West warnings: Will Lebanon face the same war as Gaza?

As the public awaits the upcoming speech by Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, there is growing Western concern about the potential implications of the Gaza war on Lebanon.

Western sources draw parallels between current events in the Palestinian territories and what transpired in Jordan in September 1970.

This article was originally published in and translated from the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.

Over 50 years ago, bloody confrontations, dubbed the "Black September," occurred between the Jordanian state and Palestinian factions. The aftermath saw these factions moving to Lebanon after the fighting ended. This transition marked a perilous historical event for Lebanon, which subsequently endured decades of internal strife, destruction, and displacement, primarily due to its unique responsibility in the Palestinian issue.

Will Lebanon face the same war as Gaza?

In response to this query, a highly informed source revealed to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that there have been "direct messages and reviews received by Lebanese political and security authorities from Western ambassadors and officials." These communications concern the escalating influence of Islamic Palestinian factions, particularly Hamas, in Lebanon. These factions have been acting both on the ground and in the political and media spheres, behaving like a state that could threaten Lebanon and the economy.

In addition to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad matter, Nasrallah's speech is expected to include a tribute to the fallen Hezbollah fighters who died last month, numbering 50 as of Wednesday. He will also discuss the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood carried out by Hamas on October 7, probably portraying it as a "turning point in Israel's history," representing a "great victory that restored prominence to the Palestinian cause." The speech will strongly condemn Israel's brutality in targeting civilians and committing massacres and genocide in Gaza.

In parallel, Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in Ankara, commented that Israel "has repeatedly talked about the destruction of Hezbollah in Lebanon, but as a result, the party has become one of the strongest resistance movements. The mere mention of Hezbollah terrifies the false Zionist entity's officials. I advise them not to tread the path they have traversed before."

Conversely, Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, stated, "Hezbollah does not want to turn Beirut into Gaza; it has now retreated."