Hundreds of Hezbollah Commanders Reportedly Ordered to Evacuate Lebanon

In a striking sign of shifting power dynamics in Lebanon, approximately 400 Hezbollah field commanders have reportedly been ordered to leave the country and redeploy to South America. According to a Latin American diplomatic source cited by Al Hadath, at least 200 of these operatives have already arrived in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, with the rest expected to follow soon.

The move comes amid growing pressure from the Lebanese government and military to dismantle Hezbollah’s militant infrastructure. The source indicated that Hezbollah issued the order out of concern that their senior operatives would become high-priority targets once disarmament efforts intensify.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that 2025 would mark a national shift toward a state monopoly on weapons, emphasizing that Hezbollah’s disarmament must be achieved peacefully and without triggering a civil war. Aoun said that the Lebanese army has begun sealing cross-border tunnels and destroying hidden weapons caches tangible signs that the state is taking concrete steps toward reclaiming full sovereignty.

Aoun also proposed a model for Hezbollah’s future that mirrors how militias were absorbed into the Lebanese army in the 1990s, suggesting individual integration rather than institutional preservation.

However, Hezbollah leadership has rejected the idea outright. In a speech responding to Aoun’s declaration, senior Hezbollah figure Mahmoud Qamati vowed to resist any effort to confiscate the group’s arsenal. “We are committed to our weapons, we are committed to our resistance,” he said, quoting the group’s late Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah: “Whoever reaches out to touch our weapons their hand will be cut off.”

This defiant rhetoric stands in stark contrast to the strategic withdrawal of commanders abroad. It also serves as a chilling reminder that Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, Canada, the Arab League, and other governments, already operates a well-established network in South America, particularly in regions with weak law enforcement and longstanding black-market operations.

The relocation of these commanders may reflect not only internal Lebanese developments but also growing international scrutiny and military pressure. If Lebanon succeeds in dismantling Hezbollah’s military arm, it would represent a seismic shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics and a potential turning point for a nation long held hostage by foreign-backed militancy.

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