Authorities boost security measures in capital Beirut

Unprecedented security measures have started to be taken in the capital Beirut, reinforced by the deployment of additional army and Internal Security Forces units, and the deployment of military and plainclothes intelligence patrols, media reports said.

"These measures, implemented by all security forces, aim to control the security situation, thwart any attempts to disrupt it, and prevent any harm to Beirut residents' efforts to accommodate and support displaced people," Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said.

"The goal is to maintain stability and civil peace, and these measures are to be accompanied by similar actions in other areas hosting displaced people, thus denying Israel the opportunity to exploit the influx of further waves of displacement to incite sectarian strife," the daily added.

It learned from a high-ranking ministerial source that preparations for the security plan, which has now been implemented, began in stages, with President Joseph Aoun chairing an extraordinary meeting of the Higher Defense Council.

This was followed by a meeting with military and security leaders, culminating in the finalization of the plan and the setting of a zero hour for its implementation.

The plan will initially focus on Beirut, given its role in hosting the largest influx of displaced people. Similar measures will be implemented in other areas hosting displaced persons to reassure them and alleviate the concerns of their host communities regarding violations, particularly the presence of armed individuals roaming among the centers designated for the accommodation of displaced people.

The source revealed that Aoun's successive meetings with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal were aimed at creating a favorable political climate for the swift implementation of the security plan.

The source added that Berri's meeting with Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar was to emphasize that tampering with security is a red line and that no one will be allowed to threaten it.

The source also stated that Berri supports the plan to prevent clashes or problems between displaced persons and their host communities, expressing his satisfaction with the way the displaced have been welcomed and accommodated, as well as with the solidarity campaigns undertaken in cooperation with political forces in the capital and elsewhere to secure their essential needs.

He emphasized that Berri did not hesitate to demand strict measures to ensure the implementation of security procedures and measures to maintain stability and prevent any security lapses that could plunge the capital into sectarian strife.

"He stressed the necessity of immediate intervention to quell such conflicts by pursuing and holding accountable those who disrupt security before the appropriate courts. This, he explained, constitutes a safety net to thwart Israel's attempts to exploit the situation, as Israel is betting that the influx of displaced people into Beirut will sooner or later become a ticking time bomb, difficult to control, and ultimately leading to sectarian conflicts," the source said.

The source added that the daily reports received by Aoun from the military and security agencies indicate that 80 percent of the problems occur among the displaced themselves, while the remaining 20 percent stem from individual disputes between displaced people and their host communities, requiring immediate attention to prevent further damage to their relationships with their hosts.

The source pointed out that coordination is underway between security leaders and those concerned with the displacement file in the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, with the aim of cooperating to avoid the unjustified violations that occur, most of which involve the passage of vehicles through the streets of the capital with their occupants insisting on broadcasting anthems and speeches, most of them by the former Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel in 2024.