Security sources say Hezbollah fears Israel is scheming to partition Lebanon, costing the Lebanese government vast swaths of land.

By AMIR BOHBOT

MAY 13, 2026 00:40

Updated: MAY 13, 2026 10:46

Hezbollah has formulated a detailed strategy to take over Beirut and sideline moderate factions, according to a Tuesday report from Walla.

Defense officials are observing heightened strain on Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, who alleges that Israel is gearing up to seize extensive regions of Lebanon.

In the last 48 hours, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo of Northern Command updated IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on key gains in ground operations and the rapid dismantling of terror networks across scores of southern Lebanese villages.

Insiders in the security apparatus report that Hezbollah perceives an Israeli plot to split Lebanon apart, under which the national government would forfeit substantial territory.

Hezbollah views this fictional threat as ramping up demands on Qassem, requiring him to spread combatants between Beirut, the south, and Beqaa Valley.

Israeli projections hold that escalated IDF operations will intensify the burden on Qassem.

Hezbollah aims to oust pro-Israel normalization advocates

As Lebanese backlash grows - voiced by the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker - Walla reports Hezbollah's organized bid to dominate Beirut and neutralize groups favoring Western ties and normalization with Israel.

Security contacts note Iran's sharp cutback in funding flows to Lebanon. Add to that the IDF's heavy hits on Hezbollah personnel and financial hubs like banks, currency exchanges, and fuel depots, and the group confronts acute economic woes.

The organization also struggles to aid hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians displaced from villages now under IDF oversight or evacuated amid expanding combat areas.