Lebanese Shiites Question Hezbollah's Role Two Years After Nasrallah's Death

Two years after the death of long-time Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, a growing number of Lebanese Shiites are questioning the organization's legacy and its impact on their community. Dr. Noa Riven, a Middle East and Islam expert, suggests examining Nasrallah's era through the lens of its consequences for Shiites in Southern Lebanon, the very population Hezbollah claimed to protect.

For over three decades, Nasrallah linked Hezbollah's armament to Lebanon's defense, particularly its southern regions. Following the 2006 war, he justified the group's weapons by questioning who would defend Lebanon against potential Israeli attacks if the Lebanese army or UNIFIL forces could not. He framed Hezbollah's arsenal as a defensive tool and its fighters' presence in the south as a right to "defend our land."

However, the article contends that Shiite areas have paid the highest price for these decisions, with destroyed villages, displaced families, and Israeli forces controlling parts of Southern Lebanon. The opening of a second front against Israel on October 8, 2023, ostensibly in solidarity with Gaza, was a decision made by Hezbollah, not the Lebanese people or government, yet its consequences are borne by southern residents.

Thousands of Shiites were again forced to flee their homes in March 2026 due to renewed conflict, a result of military decisions in which they had no say. While acknowledging Israel's responsibility for destruction in Lebanon, the article also questions Hezbollah's accountability for turning Shiite villages into front lines.

Voices within the Shiite community are becoming more vocal. Sheikh Mohammad al-Haj Hassan, head of the Free Shiite Movement, described the community's situation in 2024 as a "true Nakba," stating that Hezbollah's weapons offered him "zero and nothing" as a Shiite and Lebanese. A Shiite activist on X lamented that the group chose to invest in tunnels and wars over people, agriculture, and infrastructure, building underground instead of above ground.

While Hezbollah still enjoys significant support, the article argues this does not grant the organization the right to speak for the entire community or absolve it of responsibility for the outcomes of its decisions.