Hezbollah escalates rhetoric against Lebanese authorities amid 'pilot zones' dispute

Hezbollah has sharply escalated its confrontation with Lebanese authorities, particularly ahead of President Joseph Aoun's visit to Washington. The group's rhetoric suggests a strong unwillingness to cooperate with proposed "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, which would place the areas under Lebanese Army control while removing Israeli forces and Hezbollah's military presence.

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the bridges with the authorities have been severed and the consequences will not be favorable.

Hezbollah lawmakers have declared that "the bridges with the authorities have been severed and the consequences will not be favorable." However, the group has continued to avoid direct confrontation with the Lebanese Army's leadership. Military sources indicated "no political or military-security decision to implement the pilot zones by force," emphasizing that the issue requires dialogue and politics to avoid catastrophic consequences.

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no political or military-security decision to implement the pilot zones by force.

Political science professor Hilal Khashan of the American University of Beirut attributes Hezbollah's escalating rhetoric to existential challenges and a potential decision to "eliminate its military wing." He believes Hezbollah may escalate "in the streets in the coming days and weeks," despite President Aoun's warnings. Khashan anticipates the next phase will be "extremely difficult and dangerous," noting that concerns about divisions within the Lebanese Army in a confrontation with Hezbollah are well-founded and should not be underestimated.

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the issue must be resolved through dialogue and politics, not by placing the Lebanese Army in direct confrontation with Hezbollah, as the consequences would be catastrophic on every level.