As Beirutis labour to clear the debris left by another Israeli strike on their capital on Sunday – the third since a ceasefire took effect in late November – the country finds itself caught between an aggressive, occupying neighbour to the south and a foreign-backed paramilitary movement at home that puts its own agenda before the national interest.
The recent attack left plumes of black smoke billowing from the Hadath neighbourhood after warplanes and drones struck a site on Sunday that Israeli forces claimed was being used by Hezbollah to store precision missiles. Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs fled the area after receiving a warning from the Israeli military about an hour before the bombardment.
Images of enormous explosions, twisted metal and burning vehicles do little for a country that is working hard to get back on its feet. Last week, Haneen Sayed – Lebanon’s Minister of Social Affairs – was in Washington seeking an additional $200 million from the World Bank and $100 million in grants from other donors to support Lebanon's Aman programme, a social safety net that provides cash transfers to 800,000 of the country’s poorest people.
Meanwhile, her Cabinet colleague – Tourism Minister Laura Lahoud – made it clear that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah being played out in Lebanon had deepened the country’s many challenges. Ms Lahoud – writing in The National today – says the country's new government is committed to rebuilding a foundation of "stability, functional institutions and public confidence".
That process is gathering pace. Last week, Lebanese MPs approved a law aimed at removing banking secrecy in the country, a key reform demanded by the International Monetary Fund for a $3 billion funding package to be delivered. It is a sign that the new government formed in February can drive legislative change that may benefit the whole country.
Amid these efforts, however, is the dispiriting sight of Israeli forces again striking a densely populated Beirut suburb, citing Hezbollah activity as the reason. For its part, Hezbollah remains troublingly bellicose despite its recent losses to Israel. Earlier this month, Naim Qassem, the militant group’s leader, said that the organisation “will not allow anyone to disarm” it. This dogmatic position not only gives Israeli leaders the excuse to keep undermining the ceasefire with attacks, it challenges the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and its legitimate armed forces.
This quandary, far from deterring international efforts to stabilise Lebanon, should spur them on instead. Short-term, acute shocks such as Israeli strikes should not be allowed to slow or stop economic aid and support for programmes to tackle Lebanon’s chronic social problems. Issues such as housing, unemployment, a collapsed currency and a loss of tourism income are arguably just as important to securing national stability as ceasefires are. There will be no perfect time to support Lebanon on its journey, and its people should not be left waiting forever.
