Political tension rises in Lebanon after murder of Christian politician opposed to Hezbollah

Political and sectarian tensions in Lebanon increased sharply after the assassination of a Christian politician opposed to Hezbollah.

Pascal Suleiman was the local leader of the Lebanese Forces party in the Christian coastal areas of Lebanon. According to the Lebanese army, on Sunday evening, a group of Syrian nationals tried to steal Pascal Suleiman's car, but he was killed in the struggle and the attackers took his body to Syria, but most of the attackers have been arrested by security forces.

On Monday, after the killing of Pascal Suleiman, Lebanese Forces supporters blocked major roads in northern Lebanon, with schools in Beirut closed on Tuesday due to concerns about possible clashes between Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces.

The Lebanese Forces Party also issued a statement on Tuesday, April 9, rejecting the Lebanese army's narrative, saying: "The official narrative that the reason for this attack was car theft is not true, and we consider the death of Pascal Suleiman a political assassination due to his political activity. However, we consider this action a direct attack on the Lebanese Forces Party, unless proven otherwise."

The assassination of Pascal Suleiman, leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, which also opposed Hezbollah, has raised concerns about the possibility of conflict between rival political groups in Lebanon, which is suffering from a severe economic crisis and tensions over the southern border between Hezbollah and the Israeli army. Government officials and religious leaders are also trying to contain tensions that have spilled over into street clashes and physical attacks on Syrian refugees.

Many Western governments consider Hezbollah, which is backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, a terrorist organization. Criticism of Hezbollah by the Lebanese Christian community has also increased, especially after the group's militants fired a rocket into Israel from a Christian village in southern Lebanon.

"Bisharah Boutros Al-Ra'i," a Maronite Catholic cleric and one of Lebanon's highest-ranking Christian leaders, said, despite his criticism of Hezbollah in recent months: "In today's sensitive and fragile political and social conditions, we call on everyone to maintain calm and exercise restraint."