Lebanon and its residents live in a state of waiting and fear of Hezbollah's vengeful response against Israel for the assassination of Fouad Shukar, Hassan Nasrallah's right-hand man, which could lead to an all-out military conflict that would directly affect their lives. They still remember well the trauma of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Since Shukar's assassination last month, there has been a change in the attitude of the Lebanese population towards the situation in the country, after they got used to the war of attrition that began on October 7. The traffic in the hotels, restaurants and cafes decreased significantly, and many musical events with the participation of famous artists were canceled. In Lebanon, there is talk of damage in the amount of 3 billion dollars caused to the economy.

Beirut Rafik Al Hariri International Airport is half empty. All the tourists left, as well as all those who wanted to escape Lebanon by air before the all-out war started. 

This follows warnings issued by many foreign embassies to their citizens in Lebanon to immediately leave the country, and also following announcements by many airlines about the suspension of flights to Lebanon. The percentage of travelers to Lebanon decreased by 26 percent, and the percentage of those leaving it increased by 16.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

A feeling of insecurity and worry surrounds the entire country of Lebanon, and uncertainty about what is expected in the future. At the same time, there is a widespread phenomenon of hoarding food, medicine and milk for children. Some of these products are sold on the black market.

The threats of an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah brought residents from southern Lebanon and the Dahiya neighborhood in Beirut to leave their homes and move and live in other areas, far from those where Hezbollah supporters live. Rental prices skyrocketed to thousands of dollars a month for small apartments.

The interim government led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati is preparing for war, and plans to turn official schools and institutions into centers for the reception of displaced persons. The Lebanese Ministry of Health has prepared a plan to receive casualties in the hospitals.

In the streets of various cities in Lebanon, billboards against the war were hung, which read: "Enough! We are tired! We don't want war!"

Meanwhile, Naim Kassem, Nasrallah's deputy, said that the visit of the American envoy Amos Hochstein to Beirut was just a show. According to him, he brought nothing with him and there are no concrete American proposals.

Hezbollah forcibly took the people of Lebanon as hostages in order to implement the Iranian agenda, while claiming to be the so-called "protector of Lebanon".

Yoni Ben Menachem, NEWSRAEL Contributor and Epoch magazine commentator on Middle East affairs, is an expert in the field who has covered significant events in Israeli history, such as the first and second intifadas, military operations and more. He speaks the Arabic language in several different dialects, and has connections with senior figures in the Arab world, as well as in the political and military leadership in Israel. Ben Menachem served as editor-in-chief and CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.