Hezbollah is accused of diverting fuel from the Lebanese state to Shiite villages in the south of the country as part of a charm offensive to bolster Lebanese support, the Alma Research and Education Center said on Thursday.
According to research by the Alma Center, between April and July 2024, nearly 484,000 liters of fuel were delivered outside of regular fuel distribution channels to up to 72 communities in southern Lebanon.
The fuel was supplied by the Al Amana fuel company, which is accused of being a civilian front for Hezbollah’s activities in the country.
Al Amana has been under US sanctions since 2020 because of its ties to Hezbollah and is accused of money laundering and setting up a cartel-like structure for the distribution of fuel in Shiite areas.
The company is considered a key player in Hezbollah’s sphere of influence and is frequently accused of diverting fuel from government supplies, often with the government’s tacit approval.
To maintain support for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, it is important to supply fuel to Shiite communities before other communities in Lebanon.
A state within a state
Hezbollah is accused of using independent and civilian systems to administer a state within a state, which stands in stark contrast to the weak Lebanese state.
It is estimated that Hezbollah delivered around 6,500 litres of fuel to villages near the border in the four months.
These deliveries continued even though Hezbollah evacuated most of the civilians from these areas.
According to the Alma Center, this shows that the fuel intended for civilian purposes is actually being used for Hezbollah’s military purposes and not exclusively for civilian purposes: “The civilian platform enables military operations.”
Tensions in Lebanon have been extremely high since the war began and have been exacerbated by the country’s acute energy crisis. On August 17, the country’s last functioning power plant was shut down.
