BEIRUT – Veterans who survived Lebanon’s devastating 1975-1990 civil war are raising alarms about troubling similarities between current tensions and the conditions that sparked decades of internal conflict.
The ongoing hostilities between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah have intensified divisions within Lebanese society, with some observers warning the nation’s fragile political system may be approaching a breaking point.
Recent fighting that began March 2nd has displaced more than 1.2 million Lebanese residents and killed nearly 2,300 people during five weeks of Israeli airstrikes. A temporary ceasefire announced last week has provided some relief but has also highlighted sharp disagreements over potential peace talks with Israel.
Ziad Saab, now 68, recently examined a handwritten note from 1981 describing Israeli bombardments of southern Lebanese villages – the same communities targeted in recent attacks.
“This letter could be written today,” said Saab, who previously fought with Lebanon’s Communist Party and currently leads Fighters for Peace, a group established by former combatants.
Saab cautioned his fellow Lebanese against turning on one another, noting that the underlying conflicts from the civil war period were never properly resolved.
“Don’t repeat our experience. Because you’ll be surprised where it will take you,” Saab warned during an interview at his Beirut residence. “We ripped the country apart.”
The former fighter said April 8th’s intense Israeli bombardments, which killed over 300 people, “basically brought back the scenes of the whole civil war in seconds.”
Lebanon’s original civil war erupted in April 1975 when religious and economic tensions exploded into violence between Christian militias and Palestinian fighters, eventually drawing in other communities and foreign powers. Approximately one million people fled their homes during that conflict.
Hezbollah emerged in 1982 during the height of the civil war and remained the only faction to keep its weapons when hostilities ended. Following Israel’s 2000 withdrawal, the group expanded its military capabilities and political influence.
After a 2024 conflict significantly weakened Hezbollah, a new U.S.-supported Lebanese government committed to disarming the organization. Lebanese military forces have begun gradually seizing weapons, attempting to avoid direct confrontation.
When Hezbollah launched attacks into Israel on March 2nd to support Iran, many Lebanese citizens blamed the group for dragging their country into another war. Some have also criticized the broader Shiite community that provides Hezbollah’s popular support base.
Meanwhile, Shiite Muslims who have endured the heaviest casualties in conflicts with Israel view Hezbollah as their primary protection and have criticized government officials for failing to defend them. Several displaced Shiites described Lebanon’s leadership as “traitors” in recent interviews.
Patrick Baz, a Lebanese photographer who documented much of the civil war, pointed to concerning divisions among young people that could potentially lead to renewed internal conflict. He cited recent scenes of armed Christian men firing weapons into the air during a funeral for a Christian politician killed in an Israeli strike.
“I’m sure if you go to universities today and you tell them to carry guns and go and fire at your political opponents or someone you don’t like, they will do it,” Baz observed.
The recently announced temporary ceasefire has created additional complications. While providing welcome relief from bombardments, the agreement fails to address critical issues including Israeli troop withdrawal from Lebanon or explicit requirements for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
One diplomat working on Lebanese issues described the ceasefire text as a “detailed recipe for internal confrontation.”
Rafic Bazerji, who served as a senior figure in a Lebanese Christian militia during the civil war, argued that agreements lacking “a good foundation” are destined to restart tensions. He pointed to the Taif Agreement that ended the civil war but was never fully implemented.
Bazerji, who now operates a mountain guesthouse and heads the Latin League representing Latin Christians, has taught his adult sons to shoot and believes a new generation could potentially take up arms.
“As much as we were, in our days, fanatics and we were excited to fight, I’m seeing today a new generation that is scary. We’re kids compared to them,” he told reporters.
While Lebanese citizens fear repeating the 1975-1990 war that killed approximately 150,000 people, Bazerji warned that deep divisions over Hezbollah, Israel and other critical issues could still escalate into violence.
“In the end, if we can avoid it, we avoid it. But if the razor reaches our throats, we’re also not going to take it lying down,” Bazerji concluded.
