Israel has broadened its range of accusations in Southern Lebanon, shifting the focus from solely military sites, arms depots, and tunnels to include active health, social, and reconstruction institutions in southern villages in its security concerns.
In this context, Israel's public broadcaster "KAN" released a report highlighting the "Islamic Health Organization" and the "Taawniya" association, based on assessments from an Israeli center specializing in monitoring armed groups. The report alleges connections between these organizations and "Hezbollah" or that they operate under its influence.
According to the Israeli narrative, Hezbollah relies on medical, relief, and reconstruction institutions to maintain its presence in southern villages, compensating for the diminishing of its military and political structure caused by war, destruction, and the expanded presence of the Lebanese army.
However, the report failed to provide independent evidence proving that the medical or reconstruction activities of these institutions constitute military operations, nor did it present documented facts evidencing the use of their facilities for weapon storage or field operations, rendering these accusations as part of Israel's unsubstantiated assessments.
Expanding the Concept of "Hezbollah's Influence"
The significance of the report lies in its reflection of an Israeli trend to expand the definition of "Hezbollah's influence" to encompass areas beyond direct military activities.
While the focus was primarily on weapons, fighters, and military installations, health, relief, and reconstruction activities are now being framed as parts of a network of influence that Israel seeks to monitor, and potentially target.
This shift raises concerns amid the rebuilding phase of the south, where local institutions and associations play a role in providing services to the population, given the state's limited resources and delayed external aid.
Could Reconstruction Become a Battleground?
This approach might lead to imposing pressure on donors, linking reconstruction funding to conditions regarding the executing entities, potentially leading to calls for banning certain institutions from participating in reconstruction operations or listing them under sanctions.
This coincides with persistent Israeli criticism of the Lebanese army's performance, with Tel Aviv claiming the army has failed to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure, while accusing the group of trying to re-establish its presence through civil institutions and associations.
Accordingly, the Israeli narrative suggests that the transition of field control to state institutions does not necessarily end Hezbollah's influence, which can, according to this perspective, maintain its presence through health, relief, and reconstruction sectors.
Thus, the upcoming confrontation in the south might expand from the issues of weapons and military sites to include institutions providing services to residents, potentially turning the reconstruction of southern villages into a new domain for security and political contention.