Israeli warplanes dropped propaganda leaflets over the Lebanese capital on Friday, creating sonic booms that reverberated across Beirut and heightened fear among residents enduring the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. The leaflet campaign coincided with a visit by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who arrived in Lebanon to press both parties to halt the fighting immediately.
Journalists and cameramen working for Agence France-Presse documented the loud blasts that echoed four times in rapid succession, followed by sightings of leaflets drifting across the capital’s airspace. The leaflets targeted civilian areas in western Beirut, including the Firdos, Hamra, and Ain el-Mreisseh neighborhoods, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency.
Propaganda Leaflets Target Lebanese Public Directly
The leaflets dropped by Israeli aircraft carried messages directed squarely at the Lebanese population, with prominent slogans including “Disarm Hezbollah, Iran’s shield” and “Lebanon is your choice, not anyone else’s.” These messages represent a direct attempt by Israel to appeal to Lebanese public opinion, attempting to separate civilian sentiment from the political positions of armed groups.
The National News Agency confirmed that the leaflet operation involved “Israeli aviation flying at very low altitudes and deliberately dropping leaflets over several civilian areas, specifically in Firdos, Hamra, and Ain el-Mreisseh.”
Intelligence-Gathering and Recruitment Tactics
The leaflets incorporated a QR code requesting Lebanese citizens to provide information to Israeli forces, a tactic identical to methods employed by the Israeli military during the Gaza war. Additionally, the leaflets carried the phrase “Unit 504 is working to ensure a future for Lebanon and its people,” a direct reference to Unit 504 of the Israeli military’s intelligence corps.
These tactics signal a deliberate Israeli strategy to recruit Lebanese informants who can supply intelligence to support ongoing military operations on Lebanese territory, expanding beyond traditional warfare into intelligence warfare.
President Aoun Awaits Israeli Response to Peace Initiative
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated during his meeting with UN Secretary-General Guterres on Friday: “I expressed my readiness to negotiate, but so far we have not received a response from the other side.” Aoun expressed hope for “international community support for Lebanon during this critical phase” of the conflict.
Aoun had launched a four-point peace initiative on Monday, calling for “a complete ceasefire” with Israel paired with “provision of necessary logistical support” to the Lebanese Army to “disarm Hezbollah, its warehouses, and ammunition depots,” followed by “direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under international sponsorship.”
Aoun Criticizes Hezbollah and Iranian Influence
The Lebanese president issued sharp criticism of Hezbollah, accusing the group of “working to destroy the Lebanese state for the sake of Iranian regime calculations.” These remarks came as part of the Lebanese presidency’s effort to distance official state decisions from partisan military actions and position the government as a separate entity from factional decisions.
The criticism underscores the deep political rift between the Lebanese state apparatus and Hezbollah, which operates as both a military force and a political party within Lebanon.
Guterres Delivers Urgent Call for Immediate Ceasefire
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered an emphatic and direct appeal for an immediate halt to hostilities while in Beirut. Speaking following his meeting with President Aoun, Guterres stated: “I urge strongly Hezbollah and Israel to reach a ceasefire to end the war and pave the way for a solution that allows Lebanon to become an independent country where state authorities monopolize the use of force.”
Emphasizing that “the era of armed groups is over, and this is the era of strong states,” Guterres underscored the critical role of the Lebanese state in the post-conflict period, signaling international consensus that Lebanon’s central government must regain exclusive control over security matters.
Humanitarian Plea During Sacred Religious Periods
Guterres called attention to the particularly sensitive humanitarian context in which the war is unfolding: “I know that Lebanese Muslims are observing Ramadan, and Lebanese Christians are observing Lent, and these are times that should be times of peace and solidarity.” He added with evident dismay: “But unfortunately, Lebanon has been dragged into a war its people did not choose to enter.”
The statement underscored the universal religious significance of the moment and framed the ceasefire appeal in terms of humanitarian and spiritual values transcending sectarian divides.
Humanitarian Crisis Escalates Rapidly
Guterres announced the launch of an urgent humanitarian appeal from the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office on Friday, coordinated with UN agencies, to assist Lebanon in responding to the rapidly deteriorating displacement crisis consuming the nation.
The scale of human displacement has reached alarming proportions:
Registered displaced persons have exceeded 800,000 since the war began less than three weeks ago
More than 128,000 displaced individuals are sheltered in government and UN-administered reception centers
This figure represents approximately one in six Lebanese citizens displaced from their homes
Strain on Infrastructure and Basic Services
The massive influx of displaced persons is imposing severe strain on Lebanon’s already fragile infrastructure and essential services, particularly as military operations continue to destroy additional infrastructure daily. The numbers reveal the scope of the humanitarian catastrophe affecting all Lebanese communities across sectarian lines, with entire neighborhoods and towns emptied of their populations.
Broader Context of Ongoing War and International Positioning
Guterres’ visit to Beirut reflects intensifying international pressure to halt the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted less than three weeks ago. Lebanon faces a multidimensional crisis encompassing military destruction, forced displacement, and humanitarian emergency.
Israel continues military operations against Hezbollah through diverse means: airstrikes, artillery bombardment, propaganda campaigns, and intelligence gathering from the civilian population. The simultaneous deployment of leaflet operations alongside military strikes indicates a comprehensive strategy aimed at degrading Hezbollah’s support base while sowing division within Lebanese society.
The international response, represented by Guterres’ presence and explicit calls for ceasefire, underscores the global recognition that the conflict threatens regional stability and requires immediate intervention.
Conclusion:
The events unfolding in Beirut reflect an escalating military conflict coupled with urgent international efforts to end the war. As President Aoun awaits an Israeli response to his peace proposal, the conflict continues exacting a devastating human cost on the Lebanese population. Guterres’ forceful call for an immediate ceasefire reflects international recognition of the urgency required to halt the fighting before the humanitarian catastrophe deepens further.
