'We're in the midst of a ticking time bomb,' one Lebanese citizen who lives in Ein Rummaneh and witnessed the confrontation told Newsweek.
In a nation already marred by an economic collapse and energy crisis, new sectarian violence in Lebanon has spurred fears of a return to civil war among rival parties vying for influence over a people rapidly reaching their breaking point.
Hezbollah and Amal have blamed a rival Christian party known as the Lebanese Forces for the incident, and members of both Shiite Muslim organizations retaliated by firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in some of the worst clashes to erupt in the capital in years. The Lebanese Forces, for its part, has rejected the claim it orchestrated an ambush, calling this"a false accusation and its purpose is to divert attention from Hezbollah's invasion of this region and other regions in previous times," in a statement sent toBashar al-Assad Returns to World Stage in Defeat for US, Win for its Foes
Asked about Hezbollah's accusations, Imad Wakim, a deputy for Beirut's first district in parliament, mirrored this view.
While, given the popular dissatisfaction with all strains of Lebanon's ruling class, an uprising may seem more appropriate than civil war, Sam Heller, a Lebanon-based researcher formerly of the International Crisis Group think tank, said the unrest may only serve those in charge to rein in their opposition.
Hezbollah considers its offensive capabilities critical for defending the country against the foe it initially mobilized against in the 1980s, Israel, which remains in a state of war with Lebanon. Calls for Hezbollah's disarmament by rivals such as Lebanese Forces and the Sunni Muslim Future Movement have led to upticks of violence in the past.
"Ordinary Lebanese seem to be losing their minds, generally, as they struggle under impossible economic pressures, and amid the collapse of basic services," Heller said."I think people are on edge."
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