Lebanon

Sami Abi el-Mona Calls for Urgent Humanitarian Mobilization in Sweida

This is Beirut 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona called on Thursday for urgent humanitarian action to support the people of Sweida, who have been deeply affected by recent violent clashes. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Abi al-Mona described a dire situation in the Syrian governorate, pointing to significant civilian casualties and ...

Germs, Pollution, Junk Food: Lebanon’s Summer of All Dangers

Makram Haddad 24/07 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Pollution Germs

A Feverish Country, Citizens Out of Breath A morning like any other in Beirut. Unusual lines at the pharmacy, overwhelmed medical offices, worried parents in pediatric waiting rooms. Fever, cough, diarrhea, vomiting… For several weeks, Lebanese citizens have been falling ill. Gastroenteritis, rotavirus, summer flu, COVID and lung infections are ...

President Aoun, Mufti Derian Pledge Unity and Coordination

This is Beirut 24/07 10:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Baabda Derian Joseph Aoun Politics

President Joseph Aoun welcomed Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian and a delegation of regional muftis to the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Thursday, stressing that Lebanon has reached a “pivotal and possibly fateful crossroads.” In an atmosphere he described as both critical and sensitive, Aoun underscored that the ...

Op-edThe Middle East: Recalibrations, Fractures and a Coming Storm

Salam El Zaatari 24/07 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Israel

By now, we should know that when the Middle East falls silent, it’s rarely a good sign. As if history itself were pausing for breath, the region today is locked in what I call a “violent pause”—not peace, not war, but something infinitely more dangerous: indecision. The past six months have redrawn the map of alliances and threats, but ...

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib Dies at 84

This is Beirut 24/07 09:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Abdallah Bou Habib Foreign Minister

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib passed away at the age of 84 following a heart attack on Wednesday evening. He was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after his admission. A seasoned diplomat, trained economist, professor, and author, Bou Habib left a lasting mark on Lebanese public life through his intellectual rigor and ...

EditorialCaught Between the Hot Potato and the Pressure Cooker

Marc Saikali 24/07 08:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon United States Tom Barrack Hezbollah

Tom Barrack left exactly as he came, with the same uncertainties and delays. The American envoy must have been tearing his hair out (figuratively speaking) at the careless attitude he observed. The hot potato of disarmament has officially been passed on. “It’s an internal matter. The United States does not negotiate with an organization they ...

Geagea and Joumblatt Deliberate Syria, Ceasefire and Electoral Reform

This is Beirut 23/07 20:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Stability Peace Sovereignty Samir Geagea Lebanon Walid Joumblatt

Samir Geagea and Walid Joumblatt met for a candid discussion on Wednesday, united by a mutual commitment to Lebanon’s future. The discussion opened with an assessment of developments in neighboring Syria. Both leaders concurred that events in Damascus carry significant implications for Lebanon, and they affirmed that preserving the ...

VideosExplainer: What Shifted Between Tom Barrack’s First and Second Visits to Lebanon?

Chelsea Al Arif 23/07 19:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Washington Tom Barrack Lebanon

In the span of two weeks, Barrack first arrived promoting dialogue, then returned with warnings. This explainer breaks down what changed and why it matters for Lebanon.

VideosAugust 4: Official Commemoration Program Announced

Élie-Joe Kamel 23/07 19:25 - Reading : less than a minute

August 4 Beirut Port Explosion Commémoration Justice

Nearly five years after the Beirut port explosion, the pain knows no borders: gatherings will take place in Beirut, as well as in France, Belgium, Italy, Brazil… United in mourning, the victims’ families and the Lebanese diaspora are still demanding justice.

Macron to Host PM Salam Thursday During First France Visit

This is Beirut 23/07 18:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Emmanuel Macron France Gaza Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron will meet on Thursday at the Élysée Palace with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is making his first official visit to France. The two leaders will discuss security issues in Lebanon and the “major regional challenges,” according to an official statement published by the Élysée on Tuesday. “The ...

Bedouins, Not So Nomadic After All

Natasha Metni Torbey 23/07 16:50 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Lebanon Tribes Bedouins

Clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in Syria’s Sweida province have reignited attention on the political and militarized role of these communities. But across the border in Lebanon, another question emerges: Who are the Lebanese Bedouins? The issue takes on renewed urgency amid reports that several of them, notably from Wadi ...

ExclusiveBarrack to This is Beirut: There Is a Sense of Readiness in Lebanon Towards Normalisation with Israel

Tylia El Helou 23/07 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Tom Barrack Syria Hezbollah Israel Lebanon

As Lebanon teeters on the edge of another potential war, with Hezbollah’s arms drawing the country closer to full-scale conflict with Israel, a more existential question arises: Why does the Lebanese state continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibilities? Why is the government still unwilling, decades after the Taif Agreement, to assert ...