Is Netanyahu's Israel trying to bring back sectarian violence that wrecked Lebanon during civil war?

Lebanese leaders fear Israel’s latest military campaign against Hezbollah could reignite sectarian violence, as civilians flee heavy bombardment in southern Lebanon, straining religiously diverse communities across the country.

Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Mona, the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Druze community, warned Friday (October 25) that the conflict risks inflaming old divisions, echoing Lebanon’s civil war from 1975 to 1990 that left 150,000 dead, Politico reported.

“They want to set sectarian groups at each others’ throats and to fight each other,” al-Mona said, cautioning that demographic pressures from displaced Shiite civilians arriving in Druze, Sunni, and Christian towns could worsen tensions.

The conflict has already driven more than 100,000 people from the south to areas like Mount Lebanon and the Chouf Mountains.

Initially, Lebanese citizens rallied around a sense of national unity, but Taymur Jumblatt, a Druze lawmaker, noted that as displacement rises, community tensions have deepened. “This is coming from the communities, from the grass-roots, and it isn’t being encouraged by national political leaders, although there are some Christian leaders who aren’t helping,” Politico quoted Jumblatt as saying.

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Lebanese officials argue that Israel’s demand for the nation to “remove Hezbollah or face destruction” ignores the reality of Hezbollah’s substantial political and military influence, which complicates any effort to weaken the Iran-backed militia.

The demand has been met with pushback from Lebanese politicians who argue that a cease-fire must come before political change can be achieved.

In recent days, Israel has expanded its ground operations, with airstrikes targeting the ancient port city of Tyre and Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing dozens of civilians and displacing many more.

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The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that 28 civilians died in one day of attacks, underscoring fears that the escalating violence could destabilize the country’s delicate sectarian balance.

European diplomats are voicing concern as well. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on a recent trip to Beirut, warned that Lebanon is “on the brink of collapse,” adding that the war could prove catastrophic for the region’s most religiously diverse society.

US officials have pressed Lebanese leaders to enforce UN resolution 1701, requiring Hezbollah to withdraw from areas near Israel’s border. Special envoy Amos Hochstein insisted that Lebanon also needs a new president to stabilise its government.

However, Taymur Jumblatt expressed frustration at the demands, saying, “The Americans are only thinking about Israel’s security and undermining Iran — not about Lebanon.”

With limited power to control Hezbollah, a stronger Lebanese military presence in the south appears unlikely, leaving Lebanese leaders to navigate a rapidly intensifying conflict. As the violence grinds on, fears of renewed civil strife grow among Lebanon’s deeply divided communities.