'This is Beirut': Lebanese ready for peace with Israel, drinks in Tel Aviv, analyst tells 'Post'

Independent journalist and political analyst Selena Ryan, serving in the IDF, claims many Lebanese civilians desire peace with Israel and wish to visit. In a viral video with "This Is Beirut," she invited Lebanese to Tel Aviv and Jaffa, with Deputy Mayor Guy Avner stating, "it was only a matter of time before peace comes." Ryan notes that private messages reveal more support for peace than public online comments suggest, with many Lebanese, including Shiites, seeking alternatives to Hezbollah's influence. She attributes a turning point in public sentiment to the assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, after which "People realized that Hezbollah was not there to protect the Lebanese, but was there just to fulfill Iran's agenda."