No-State Zones in Lebanon: Hezbollah’s Parallel State in Southern Lebanon and Beirut’s Southern Suburbs (3/3)
Natasha Metni Torbey 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah South Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah Dahyeh Israel
Two flags still fly side by side on some hills in southern Lebanon: The Lebanese flag and Hezbollah’s yellow flag. The first symbolizes a weakened state, the second a parallel power that has filled the void left by the Republic. Here, official authority often ends where the Shia group’s control begins. A Fully Administered Territory From the ...
Hezbollah’s Resurgent Arsenal: Borders, Ports, and Clandestine Workshops
Natasha Metni Torbey 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah Lebanese Army UN Security Council United Nations Baalbeck
Warnings mount over Hezbollah’s rearmament. After years of focus on Iranian financial backing, Washington and Tel Aviv are increasingly concerned about how quickly Lebanon’s Shia movement is rebuilding its arsenal. A Wall Street Journal investigation published Thursday found that Hezbollah, far from adhering to the November 2024 ceasefire ...
No-State Zones in Lebanon: The Bekaa and the Shadow of the Clans (2/3)
Natasha Metni Torbey 31/10 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Baalbeck Damascus Hezbollah United Nations Baalbeck
Along the road from Zahleh to Hermel, portraits of former clan leaders, imams, and martyrs adorn the buildings, set among auto repair shops and fields of cannabis. In this fertile valley, crossed by the Orontes River and framed by the Anti-Lebanon mountains, the state’s presence gradually fades as the road stretches north. In the Bekaa, clan ...
No-State Zones in Lebanon: Palestinian Camps and Unresolved Sovereignty (1/3)
Natasha Metni Torbey 30/10 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The killing of Elio Abou Hanna, a 24-year-old Lebanese man shot overnight Saturday to Sunday in Shatila by members of a Palestinian faction, has reignited a debate Lebanon has never truly resolved: a chronic issue of areas where the state no longer holds authority. Elio was shot while sitting behind the wheel of his car. A camp official described ...
Lebanon’s Prisons Buckle Under Inmate Surge
Natasha Metni Torbey 27/10 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Stepping into Roumieh Prison in Matn, one might mistake it for a transit camp rather than a facility meant to enforce sentences. Built to hold 1,000 to 1,200 inmates, it now houses nearly 4,000 - more than triple its intended capacity. The national situation is equally grim. Human Rights Watch reports that Lebanon’s prison system officially has ...
Clearfield's Mechanism: Remaking Peace, Once Again
Natasha Metni Torbey 24/10 18:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Mechanism Joseph Clearfield ceasefire Lebanon
Same story, same players. After every lull along the southern border, the same words return, the same statements roll out, the same diplomats spring into action, each convinced that this time, “it’s different.” We hear about a “gradual de-escalation plan,” a “monitoring mechanism,” a “return to the core resolutions.” Earnest ...
August 4, 2020: Key Developments in the Grechushkin Case
Natasha Metni Torbey 23/10 17:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Port explosion Lebanon Justice Bulgaria Igor Grechushkin Tarek Bitar
There are renewed signs of progress in the investigation into the Beirut port explosion of August 4, 2020. Two judicial tracks are taking shape: that of investigating judge Tarek Bitar, still mired in the legal actions brought against him, and that of Igor Grechushkin, the presumed owner of the Rhosus, currently detained in Bulgaria. Meanwhile, ...
Lebanon 2019: Behind a Programmed Revolution (2/2)
Natasha Metni Torbey 22/10 12:30 - Reading : 11 minute(s)
Central Bank of Lebanon Free Patriotic Movement Amal Banks
Lebanon has an exceptionally dense civil society sector. Hundreds of local NGOs receive funding from international organizations such as the European Union, various United Nations agencies, private foundations like Ford, Rockefeller and Open Society, as well as contributions from the diaspora. Most of this funding is fully declared, independently ...
Lebanon 2019: Behind a Programmed Revolution (1/2)
Natasha Metni Torbey 17/10 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Covid-19 Ukraine Lebanon revolution October 17
Six years have passed since the October 2019 uprising, an upheaval whose effects continue to heavily weigh on Lebanon. In just a few days, the country appeared to unite against a political class widely seen as corrupt and incapable of averting the looming economic collapse. This surge of public anger culminated in the resignation of Saad ...
Disarming Hamas: How Could Gaza Be Demilitarized?
Natasha Metni Torbey 15/10 20:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Hamas Palestine Donald Trump Israel Turkey
The peace plan co-signed on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh by US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey raises a crucial question: How would Hamas be disarmed? The Trump plan lays out a stark reality: Gaza must be demilitarized. To achieve this, a stabilization force will need to be created. On paper, the plan seems ...
Syrian Prisoners in Lebanon: One of Many Unresolved Cases
Natasha Metni Torbey 15/10 16:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus Syria Lebanon Prisons
A high-level Syrian delegation arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to address a long-neglected issue in strained bilateral relations: the case of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons. Officially, the meeting aimed to finalize a judicial agreement to organize the transfer of Syrian nationals incarcerated in Lebanon back to Syria within a legal framework ...
'Northern Shield:' Deep Beneath the Border, a Hunt for the Tunnels of Death
Natasha Metni Torbey 12/10 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah UNIFIL South Lebanon
A siren pierces the cold southern Lebanese night. Peacekeepers cross the Blue Line, weapons and detectors in hand. Beneath their feet, invisible and silent, tunnels snake for hundreds of meters, potential routes for stealth incursions or kidnappings. It’s December 2018. Israel is about to launch Operation “Northern Shield,” a systematic hunt ...
Waste Crisis: Heading Back to the 2015 Chaos?
Natasha Metni Torbey 09/10 15:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The shadow of Lebanon’s 2015 waste crisis loomed briefly over the country once again. On Tuesday morning, Ramco trucks halted waste collection across Mount Lebanon, Keserwan and Beirut after the Jdeideh landfill abruptly closed in the early hours. Intervention from the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), which ordered the temporary ...
How Much Do Iran’s Proxies Really Cost?
Natasha Metni Torbey 07/10 10:00 - Reading : 9 minute(s)
A US Treasury delegation has begun a series of meetings in Beirut with the Central Bank, several commercial banks, and government officials. The mission’s goal is straightforward: to assess how effectively sanctions meant to curb Hezbollah’s financing are being enforced on the ground. This timing of the visit is significant. On September ...
Juvenile Detention in Lebanon: Roumieh to Warwar
Natasha Metni Torbey 03/10 15:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Internal Security Forces prisons juveniles Lebanon
Juvenile detainees in Lebanon are generally between 12 and 18 years old. Some are arrested for minor offenses, such as stealing a phone or reasons linked to homelessness, while others face more serious charges related to organized crime or national security. For years, these children shared the daily life of adult inmates at Roumieh, Lebanon’s ...
Hezbollah vs. the State: A Sisyphus Moment at Raouche
Natasha Metni Torbey 26/09 15:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Amal Israel Government
In a bold display of power that lays bare Lebanon’s fragile balance of forces, Hezbollah flouted every law and directive, trampling both state decisions and promises to its own allies. On Thursday evening, despite an explicit ban from Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, the Pigeon Rock in Raouche, an iconic national and tourist landmark, was ...
The End of an Era: Hezbollah Without Its Anchor
Natasha Metni Torbey 26/09 12:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Lebanon Israel
September 27, 2024, marked a turning point for Hezbollah. At 6:30 PM, a powerful shockwave tore through Beirut’s southern suburb and its surroundings, but the deeper tremor was political. In a matter of seconds, the “Party of God” entered free fall. Hassan Nasrallah, the movement’s towering figure, its uncontested leader and the symbol of ...
Rebuilding to Restore Control? Hezbollah’s $3 Billion Gamble
Natasha Metni Torbey 25/09 15:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Israel
Three billion dollars. That is the amount estimated by Hezbollah for the reconstruction of war-torn areas through its Waad project and the Jihad al-Bina association. Yet such a figure immediately raises questions. The group is widely believed to be strapped for cash—squeezed by US sanctions and by a land, air and sea blockade meant to choke off ...
Syrians Leaving Lebanon: How Many Still Remain?
Natasha Metni Torbey 17/09 18:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Baalbeck United Nations Syrians UNHCR Lebanon
Since January 2025, more than 238,000 Syrians have left Lebanon for their home country, according to updated figures from the General Security Directorate as of September 11. On that day alone, an estimated 280 to 300 refugees crossed into Syria through the Masnaa border crossing, traveling in a convoy of ten buses and ten trucks loaded with their ...
The Incredible Pagers Affair: The Shadow Behind the Explosion
Natasha Metni Torbey 17/09 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah Beirut
September 17, 2024, 3:30 p.m. Like so many other dates, this one once again thrust Lebanon into the unexpected. In an almost everyday silence, thousands of small devices, pagers, and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah forces exploded almost simultaneously. A deafening roar, flames erupting from offices, vehicles, and command centers. Dozens killed, ...
Key Takeaways from Ortagus’ Visit to Lebanon
Natasha Metni Torbey 08/09 16:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon États-Unis Morgan Ortagus Brad Cooper Israel
Several points stand out from US Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus’ security-focused tour in Lebanon on Sunday. The visit took place as Lebanon reaffirmed its state authority and its monopoly over arms. Ortagus attended a meeting of the Ceasefire Supervision Committee in Ras Naqoura alongside CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper. Following an ...
Council of Ministers: A Moment of Truth on Disarmament
Natasha Metni Torbey 05/09 13:45 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Amal Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Lebanon Disarmament Council of Ministers
The Council of Ministers will meet today to examine the Lebanese Army’s plan for militia disarmament. Despite the uncertainty, three points are clear before the session: the meeting will take place, ministers from the Shia duo will attend, and the army’s plan will be formally submitted to the government. However, serious doubts remain that ...
Underwater Archaeology in Lebanon: Exploring Origins and Unveiling Discoveries
Natasha Metni Torbey 22/08 14:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
At the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years, Lebanon holds a largely unexplored underwater heritage. Behind the beauty of ancient wrecks lie pressing geopolitical stakes, alarming environmental concerns and a troubling lack of legal oversight. Safeguarding these submerged riches means charting a course through maritime law, disputed ...
Beirut Port, Five Years On: Has the Investigation Stalled or Is Justice Moving Forward?
Natasha Metni Torbey 03/08 19:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Justice Tarek Bitar Lebanon August 4 2020
Five long years. Five years since the explosion on August 4, 2020, that mushroom-shaped cloud that swallowed the capital, crushed hundreds of lives, and left a nation in shock. Yet in Beirut, life has gone on as if nothing happened. As if more than 240 people had not died, as if over 7,000 had not been wounded, and as if the country were not ...
From Strategy to Reality: What Will It Take to Disarm Hezbollah?
Natasha Metni Torbey 01/08 15:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Hezbollah United Nations European Union Internal Security Forces Israel
The question of disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon, long a political taboo, is now back at the heart of both political and diplomatic discussions. This shift comes amid mounting international pressure and a changing balance of power in the region. Although the topic remains deeply divisive within Lebanon’s political class, experts believe there are ...
Who Owns a Sunken Treasure?
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
As advances in underwater exploration technologies open new horizons for archaeological research, the legal status of submerged heritage in Lebanese waters is becoming increasingly pressing. Who holds rightful ownership of an ancient shipwreck discovered off the coast of Byblos? What legal framework governs treasures found within Lebanon’s ...
The Silent War Over Lebanon’s Underwater Heritage
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Geopolitical instability in the region does not end at the water’s edge – it extends below the surface, into Lebanon’s territorial waters. Maritime border disputes, particularly with Israel around Block 9 in the south, involve more than contested gas fields; they also threaten the preservation of invaluable cultural heritage. Any discovery ...
1957: A Crash, Gold and Shadows of Mystery
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:25 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Beirut International Airport Kuwait Lebanese Army United Kingdom
This is the story of the Curtiss C-46 operated by Air Liban, which crashed off the coast of Beirut in 1957 with around 30 passengers on board. According to witness accounts and expert testimony, the aircraft was transporting a shipment of gold estimated between 400 and 450 kilograms, bound for Kuwait. While the crash itself raises questions, what ...
Exploring and Excavating Underwater Heritage
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:25 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Before any underwater excavation begins, one fundamental question must be answered: Should the findings be brought to the surface? “In some cases – particularly when dealing with a submerged city – preserving the site’s integrity means leaving everything untouched,” explains marine biology expert Marcos Hado. “But when valuable ...
Lebanon’s Hidden Underwater Mysteries
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:20 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
An entire city, named Saidoun, emerged from the depths: monumental walls, sacred chambers, freshwater wells, marble slabs and massive stone blocks dating back to around 1370 BCE, nearly 4,000 years ago. To this day, this excavation remains one of the most significant breakthroughs in the underwater exploration of southern Lebanon. Yet, since then, ...