After more than a decade of service in Hezbollah, including extensive combat in various regions of Syria, Abbas, a native of northern Homs countryside, was taken by surprise when he received orders to terminate his combat assignment and revoke his party membership card. Despite being in Lebanese territory, this decision came following Hezbollah’s evacuation orders issued just days after the fall of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime.

Since mid-December 2024, an estimated 100,000 loyalists to the Assad regime, including Hezbollah fighters, former Syrian soldiers, and their families, have fled to Lebanon. They entered the country through illegal smuggling routes after the collapse of the regime.

Hezbollah's Disengagement from Syrian Fighters

Abbas was not the only one to face such a fate. Several other Syrian fighters have confirmed receiving the same message upon arriving in Lebanon. Some were informed by phone, while others were notified in person at Hezbollah's offices and centers in Hermel and Baalbek, especially during their visits to collect their monthly salaries.

According to Syrian fighters who spoke with Al-Modon, Hezbollah issued an internal decision at the beginning of January 2025 to end the assignments of all Syrian combat units. The decision followed the completion of their contracts and combat missions, with Hezbollah no longer requiring their services.

Even after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the exact number of Hezbollah fighters who participated in the Syrian conflict remains unknown. Media reports and testimonies from Syrian fighters estimate the number to range between 4,000 and 7,000 fighters, both Syrian and Lebanese. All Syrians recruited by Hezbollah during the war are categorized as "temporary contract fighters," whether security personnel or combatants. As a result, Hezbollah is no longer responsible for these individuals or obligated to pay them after the war’s end.

The Confiscation of Weapons

Hussein, a fighter from the town of Zahraa in northern Aleppo, recounted his experience with Hezbollah’s security detachment, stationed at the border, which received him and several other fighters who fled to Lebanon following the arrival of the Syrian Ministry of Interior’s General Security in Tal Kalakh.

"Hezbollah's detachment confiscated our weapons, equipment, and membership cards, claiming it was a routine procedure to prevent our arrest by the Lebanese army deployed along the border. They also mentioned it was to reassess our presence before being assigned to new combat units within the party," he told Al-Modon. 

"Two days after our arrival to Lebanon, we were asked to come in and collect our salaries, which amounted to $100 per month. There, the liaison office manager informed us that our combat mission had ended, following a long speech about our efforts in the war, and assured us they would continue supporting us with in-kind assistance."

Currently, Hussein works in a men's clothing store in the Lebanese city of Hermel, earning a monthly salary of about $130. This has led him to search for ways to travel to Iraq, hoping for better employment opportunities and a chance to reunite with his family, who returned to Zahraa.

Repercussions and Growing Fears

Abu Zainab, from the western Homs countryside, confirmed that Hezbollah leaders had directly expelled Syrian fighters, especially those who left after hearing about Bashar al-Assad’s escape to Russia. The party leaders believed the war was over and saw no reason for the fighters to remain in Lebanon.

Abu Zainab, who arrived in Lebanon on December 14, 2024, explained that he wasn’t informed of his dismissal until January 3, 2025, after he had smuggled his wife and children into Lebanon and refused to return to Syria for a settlement process.

"After my family arrived, I went to Hezbollah’s offices, hoping for support, but they expressed dissatisfaction with our presence in Lebanon. They literally told me to return to my country, citing the calm situation and the new Syrian authorities’ guarantee of safety for those who opt for a settlement," he told Al-Modon.

"Now, we live a life that feels like imprisonment. We cannot move freely in Hermel for fear of being arrested by Lebanese security or army patrols. With Hezbollah abandoning us, we face the risk of deportation to Syria due to our illegal entry and lack of official documentation recognized by the Lebanese state."

All the individuals Al-Modon spoke with from this group share similar concerns about the possibility of arrest if they are sent back or deported to Syria. Some fear that their involvement in Hezbollah’s fight will be considered a crime in itself. Others worry about prosecution for their involvement in criminal activities, such as looting civilians’ properties over the years, leaving them vulnerable to arrest, even if they are granted amnesty as former fighters.