Amid an escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the town of Hasbayya in southern Lebanon is caught in a precarious position. Residents are uniting to protect their community from becoming a frontline battleground, despite being near the heart of the conflict.
Straddling a War Zone
In Hasbayya, a Druse and Christian-majority town near the Lebanese-Israeli border, the sounds of war have become a nightly reality. As dusk falls, volunteer scouts patrol the town, watching roads for unfamiliar vehicles and alerting local police to potential threats. Their objective isn’t only to safeguard against Israeli forces but to prevent Hezbollah fighters from entering Hasbayya and potentially drawing it into the conflict.
“We don’t want any strangers or anyone related to Hezbollah here,” explains Ghassan Halabi, Hasbayya’s deputy mayor. “It took us years to build this town, and it could all be destroyed within minutes.”
Caught Between Israel and Hezbollah
As Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah continues, entire villages across southern Lebanon have been damaged or destroyed. In areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, Israeli airstrikes have flattened homes and infrastructure. But as the conflict has spread, mostly Christian, Sunni, and Druse communities, who don’t align with Hezbollah, have also faced attacks.
Hasbayya’s residents are struggling to maintain neutrality. Local officials have even restricted displaced Shiite Muslim families from entering shelters in town, fearing Hezbollah fighters might blend in with them, which could turn Hasbayya into an Israeli target. “We’re doing everything we can to stay out of this war,” Halabi says.
A Fragile Peace with Hezbollah
Residents in Hasbayya are aware of Hezbollah’s influence. Local leaders have spoken with Hezbollah representatives, asking them not to launch rockets from within the town. However, residents realize that Hezbollah’s commitment to this agreement is uncertain. “Hezbollah could decide to operate here at any moment,” one townsperson noted, acknowledging that the town would have little recourse to stop them.
Volunteer scouts coordinate through a neighborhood watch WhatsApp group, exchanging updates and alerting each other to potential risks. An 8 p.m. curfew keeps residents indoors, and any vehicles seen after midnight are immediately investigated. The community hopes these efforts will keep their town off the radar of both Hezbollah and Israel’s military.
Lives Uprooted by War
Since the conflict flared, hundreds of people from surrounding villages have sought refuge in Hasbayya, fleeing their own destroyed homes. Mohammad Fares, who recently escaped from the town of Chebaa, recounted his family’s ordeal after a deadly airstrike hit his neighborhood. “We thought we were safe until we weren’t,” Fares said, describing how his family fled to Hasbayya to avoid further danger.
While Hasbayya has welcomed many displaced people, officials have drawn a line at accepting families from areas deeply aligned with Hezbollah. “We told them, respectfully, there is no more space in our shelters,” Halabi explains, referencing the refusal to admit Shiite families who might attract Israeli airstrikes. Many residents worry that fighters hiding among civilians could provoke retaliation from Israel.
Facing an Uncertain Future
The recent destruction of a guesthouse in Hasbayya by an Israeli airstrike, which killed three journalists with ties to Hezbollah, has heightened fears in the town. It was the first strike within Hasbayya’s limits since the conflict intensified, underscoring that even towns without Hezbollah strongholds are at risk.
For Hasbayya’s volunteer defenders, the limitations of their efforts are clear. While they can alert residents to incoming threats, they have little power to stop a military invasion or a sudden airstrike. “This war is bigger than us,” says Kanj Nawfal, a municipal police officer overseeing the volunteer guards.
Residents of Hasbayya are trying to preserve what peace they have, yet know they’re ultimately at the mercy of forces beyond their control. As the conflict presses on, Hasbayya’s fragile stance illustrates the daily struggle of communities trying to navigate survival amid broader regional hostilities.
