Hezbollah Draws Up Beirut Takeover Plan as Iran Cuts Funds and IDF Pressure Mounts
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · May 13
Hezbollah Draws Up Beirut Takeover Plan as Iran Cuts Funds and IDF Pressure Mounts
5 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · May 13
Hezbollah has prepared a systematic plan to occupy Beirut and sideline pragmatic Lebanese forces backing closer Western ties and possible normalization with Israel, according to the latest report.
Growing strain is driving that move: Israeli security sources say Naim Qassem faces heavier pressure as IDF attacks intensify and Hezbollah splits fighters among Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.
Iran has sharply reduced funding to Lebanon, while Israeli strikes have hit Hezbollah personnel and economic assets including banks, money changers and gas stations, deepening one of the group's toughest financial periods.
That squeeze comes as Hezbollah also struggles to support hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese from villages under IDF control or threatened by wider fighting, amid rising criticism from Lebanon's president, prime minister and parliament speaker.
With its finances collapsing, is Hezbollah's planned Beirut takeover a desperate final gamble for survival?
Can Lebanon's government disarm Hezbollah before Israel's expanding occupation triggers a full-scale civil war?
Lebanon on the Brink: 1.2 Million Displaced, Hezbollah Weakened, and the Battle for State Sovereignty Amid Regional War (2026)
Overview
In May 2026, Lebanon faced a severe crisis as escalating military activities erupted in and around Beirut. The immediate trigger was Hezbollah’s missile and drone attacks, launched in response to the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This provoked large-scale Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, including heavy bombardment of Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut. Despite a previous ceasefire, Israel had already been conducting near-daily strikes, deepening Lebanon’s long-standing economic and political troubles. The Lebanese government responded with unprecedented measures, highlighting the nation’s struggle to maintain stability amid intensifying conflict and internal divisions.