Hezbollah members have found a new way to finance their stay on Syrian soil instead of from Iran, which has so far provided funding for them.

The villagers in the eastern part of Hama province in northern Syria suffer from being sponsored by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia on the pretext of protecting the property of residents of the area that are mostly stolen by the militia itself.

A reporter for the Ein al-Porat network in the area said residents of the villages of Aqrab, Buja and al-Sabra suffered Lebanese Hezbollah sponsorships of up to 4,000 Syrian pounds for each family on the grounds of 'protection' against theft of power cables and transformers, in addition to protection About animals from robbers.

The funds are collected through the Mukhtar in each area and are transferred to the militia senior, Abu Safa, who lives in the village of Talda, every month, in light of the residents' complaints about the deteriorating security situation in the area.

Issam al-Hili Abu Nawas, a resident of Aqraba, says: "They see it as a guard fee but in reality, they charge the money by force of arms. Anyone who does not pay is subject to robbery and harm without a protector, and Syrian regime forces do not care."

Raed al-Salmo for his part from the village of al-Sabra says: "I do not mind paying the amount, for my trade it is better if it is protected and under the protection of Abu al-Safa, but to pay money by force of arms and threats is humiliating, and although we filed a complaint to the Syrian army, we did not receive a response."

It is worth mentioning that the forces of the Syrian regime and their allies are trying to exploit the people of the eastern rural area of Hama district by all possible means, either by stealing their property by force, or by burying mines on their lands and receiving money for their removal.