Beautiful Image Of The President!
Bassam Abou Zeid 04/10 17:59 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
This discussion centers on the photograph featuring Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. Their call for the election of a president overlooks Jumblatt's timeless question: A president to lead the Republic—but where to? The decision to separate the presidential election ...
Israeli Assassination Tactics
Bassam Abou Zeid 29/09 14:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A careful analysis of the assassinations carried out by Israel against Hezbollah's leadership—particularly Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah—reveals that these operations are based on highly accurate intelligence. The failure rate of these missions has been notably low. For instance, an attempt on Ali Karaki in the southern suburbs ...
Le Drian’s Visit to Beirut: No New Initiatives in Sight
Bassam Abou Zeid 25/09 09:51 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Egypt France Hezbollah Israel Jean-Yves Le Drian
The French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, did not introduce any new initiatives regarding the presidential election during his current visit to Beirut. There was no proposal or roadmap to move the electoral dossier forward. Those who met with him noted that he merely urged them to elect a president as soon as possible, stressing ...
Hezbollah Confronted by Israeli Intelligence Superiority
Bassam Abou Zeid 21/09 17:08 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Al-Radwan Force Fouad Shokr Hezbollah Ibrahim Aqil
Israeli military operations targeting Hezbollah have clearly shown that Israeli intelligence, particularly the Mossad, is capable of infiltrating Hezbollah on both human and technological levels. This level of infiltration has made assassination attempts and bombings successful, as demonstrated by the assassination of military commander Fouad ...
The Pager Operation: Key Details and Pressing Questions
Bassam Abou Zeid 18/09 14:57 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
explosion Hezbollah intelligence
Without firing a single shot, Israel managed to remove thousands of Hezbollah fighters from the battlefield in southern Lebanon. Some will be out of action for days, others for months, while some may never return to combat or their duties due to the severity of their injuries, which could permanently prevent them from resuming their ...
Le Drian Contacts Hochstein Before Visiting Beirut
Bassam Abou Zeid 17/09 19:49 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Amos Hochstein BEIRUT Jean-Yves Le Drian
According to French diplomatic sources, French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian will arrive in Beirut early next week for a visit of up to three days. This visit represents a renewed push to urge Lebanese leaders to elect a president before the United States elections on November 5. Furthermore, “Lebanon should not wait for the outcome of ...
Leaflets Over Wazzani Create Stir in Lebanon and Israel
Bassam Abou Zeid 16/09 08:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
On Sunday, the Lebanese population was caught up in reports about leaflets supposedly dropped by an Israeli drone over the Wazzani and Ghajar areas. The leaflets, addressed to "residents and displaced persons" in the refugee camps, instructed them to evacuate their homes immediately and move north to the region of Khiam by 4 PM, warning them not ...
Landing in Masyaf: No Confirmation from Israel, No Denial from Syria
Bassam Abou Zeid 15/09 08:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Neither Israel nor Syria has confirmed nor denied Western reports of a landing operation carried out by Israeli special forces in Masyaf, Syria. The operation allegedly targeted the Scientific Studies and Research Center facilities during the night of September 8-9. However, residents in the Tartous region reported hearing helicopters flying ...
Quintet Sets Deadline for Presidential Election Before 2025
Bassam Abou Zeid 13/09 16:57 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian will reportedly visit Beirut at the end of September to continue his efforts related to the presidential election. This tour is part of his coordination with the Quintet (comprising the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt). It follows recent meetings with Saudi advisor Nizar ...
Major Israeli Military Operation in South Lebanon Still an Option
Bassam Abou Zeid 12/09 15:13 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
From now until the US elections on November 5, all eyes will be on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who may decide to expand military operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, coinciding with the first anniversary of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" attack on October 7. Information from the US capital indicates that the Israeli army has ...
A Broader UN Resolution Than 1701 Is Required for a South Settlement
Bassam Abou Zeid 08/09 14:29 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affaires Abdallah Bou Habib made a statement suggesting that Israel might not stop its military operations in southern Lebanon, even if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. In an interview with Al Jazeera English, the foreign minister based his remarks on statements from Israeli officials and messages conveyed to Lebanon ...
Quintet Ambassadors to Meet on September 14
Bassam Abou Zeid 06/09 07:01 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The Quintet Committee, which includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and Egypt is not expected to launch any initiative before the second half of September. This has become clear based on information indicating that the meeting between French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian and Nizar al-Alaoula, an advisor to the Saudi Royal ...
Presidential Election: French Efforts to Promote FL Acceptance of Dialogue Proposal
Bassam Abou Zeid 04/09 14:03 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Recent discussions have highlighted a renewed push by the Quintet – consisting of the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar and Egypt – to break the deadlock in the Lebanese presidential election. If confirmed, this initiative would currently be carried out on two levels: Saudi and French. Particular attention has been drawn to ...
EDL Seeks Diesel Instead of Algerian Fuel Oil Due to Specification Issues
Bassam Abou Zeid 27/08 14:01 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The Algerian ship carrying 30,000 tons of fuel oil, valued at $18 million, as a donation from the Algerian authorities for Lebanon’s electricity sector, is expected to arrive off the coast of Tripoli's oil facilities. However, a last-minute issue has arisen: Can these quantities of fuel oil be used in the Zouk and Jiyeh power ...
ROSNEFT Abandons Project to Develop Tripoli Facilities
Bassam Abou Zeid 26/08 18:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
ROSNEFT has abandoned its contract to develop oil storage facilities in Tripoli, which were supposed to stock 450,000 tons of petroleum derivatives. The contract, signed in January 2019 under the sponsorship of then-Minister of Energy Cesar Abi Khalil, had a lifespan of 20 years and required an investment of $30 to $50 million to set the project ...
Electricity: Political and Financial Corruption
Bassam Abou Zeid 20/08 14:41 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The claims made by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati during his recent visit to Iraq—that Iraqi fuel would easily resume its flow to Lebanon's power plants—do not match the current reality in the electricity sector. The power plants in Deir Ammar and Zahrani have ceased production, and it has become clear that the Iraqis remain ...
Open War in Lebanon Hinges on Gaza and Tel Aviv
Bassam Abou Zeid 17/08 13:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
During closed-door discussions with international envoys, notably American and French officials, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati clearly conveyed his inability to stop the conflict in the south or de-escalate the mounting tensions. He emphasized that his efforts are limited to relaying messages to Hezbollah and urging restraint. However, the ...
Israel Proposes a 6-Month Renewal of UNIFIL's Mandate
Bassam Abou Zeid 15/08 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
There has been a proposal to renew the mandate for the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) south of the Litani river for six months instead of one year. This is the first time — since Resolution 425 was adopted on March 19, 1978, establishing the UNIFIL forces and since Resolution 1701 was passed on August 12, 2006, strengthening ...
Hezbollah vs Netanyahu: Washington Seeks to Avert Full-Blown War
Bassam Abou Zeid 10/08 12:08 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib are trying to navigate a middle ground between Hezbollah and the international community. However, since October 8, they have found themselves in a difficult position. Hezbollah’s decisions are indeed driven not just by the Lebanese scene but also ...
Sinwar's Appointment: Extremism and War in Gaza and Lebanon
Bassam Abou Zeid 07/08 11:02 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Qatar and Egypt have concluded that achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza strip may be unattainable at this stage, given Benjamin Netanyahu’s continued leadership of the Israeli government and Hamas’ appointment of Yehya Sinwar as its political bureau chief. Consequently, ending the so-called “supporting war,” particularly from ...
Scenarios for Iran’s Retaliation: Will Hezbollah Attack a Settlement?
Bassam Abou Zeid 05/08 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Military sources are exploring numerous scenarios regarding Iran’s retaliation as well as its proxies’ in the region in response to Israel's assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr. According to these sources, this time around, these players are not seeking a merely ...
Full-Scale War Scenarios Are Taking Shape
Bassam Abou Zeid 31/07 19:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
All efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and south Lebanon have unraveled following two recent Israeli attacks: one targeting Hezbollah in the southern suburbs, where they struck the party's military commander, Fouad Shokr, and another targeting Hamas with the assassination of the head of its political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in ...
Hezbollah’s Drone to Karish: Mere Reconnaissance or Attempted Attack?
Bassam Abou Zeid 27/07 13:36 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
The Israeli army announced shooting down a drone coming from Lebanon over the Israeli maritime economic zone where oil and gas wells are located, notably the Karish field. Israel continues to extract gas and oil from this field despite the ongoing war in Gaza and southern Lebanon. According to the Israelis, the destruction of this drone was ...
Sustainable Solution, Fate of Hezbollah’s Arsenal, Key to South Settlement
Bassam Abou Zeid 25/07 18:23 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
In the escalating conflict with Israel, Hezbollah is gearing up on two fronts. Recently, the Shiite group carried out a reconnaissance operation of the Israeli Air Force base at Ramat David in northern Israel. The move signaled Hezbollah’s readiness to broaden the conflict and target additional sensitive locations within Israel if escalation ...
Mikati’s Empty Promises to Iraq as Debts Pile up
Bassam Abou Zeid 22/07 21:38 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
During his visit to Iraq, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his delegation did not provide concrete assurances about settling Lebanon’s financial obligations to Iraq for the fuel and gas oil conversion deal with Lebanon’s public power provider, Electricité du Liban (EDL). Instead, Mikati merely outlined the current ...
Dialogue Advocates Decline Opposition Meeting
Bassam Abou Zeid 20/07 16:17 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Opposition circles were puzzled by Hezbollah and Amal Movement MPs postponing the scheduled Friday meeting with opposition MPs to discuss ideas for completing the presidential election, without providing reasons for the delay. An opposition MP said: "How can Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah call for dialogue on the presidential election while ...
UNIFIL: Mandate Renewal and Freedom of Movement South of the Litani
Bassam Abou Zeid 16/07 16:59 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) is to be renewed in August, on the basis that the multinational force has a crucial role in ensuring the implementation of Resolution 1701, once a long-term settlement is achieved on the border with Israel, diplomatic sources maintain. Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs ...
Crisis with Iraq Poised to Escalate
Bassam Abou Zeid 13/07 13:33 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Tensions between Lebanon and Iraq are intensifying due to Lebanon's failure to fulfill its financial obligations under the diesel supply agreement for Electricité du Liban. Lebanese authorities, including the caretaker prime minister, the ministry of energy, and the ministry of finance, have been perceived as expecting Iraq to provide fuel ...
Vatican's Limited Political Influence on Christians
Bassam Abou Zeid 07/07 14:53 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
An assessment of the situation of Christians in Lebanon, clearly points to divergence in visions between the Vatican and Lebanese political Christian forces, leading to the conclusion that the Christian presence in Lebanon is on the line. Sources monitoring the Vatican's move towards Lebanon assert that the Holy See finds itself limited in its ...
The Opposition's Voice Goes Unheard by the Shiite Duo
Bassam Abou Zeid 03/07 18:09 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The opposition forces’ actions and stances have been calling for an immediate ceasefire in southern Lebanon and the urgent election of a president, all while being in a state of anticipation. According to sources within the parliamentary opposition, Lebanon's ongoing war and the looming threat of its escalation require immediate parliamentary ...