Let’s set the record straight. Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah: what’s being said vs. what’s actually happening.
(source: Israel Foreign Ministry)
1. CLAIM
“Israel started the war with Lebanon”.
FACT
Hezbollah, a proxy of the Iranian regime, launched unprovoked attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, and again on March 2, 2026, firing thousands of rockets at millions of Israeli civilians.
2. CLAIM
“The Lebanese government did everything it could”.
FACT
Lebanon has not enforced UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament. A large portion of attacks toward Israel originated from south of the Litani River—an area the Lebanese army declared in early January to be under its “operational control.”
3. CLAIM
“Hezbollah protects Lebanon from Israel”.
FACT
Hezbollah is an Iranian regime proxy, advancing Iran’s interests. It undermines Lebanese sovereignty, and has drawn Lebanon into repeated conflict rather than protecting its people.
4. CLAIM
“There is a territorial dispute between Israel and Lebanon”.
FACT
Israel withdrew in 2000 to the UN-recognized border [known as the Blue Line].
5. CLAIM
“Israel targets UNIFIL forces”.
FACT
Israel coordinates to reduce risks to UNIFIL, while Hezbollah operates near its positions and has also hit UNIFIL personnel.
6. CLAIM
“Israel deliberately targets civilians”.
FACT
Israel targets military infrastructure after warning nearby civilians to evacuate, while Hezbollah embeds itself in civilian infrastructure – including schools and hospitals – using them as human shields and putting Lebanese at risk.
7. CLAIM
“Most casualties are civilians”
FACT
Casualty data is unreliable as it is published by Lebanon’s Hezbollah controlled Ministry of Health, and does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. In reality, the overwhelming majority – 78% of those killed – are Hezbollah terrorists. Israel targets Hezbollah.
8. CLAIM
“Evacuating civilians is a war crime”
FACT
Hezbollah’s abuse of civilian infrastructure and use of civilians as human shields shows its complete disdain for international law. Temporary evacuations are a precautionary legal measure aimed at protecting civilians from Hezbollah’s combat zones.
9. CLAIM
“Lebanese civilians are victims of Israel”
FACT
Lebanese civilians are victims of Hezbollah, which serves the Iranian regime’s agenda, acts against the will of the Lebanese people, and uses civilians as human shields.
10. CLAIM
“Humanitarian suffering exists only in Lebanon”
FACT
Hezbollah has fired over 6,500 rockets at Israel in just six weeks, putting millions of civilians under constant threat and turning daily life into fear. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes in northern Israel.
11. CLAIM
“Villages in Southern Lebanon are purely civilian areas”
FACT
Hezbollah has embedded its military stronghold in southern Lebanon’s civilian areas – including homes, schools, and hospitals. The Lebanese government and UNIFIL have failed to disarm Hezbollah according to UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
12. CLAIM
“Peace between Israel and Lebanon is not possible”
FACT
Israel has repeatedly proven peace is possible – from Egypt and Jordan to the Abraham Accords – and continues to work to expand it across the region. Direct peace talks between Israel and Lebanon began in Washington, D.C. (April 14). The real obstacle to peace is Hezbollah – an enemy of both Israel and Lebanon.
13. CLAIM
“Hezbollah is a resistance movement to protect Lebanon from Israel”
FACT
The Lebanese government has forbidden state media from referring to Hezbollah as a “resistance” movement. Since its inception in 1982, Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, has been advancing Iran’s agenda to dominate Lebanon and undermining Lebanese sovereignty.
