Israel threatens to hit Lebanon infrastructure if Hezbollah backs Iran
Foreign minister Youssef Rajji said Tuesday that Lebanon fears its infrastructure could be hit by Israeli strikes if the situation with Iran escalates.
Rajji said Lebanese authorities had appealed to Hezbollah, which has fought several wars with Israel, most recently in 2024, not to respond in any way that could trigger “bad situations” for Lebanese civilians.
Rajji's comments come amid a massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East that suggests Washington is prepared to wage a potentially sustained campaign against Iran.
Speaking to a small group of journalists in Geneva, Rajji said Lebanese officials had been warned that in the event of another Israel-Hezbollah war, Israel would strike harder against civilian infrastructure across Lebanon than in the previous round of fighting.
"There are signs that the Israelis could strike very hard in the event of an escalation, potentially including strategic infrastructure such as the airport," Rajji said.
"We are currently conducting diplomatic efforts to request that, even in the event of retaliation, Lebanese civilian infrastructure not be targeted," he said.
His stressed that Lebanon's leadership had been very clear: "This war does not concern us."
A Lebanese official who requested anonymity said "what the Lebanese fear is a chain reaction: an American strike against Iran, a Hezbollah retaliatory strike against Israel, followed by a massive Israeli response."
On Monday, Washington ordered non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Beirut as anticipation rose of a possible conflict.
Lebanon fears it could feel the repercussions of war in Iran, especially if Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah are involved in the conflict.
Israel last Friday carried out deadly strikes on alleged Hezbollah command centers in eastern Lebanon and a target purportedly linked to the Palestinian group Hamas in the Ain al-Helweh camp in the south.
Hezbollah said Saturday that eight of its fighters had been killed, and vowed renewed "resistance".
Lebanon's government last year committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in a recent war with Israel, and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to do so.
Over the last few months, the military has, through its limited capabilities, worked to dismantle Hezbollah facilities and tunnels and confiscate weapons.
It declared in January the completion of the first phase of its plan, which tackled the area south of the Litani river, located around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Israel.
Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of re-arming, has criticized the army's progress as insufficient, and has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with the group.
