'Get rid of them already': Are the Lebanese people turning against Hezbollah?

A recently released voice recording between an IDF officer and a Lebanese civilian suggests that people are turning against the terror group that has hijacked their country for so long.

The declassified conversation between an officer from Intelligence Unit 504 and a resident of the Dahiyeh area of Beirut, Lebanon, was part of the IDF's practice of urging civilians to evacuate before striking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.

The Lebanese man can be heard encouraging the IDF to get rid of Hezbollah and saying he and others had received threats from the terror group.

“Get rid of them for us already. I’m with you. They expelled us from our homes,” he said.

“Hezbollah?” The officer asked to clarify.

“Who else? Hezbollah.”

“Tell me: are there people from Hezbollah who threaten you? The people in the neighborhood?”

“Of course, of course. What? Do you think that’s not how this works? Brother, we… listen to me for a moment – we are the Lebanese state. The Prime Minister and the president, we are not with anyone else,” the man continued. 

“We want to rest in our homes with our children, to finish with this, to live in freedom.”

The IDF has been issuing evacuation notices in Arabic, warning, "The terrorist activity carried out by Hezbollah in the Dahiyeh area is forcing the IDF to act against it with force. We do not intend to harm you. For your safety and security, you must evacuate immediately. Save your lives and vacate immediately." 

Hezbollah (“The party of Allah”) was established in 1982 and not only had the eighth largest missile capability in the world, according to military expert Colonel Miri Eisin, but also more fighters than the official Lebanese army. Primarily based in Lebanon, the Iranian-backed terror group also holds positions of political power and has become an integral part of Lebanese governance. 

While they have enjoyed the support of Lebanese citizens in the past, presenting themselves as defenders of the country against Israeli aggression, the tide has been turning. 

Last week, in a dramatic shift in policy, the Lebanese government outlawed Hezbollah's security and military activities and ordered the Lebanese Armed Forces to "take immediate measures" to disarm the Iranian-backed terror group.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized recent rocket attacks from the Shia militia towards Israel as “irresponsible,” saying, “We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people.” 

Further, the Lebanese presidency announced a prohibition of “all Hezbollah security and military activities, considering them illegal, and obligates Hezbollah to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese state and confine its activities to the political sphere within constitutional and legal frameworks.” 

The leader of the Christian Phalange party, Sami Gemayel, declared the government decision to ban Hezbollah’s military wing "a historic step in the right direction," and called for the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and the closure of all of Hezbollah's illegal economic institutions.