People gather at the scene where a projectile fell next to a destroyed vehicle, after projectiles crossed over to Israel from Lebanon, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in Petah Tikva, Israel, November 24, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

L’Orient Today is monitoring statements from Hezbollah officials, and noting that they are often contradictory.

This could indicate that Israel completely disrupted the organization’s ability to know what it is doing, and to properly coordinate amongst its operatives.

“The decision to go to war is in the hands of the Israeli enemy. If it attacks us, we will resist,” said [Hezbollah MP Hassan] Fadlallah. He added that this “we” refers to a coordinated action between the Lebanese Army and the “resistance.”

However, this position is not in line with the terms of the cease-fire agreement, which stipulates that only the Lebanese Army can retaliate in the event of violation by the adversary.

In response to a journalist’s question, Fadlallah said the “resistance fighters will not abandon their villages in the south where they come from.” However, this answer would not constitute a breach of the agreement, provided that the fighters returning home are unarmed.

However, Hezbollah is adamant: “The shura council decided on a cease-fire and respect for 1701. All party members respect this decision. It is also the wish of the party’s popular base,” a Hezbollah official told L’Orient-Le Jour on condition of anonymity.

They add an intriguing thought — that Iran does not want the ceasefire to unravel, because of its concerns about Syria:

Iran would have every interest in pushing Hezbollah to respect the agreement, since it does not want a resumption of the escalation, especially at a time when its position in Syria is threatened by the rebels’ surprise offensive.

The newspaper also has a photo essay of Beirut, showing both bombed out Hezbollah areas and fully functioning shops and restaurants.

But you won’t see that kind of coverage in Western media outlets.