“NOT A ONE-MAN SHOW”
With Lebanon’s strongest man gone and his Shiite Muslim group displaced and bereaved, its assist base will anticipate greater than only a symbolic response, analysts mentioned.
Amal Saad, a Lebanese researcher of Hezbollah at Britain’s Cardiff College, mentioned that after the large blow to the now leaderless group, it will must strike a fragile stability in selecting a response.
On the one hand, Hezbollah would search to keep away from triggering an Israeli “carpet bombing marketing campaign in opposition to Beirut or all of Lebanon”, whereas “on the identical time elevating the morale” of its supporters and fighters, she mentioned.
Hezbollah would want to indicate it could shield its personal individuals, and precise revenge on Israel but additionally maintain the peace amongst Lebanon’s various spiritual communities.
Shiite Lebanese, who represent the group’s assist base, are among the many tens of hundreds displaced from Lebanon’s south, east and Dahiyeh by Israel’s bombardment – in search of shelter in areas the place different spiritual communities dwell.