The Christian-Druze southern Lebanese town of Hasbayya has consolidated efforts to ensure it does not join the list of Hezbollah strongholds, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
Volunteers from some of the 30,000 residents of the town monitor the local border day and night. The active residents are quick to report suspicious vehicles or unknown persons to the police - mindful of Hezbollah’s takeover of civilian infrastructure in other parts near the border with Israel.
Negotiating with terrorists
In addition to informal watch groups, the Times reported that some village leaders took it upon themselves to negotiate with Hezbollah - ensuring that it does not fire rockets from within the village’s territory.
The Lebanese terror organization began firing rockets at Israel on October 8, a day after its ally, Hamas, invaded and conducted massacres in southern Israel. The attacks forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of northern Israeli residents, prompting Israel to later conduct a land operation in Lebanon.
The agreement to prevent Hezbollah from launching rockets from the vicinity was secured over a year ago, the Times reported, citing Wissam Sliqqa, a Druze sheik and local leader in Hasbayya.
We asked them “not to launch rockets from inside the town,” said Sliqqa. “We wanted to preserve the safety of our residents and ensure they could remain in their homes.”
Turning away the displaced
Trying to ensure the security of their village, Habayya leaders reportedly turned away evacuated residents of nearby Shiite Muslim villages. Sources told the Times they were concerned that Hezbollah terrorists might covertly take over the village, despite negotiated agreements, posing as displaced internal refugees.
“We don’t want any strangers or anyone related to Hezbollah here,” said Ghassan Halabi, the deputy mayor of Hasbayya. “It took us years to build this town, and it could all be destroyed within minutes. We can’t allow that to happen.”
Hasbayya had initially turned the local high school into a shelter for the displaced but eventually began turning families away.
“Families came, and we told them, respectfully, there is no more space in our shelters,” said the town’s deputy mayor.
Curfews
Adding to the precautions taken, the town’s mayor enacted an 8 p.m. curfew. After this time, residents must remain in their homes, and drivers cannot drive through the town.
“We’re worried,” said Kanj Nawfal, a municipal police officer who oversees the volunteer guards. “We are trying to be careful, but if something happens…This war is bigger than us.”
Nearby villages suffered collateral damage from Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah terrorists and launchers.
Despite the extensive efforts of the town to remain untouched by the war, Israel reportedly conducted an airstrike on a guesthouse within its limits - reportedly killing three journalists.
“We don’t have problems with anyone, we don’t have outgoing rockets, we just want stability,” 59-year-old town resident Nayef el Hassaniyeh told the Times.
“This war has been imposed on us. Did we choose it as Lebanese? No. They imposed it on us,” Hassaniyeh said, referring to Hezbollah. “We just want to protect ourselves. We just want peace.”