Tribal and family leaders across eastern and northern Lebanon are organising a joint alliance to publicly oppose Hezbollah's policies and assert support for state authority.
Clans and prominent families in Baalbek-Hermel have begun coordinating to establish a coalition called the Clans and Families Assembly, with each group nominating three representatives to participate. The initiative aims to issue a unified public stance against Hezbollah's policies.
Organisers said contact has expanded beyond Baalbek-Hermel to Arab clans in the Western Bekaa and in Akkar in northern Lebanon, with the goal of gathering as many historic families as possible.
According to sources involved, the coalition seeks to address what they describe as Hezbollah's practices that have placed Shiite community members in strained relations with other Lebanese groups and in positions contrary to state decisions. They also cited tensions with Gulf and Arab states, particularly Syria.
The clans say they aim to formally advocate for state support and its legitimate decisions, including the concentration of weapons in the hands of the Lebanese Army, respect for Lebanese sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. They also called for backing diplomatic channels between Lebanon and Syria based on mutual respect for both countries' sovereignty.
Sources stressed the need to withdraw the Shiite community from what they called the enmity that Hezbollah has placed it in with various Lebanese groups and Arabs, particularly Syria, and to return it to its natural position alongside other Lebanese communities that mostly now stand with the state.
The clans denied claims circulating from figures associated with Hezbollah that the initiative was directed by Washington to tighten pressure on the party, saying instead that it stemmed from concern for the Shiite community's future.
Hezbollah has historically provided political cover and moral protection to clans in Baalbek-Hermel, positioning itself as a social protection umbrella in the absence of state institutions.
Rising tension in Lebanon over Hezbollah's entry into conflict twice without state coordination, in October 2023 and March 2026 following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has prompted many Lebanese to voice opposition to its policies.
