For the First Time, South Lebanese File Lawsuits Against Hezbollah

Photo Credit: IDF

IDF soldiers patrolling a village in south Lebanon.

For the first time, anger is mounting due to the exploitation of civilian areas by the Hezbollah terrorist militia in its war with Israel, Lebanon’s Erem News reported Tuesday. Many residents of Lebanon’s southern towns and cities have filed legal complaints against the group, seeking to hold its officials and members accountable for transforming entire towns, including homes and agricultural lands, into military bases, resulting in their complete destruction by the IDF.

Businessman Hassan Ghosn told Erem News that there was a state of discontent and anger among the people of southern Lebanon, after the extent of the destruction that befell their homes, agricultural lands, and towns, some of which were completely wiped out. He added that the matter reached the point of verbal altercations and clashes between the people and Hezbollah officials in some towns, against the backdrop of the terrorist group exposing the region to death and destruction.

Israel has totally wiped out over 37 villages and destroyed 40,000 homes across South Lebanon.

37 centuries-old historic villages entirely erased from the map.

This is ethnic cleansing.

This is terrorism. pic.twitter.com/TB7g8bTZ0c

— sarah (@sahouraxo) November 5, 2024

Ghosn pointed out that the idea of ​​filing lawsuits came after the aforementioned clashes when Hezbollah officials went about collecting their compensation for the destruction of properties that belonged to them. He noted that they did it in a provocative manner, as a sign that they and their party were immune.

He added: “After consultations between groups of families and after referring to many families who have emigrated from Lebanon, some of whom have social, financial, and family status, it was agreed to proceed with the judicial approach.”

Footage shows large scale destruction in the town Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, following the Israeli aggression. pic.twitter.com/oYfRA9KtN3

— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) November 27, 2024

The latest developments, according to Ghosn, were the gathering of some human rights activists, media professionals, and lawyers to coordinate a unified campaign to file a class action suit and give it political and media momentum to make it a success.

According to Erem News, some Lebanese businessmen expressed their willingness to bear the costs of the lawsuit, as the class action lawsuit would block Hezbollah from repressing those who join the lawsuit.

The party will also not be able to exercise its influence on the Lebanese judiciary to float the case, reject it, or put it in a drawer, similar to the hot files that are already before the Lebanese judiciary, such as the Beirut port case, the Lebanese media outlet commented.

Israel is wiping out entire centuries-old towns and villages in South Lebanon.

This is more than mere destruction—it is an erasure of history and heritage, a crime against humanity.

This is terrorism. pic.twitter.com/0SDwrPL0GM

— sarah (@sahouraxo) October 27, 2024

Attorney Bashir Al-Bassam confirmed that more than thirty complaints were submitted to a single judge in south Lebanon, but they were all rejected on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction. He added that the next step for those affected who intend to submit complaints would be to submit them to the public prosecution offices, and some of them have already been submitted.

Al-Bassam told Erem News that filing a class action suit would be better and that the case will be delayed for some time to allow the largest possible number of plaintiffs to join this campaign, and transfer power of attorney to the litigators.

He pointed out that the case would have major repercussions, as it would be the first time that the people of south Lebanon openly expressed their anger at Hezbollah’s actions that destroyed their homes and villages, and it would also be the first time in Lebanon that a lawsuit of this magnitude had been filed against a domestic terrorist organization.

The lawyer said the plaintiffs’ demands “include holding accountable those responsible for violating the sanctity of homes and towns that were turned into weapons depots and military headquarters, as well as agricultural lands that were turned into tunnels.”

He added, “There are also demands to hold accountable the Hezbollah members who took refuge in homes and entered them without permission from their owners, which led to their bombing or complete destruction. Finally, there is, of course, a demand for financial compensation for all those affected.”