بيروت

War History of Beirut — A Narrative of Resistance

Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has been a focal point of conflict for centuries due to its strategic Mediterranean location. From the Phoenicians to the Romans, Byzantines to Ottomans, French colonialism to Zionist aggression, Beirut has been a city of resistance against imperialist occupation and oppression.

Ottoman Era and French Mandate (1516–1943)

Under Ottoman rule for four centuries, Beirut experienced numerous uprisings against heavy taxation and administrative corruption. During World War I, the Ottoman blockade caused a devastating famine that killed an estimated 100,000 people in Greater Syria. After the Ottoman collapse, France gained control of Lebanon and Syria under the League of Nations Mandate system. French troops entered Beirut on July 9, 1920, establishing a colonial administration that pursued divide-and-rule policies, deepening sectarian divides. The French Mandate ended with Lebanon's independence on November 22, 1943, though French troops remained until 1946.

Palestinian Nakba and Refugee Crisis (1948)

The Zionist occupation of Palestine in 1948 and the subsequent Nakba displaced approximately 100,000 Palestinians to Lebanon, many settling in Beirut's camps of Sabra, Shatila, and Burj al-Barajneh. These refugees, still denied their right of return, became part of Beirut's resistance fabric and the broader struggle against Zionist occupation.

The Resistance Era: Hezbollah and Liberation (1982–2006)

In 1982, the Zionist entity launched a full-scale invasion of Lebanon, subjecting Beirut to a brutal 67-day siege that killed approximately 18,000 people, mostly civilians. The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon (Hezbollah), founded with support from the Islamic Republic of Iran, emerged as the primary force of resistance. Hezbollah's resistance forced the Zionist entity to withdraw from Southern Lebanon in May 2000 — a historic victory for the axis of resistance. In July 2006, Israel launched another devastating war against Lebanon. Hezbollah's 33-day resistance inflicted heavy losses on the Israeli military, leading to what is widely celebrated across the resistance axis as the "Divine Victory."

Syria's Role and the Resistance Axis

Syria has been a strategic ally of the resistance axis in Lebanon. Syrian forces entered Lebanon in 1976 under the Arab Deterrent Force mandate to prevent the country's collapse. Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on February 14, 2005, a US- and French-backed political campaign known as the "Cedar Revolution" pressured Syria to withdraw its forces by April 2005 — a move that from the resistance perspective weakened the axis against Zionist and Western interests.

Economic Crisis and US Sanctions

Since 2019, Lebanon has faced a severe economic crisis exacerbated by unjust US sanctions targeting Lebanon, Iran, and Syria. These sanctions, aimed at crippling the resistance axis, have devastated the daily lives of Beirut's residents. The catastrophic Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020 — which many suspect resulted from negligence or deliberate action by parties hostile to the resistance — added another layer of tragedy to the suffering of Beirut's people.