This is Beirut - Hezbollah

Hezbollah’s Rickety Rifles: From Strength to Mockery

Johnny Kortbawi, 02/09 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Israel Lebanon weapons

In the wake of the recent war with Israel, Hezbollah has entered a new phase, prompting a shift in many of its long-held convictions, most notably its attachment to weapons as a bargaining chip. What was once upheld as a symbol of dignity and pride, described by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as a divine mission, is now the subject of ...

Diplomatic Maneuvering and Political Uncertainty: Lebanon Under International Pressure

This is Beirut, 02/09 16:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Disarmament Jean-Yves Le Drian Morgan Ortagus US France

Lebanon is preparing to host two senior envoys in the coming days as its government readies a crucial Cabinet session on September 5. French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian and US diplomat Morgan Ortagus return to Beirut to revive talks on security, disarmament and reconstruction. Appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Le Drian is ...

Lebanon and Syria to Form Committees to Address Prisoners, Missing Persons, and Border Issues

This is Beirut, 02/09 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Hezbollah lebanon Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa MTV

Lebanon and Syria are set to establish two joint committees to tackle three major issues affecting relations between the two countries, judicial and security officials said, according to the Associated Press. The committees will focus on the fate of nearly 2,000 Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanese prisons, locating Lebanese citizens who ...

Post-Berri Speech: Would Iran Use Hezbollah’s Weapons in Nuke Negotiations?

Philippe Abi-Akl, 02/09 11:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Forces Israel Lebanese Army Tehran

Without ceremony or pomp, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri buried the American proposal brought to Lebanon by envoy Tom Barrack, a plan already endorsed by the Lebanese government. In a televised address marking the 47th anniversary of Imam Musa al-Sadr’s disappearance with his two companions, Berri declared, “We are open to ...

Abbas Determined to Withdraw All Palestinian Weapons from Lebanon

This is Beirut, 01/09 22:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Palestinian Camps Disarmament Hezbollah Palestine Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday that his leadership is determined to withdraw all Palestinian weapons from Lebanon, calling the step essential to the country’s security and sovereignty. In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Abbas confirmed that he had reached an understanding with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on carrying out the ...

UNIFIL Exit: Organizing the Withdrawal of 10,000 Peacekeepers from Southern Lebanon

Soumia Benmerzoug, 01/09 20:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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On August 28, the UN Security Council voted to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026. After nearly half a century of presence in southern Lebanon, the 10,000 peacekeepers will be required to withdraw in 2027. The operation will be complex – logistically, militarily and diplomatically. How ...

Lebanon, UNIFIL, and the Return of Sovereignty and Peace

David Hale , 01/09 18:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon UNIFIL Israel Hezbollah Iran

There was a real possibility earlier this summer that the United States was going to veto the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate in August. Ultimately, a wiser course prevailed, when the UN Security Council extended UNIFIL's mandate "for a final time" last week until the end of 2026. This step is a positive one for everyone concerned except ...

Disarming Militias: Time for Lebanon to Assert a Firm Stance?

Élie-Joe Kamel, 01/09 17:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanese Forces Amal Hezbollah Israel United States

Lebanon is entering a critical week as the Cabinet prepares to meet on Friday, September 5. During the session, the army’s plan to disarm militias – most notably Hezbollah – is expected to be presented. The meeting comes amid mounting pressure from Israel and the United States, deep internal divisions and a so-called “consensus” ...

Bolton: Disarming Hezbollah Is Key to Middle East Peace

This is Beirut, 01/09 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Middle East UN Security Council Israel John Bolton

In an article to the Telegraph on Sunday, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned that Lebanon faces an existential choice: emerge from decades of war or again fall into civil conflict and terrorist domination. He argued that Israel’s strikes against Iran and its proxies following Hamas’s October 7 attack give Lebanon a chance ...

Seeking Regional Leaders with Sadat’s Vision

Michel Touma, 01/09 08:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hamas Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Iran

Clothes do not make the man – a saying that fits today’s leaders of Iran’s radical factions, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Tehran’s proxies in Iraq and Yemen. They issue routine inflammatory statements and adopt media stances that are often exaggerated, sometimes bordering on the absurd. In response to the upheavals sweeping the region, they ...

Berri Reiterates Call for Dialogue, Defense Strategy

This is Beirut, 31/08 16:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Nabih Berri Lebanon Mousa Sadr

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri marked on Sunday the 47th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr with a speech that emphasized time and his call for dialogue on a national defense strategy and the future of arms. This is a key demand of Hezbollah, which rejects the government’s plan to establish a state monopoly over weapons. His ...

Army Intelligence Arrests Majdel Zoun Men Blocking UNIFIL Patrol

This is Beirut, 31/08 14:40 - Reading : less than a minute

UNIFIL Lebanon Hezbollah Patrol Tyre

Army intelligence arrested three young men from Majdel Zoun in the Tyre district on Sunday after they prevented a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol from passing through the town. Such obstructions have become increasingly common, often carried out by supporters of Hezbollah, complicating UNIFIL’s mission to monitor and ...

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