Hezbollah confronts uncertainty following leader's death, widening divisions in Lebanon

Hezbollah faces an uncertain future following the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, with Israel's offensive sparking internal divisions and international pressure for a Hezbollah-free political transition in Lebanon.

It has been a month since the fateful day when Nasrallah was killed, an act that Israel claims is part of its campaign to dismantle what it deems a "terrorist organization."

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Hezbollah's parliamentary leader Amin Sherri downplayed reports of the group's impending collapse.

"No doubt there is a psychological impact. The resistance and the Lebanese people loved the Secretary General. No doubt we lost some of our top leaders, but there is rebuilding in all the positions in the leadership, from bottom to top. We are in the third and fourth generations who now have the qualifications and ability to lead troops in battle and this is what we see on the ground," said Sherri, Lebanese Member of Parliament for Hezbollah.

Despite the challenges, Hezbollah has remained defiant. Fighters continue to engage Israeli ground forces in southern Lebanon, inflicting casualties on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Hezbollah rockets and drones have penetrated Israel's defensive systems, reaching as far as Tel Aviv and even targeting the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Public sentiment regarding the war has grown increasingly divided, weakening Hezbollah's popularity both on the streets and within political circles. The toll of the conflict has been heavy: over 2,600 Lebanese have been killed, neighborhoods and villages across the country have been devastated, and more than 1.2 million people - about 20 percent of Lebanon's population - have been displaced.

A significant number of voices, including Hezbollah's political allies, are urging the Iran-backed group to disarm.

"I can tell them that I don't accept your representative to be armed and point a gun at me. No political party has the right to arm itself and violate our constitution," said Ramy Naeem, a political writer.

However, there remains a core of staunch Hezbollah supporters, even among those who have lost their homes in the conflict.

"The savage Israeli attacks everywhere are targeting us the civilians, but still we support the resistance. Our villages have been destroyed, I can't go back. It's OK for the sake of resistance," said Hussein Gomaa, a Lebanese refugee in Beirut.

Concerns are mounting that tensions could escalate into civil conflict.

"So far all political powers, such as Hezbollah, Lebanese Forces and Amal movement, have shown restraint and patience in dealing with this issue. I fear the angry public opinion that can be pushed to the boiling point and clash in the streets, which would serve Israel's purposes to create chaos," said Ibrahim Reihan, a political expert.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and European nations are attempting to mediate a ceasefire and propose a political transition in Lebanon that excludes Hezbollah - an approach many experts deem unrealistic.

"In spite of its latest weakness, Hezbollah remains the strongest and most organized political power, compared with its allies or opposition. You cannot dismiss Hezbollah from the scene. It has a strong base, the only representative of Shiites, a big sect in Lebanon and it will focus on strengthening its hold inside Lebanon," said Reihan.

As events continue to unfold, the coming weeks and months will be critical in determining whether Hezbollah can withstand the mounting pressure and redefine its role in Lebanon.

Hezbollah confronts uncertainty following leader's death, widening divisions in Lebanon

A survey released by CGTN to global netizens shows that respondents strongly condemn the U.S.'s unilateral bullying of other countries under the pretext of "reciprocal tariffs," saying that this move may trigger countermeasures from other countries and eventually evolve into a "tariff world war," seriously impacting the world economy.

The U.S. claims that it has suffered losses in international trade and is raising tariffs on all trading partners under the pretext of "reciprocity," aiming to reduce the trade deficit. However, 81.03 percent of global respondents do not agree with this, believing that such measures will not achieve the expected results. During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on major trading partners. According to statistics from the American Action Forum, a think tank, Trump's protectionist policies during the first term cost U.S. consumers about 57 billion U.S. dollars annually. According to the survey, 81.94 percent of respondents believe that "reciprocal tariffs" cannot solve U.S.'s own problems but will only harm the interests of U.S. consumers and drag down the U.S. economic growth.

The competitiveness of products from different countries varies. Each country can set appropriate tariffs based on its own products to achieve "mutual benefit" in the international market. The "tariff farce" of the U.S. side is a selective disregard for the balance of interests reached through multilateral trade negotiations. Some 82.8 percent of the respondents point out that in the context of unequal economic development and economic strength of different countries, the U.S. insistence on full and complete reciprocity in tariffs is extremely irrational.

The majority of the U.S. tariffs this time are targeted at developing countries. Regarding this, 82.96 percent of the respondents condemn the U.S. for conducting "indiscriminate attacks" on other countries on the issue of tariffs, believing that this is a deprivation of the development rights of other countries, especially developing countries. According to the survey, 84.43 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S.'s imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" will exacerbate the problem of trade unfairness with its trading partners and traditional allies, seriously damaging the country's credibility.

As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the U.S. has unilaterally and subjectively introduced so-called "reciprocal tariffs" and insisted on implementing them. This is a typical act of unilateral bullying. In response, 79.47 percent of the respondents criticize the U.S. for seriously violating the rules of the WTO. In the survey, 79.58 percent of the respondents say that "reciprocal tariffs" have become a new tool for the U.S. to promote trade protectionism, which will further intensify international trade tensions and global economic fragmentation.

This survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms. Within 24 hours, a total of 9,600 overseas netizens participated in the survey and expressed their views.

CGTN poll: US 'reciprocal tariffs' draw condemnation from world