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
China remains resolute in its pursuit of the dual-carbon goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, positioning the green transition as a core driver of high-quality development, according to Zhao Chenxin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Beijing, Zhao outlined significant achievements in 2024 and provided a roadmap for 2025, which includes advancing carbon reduction initiatives, strengthening green industries, and enhancing ecological protection efforts.
"We've rolled out guidelines for accelerating the green transformation of our economy and society and advancing nearly 200 specific initiatives. We've also released a catalog of industries supporting this transition, promoting 112 green technologies and 47 advanced low-carbon projects. We've developed a two-year action plan for energy conservation and carbon reduction, along with seven sector-specific plans, achieving significant progress. It is predicted that we reduced energy consumption intensity by over 3 percent last year, surpassing our targets. Additionally, we’ve implemented 194 national standards in the 'dual-carbon' field and supporting local governments in establishing carbon emission budget systems," Zhao said.
Zhao also emphasized that efforts in resource conservation and ecological protection continued to gain momentum.
"We've rolled out policies on promoting food conservation, reducing food waste, developing water-saving industries, and encouraging waste recycling. More than 60 billion yuan (about 8.2 billion U.S. dollars) of government funding has been allocated to enhance environmental infrastructure and support major ecosystem protection and restoration projects, including the 'Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program'. Additionally, we've formulated the Ecological Protection Compensation Regulations, and increased the annual funding of central and local governments to nearly 300 billion yuan (over 41 billion U.S. dollars)," Zhao added.
In addition, significant attention was given to programs aimed at large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins.
"In 2024, we allocated 300 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs. In the first 11 months of the year, national investment in equipment and tool procurement rose 15.8 percent year on year, contributing 65.3 percent to overall investment growth. Through the trade-in program, over 60 percent of consumers chose new energy vehicles, driving the domestic penetration rate of new energy passenger cars to over 50 percent for six consecutive months," Zhao explained.
Looking ahead, China will mark two major milestones in 2025 - the 20th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping introducing the concept that 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' and the fifth year since China announced its dual-carbon goals.
Zhao said that the commission will continue to work with relevant stakeholders and prioritize these efforts by advancing carbon reduction, pollution control, green growth, and ecological expansion, while accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society.
"We will actively plan the carbon peaking initiatives for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), develop integrated evaluation and assessment methods, advance national carbon peaking pilot projects, and accelerate the building of zero-carbon industrial parks. We will further strengthen fiscal, financial, investment, and pricing policies and standards to foster the healthy development of green and low-carbon industries," Zhao stated.
"We will continue to enhance environmental infrastructure, implement major ecosystem protection and restoration projects, and explore mechanisms to realize the value of ecological products. We will work to achieve greater results in promoting the programs of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in, so as to increase funding, broaden coverage, optimize the implementation of the policies, and amplify their leverage effects in 2025," Zhao concluded.
China reaffirms commitment to green transition and dual-carbon goals: NDRC
