Lebanon army makes plea for 'unity' after Nasrallah's killing

Lebanon's army on Sunday warned Lebanese against actions that would disturb public order in the crisis-hit country after Israel's killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

The army in a statement said it "calls on citizens to preserve national unity and not to be drawn into actions that may affect civil peace at this dangerous and delicate stage", following the massive Friday strike that killed Nasrallah and as Israel continues to bombard the country.

"The Israeli enemy is working to implement its destructive plans and sow division among Lebanese," the army statement added.

Lebanon has long been divided along sectarian lines and witnessed a devastating 1975-1990 civil war.

Hezbollah, the Shia Muslim movement that wields great power in Lebanon and whose military might is widely believed to dwarf Lebanon's armed forces, has drawn criticism from some Lebanese politicians over its decision to open a "support front" against Israel over the Gaza war nearly a year ago.

A Lebanese army official told AFP troops had been deployed since Saturday in Beirut, where thousands have sought refuge from intense Israeli raids on Lebanon's south and east and on Hezbollah's main bastion in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged Lebanese "to come together" to preserve civil order.

"Our national responsibility at this historic and exceptional moment requires setting aside political differences," he said on Saturday, after cutting short a New York trip.

'Radio silent'

United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert also called for unity in a statement on X on Sunday.

"At this critical moment for Lebanon when uncertainty is rife, now is the time for the country to focus on the common interest that unites its people," she said.

Even the parties traditionally opposed to Hezbollah have refrained from making fiery statements following Nasrallah's killing.

The Lebanese Forces, a Christian party widely viewed as one of Hezbollah's fiercest critics, even ordered supporters to go "radio silent" on social media in a message circulated on their groups, a source close to the party told AFP.

On Saturday, former prime minister Saad Hariri called on Lebanese to "rise above differences", adding that Nasrallah's killing "has plunged Lebanon and the region into a new phase of violence".

An international court had found that Hezbollah operatives were behind the 2005 killing of his father Rafic Hariri, also a former Lebanese premier.

Hezbollah began exchanging cross-border fire with Israel in support of Gaza after the war erupted there on October 7.

Israel has over the past days shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing since Monday has killed hundreds of people and displaced around a million.