others have refused to go back to areas likely to be targeted again in any future conflict. As a result, many are seeking alternatives, driven by a growing conviction that they no longer want to be used as fodder for another war.

Ali Shehab, whose house in Dahiyeh was only slightly damaged, has decided to seek a “safe area” where he can rent a house for the coming years. He made this decision despite the fact that his home could be swiftly renovated. Hezbollah inspected his house but decided not to offer him temporary lodging until renovations could be completed at the party’s expense.

Shehab said that Hezbollah would not compensate him for the solar panels he lost during the war.

Hezbollah had announced it would offer compensation to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed. The party offered $12,000, to be divided equally between covering a year’s rent and buying necessities for the rented property. It also asked owners of damaged houses to carry out renovations themselves, with the promise that they would be reimbursed later. However, the repayment process has been slow, leaving many affected owners frustrated.

Shehab told Asharq Al-Awsat that resentment is growing among Hezbollah’s Shiite support base, despite the party’s efforts to appease them with compensation offers. He predicted that the resentment would only grow if these compensations failed to satisfy the people.

The root of the resentment, he explained, lies in fears about the future. The prevailing sentiment is, “We don’t want to rebuild our homes only to lose them again in another war, ten or 15 years from now. We don’t want to start over again.” Families are now asking themselves: “Do we rebuild or not? Do we return to Dahiyeh or seek a safer area?”

“Anyone who has an alternative has not, and will not, return to Dahiyeh,” Shehab stressed.

Losses in Two Wars

Hussein A. told Asharq Al-Awsat that his family lost homes in both Dahiyeh and the southern border town of al-Khiam. They are now residing in Zahle, while his relatives are living in another region. “We will not return to Dahiyeh anytime soon,” he revealed.

He said that no one from Hezbollah had approached his family about compensation.

Hussein further stressed that this was not the first time his family had lost their home due to a war between Hezbollah and Israel. In 2006, his family did not receive compensation from the party for the destruction of their home in Khiam because they refused to raise the Hezbollah flag over their property.

“We don’t care for what they have to offer,” he stated. “My brother’s house was destroyed in the strike that targeted Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. My house is no longer livable after a strike hit a nearby warehouse. We were told it was storing wood, but it turned out to be a Hezbollah warehouse.”

“We are not Hezbollah supporters who are forced to suffer the consequences of its decisions. We were born Shiite. At one point, we supported the party because it liberated our land, but we no longer tolerate wars,” Hussein said.

“What have we gained from the latest war? They kept telling us that Israel would not succeed in occupying villages, and yet, 20 days after the ceasefire, we haven’t been able to visit them,” he added.

Hussein said his only wish is that his children live in their village and “do not end up being displaced as we were.”

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was seriously considering emigrating from Lebanon, “which is no longer ours.”

He said he wants to raise his children in a safe environment. “We can no longer tolerate more losses,” he added, while criticizing Hezbollah for “engaging in wars that have nothing to do with us.”

Alternatives

Political analyst Ali al-Amin stated that Hezbollah and its supporters in Dahiyeh, the South, and the Bekaa are now confronting massive destruction and a crisis in finding alternative housing for residents whose homes have been destroyed. They also must contend with restoring services and removing rubble.

Regarding the growing resentment, he explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that it stems from the shaky ceasefire, noting that Israel continues to carry out military operations in the South.

Supporters primarily want compensation for their losses so they can rebuild and renovate their homes, but it seems that Hezbollah is not taking any significant initiative to address this.

Hezbollah officials have even begun shifting the responsibility to the state, raising fears that the people will be left to fend for themselves, without any assistance to rescue them from this disaster, Amin remarked.

Furthermore, he noted that some 30 villages along the border with Israel have been completely destroyed. It remains uncertain whether Israel will allow the residents to return or rebuild their homes.

This has led to a growing sense of pessimism about the future, he continued.

Wealthy families in the South have sought houses in areas outside Hezbollah’s influence, while others have opted to emigrate.

Complaints have also been raised against Hezbollah over its perceived shortcomings in dealing with the people’s losses and delays in paying compensation, Amin added.