hezbollah

UN Peacekeeper Killed in 2022: Main Suspect Sentenced to Death in Absentia

The military court sentenced a man to death in absentia for killing an Irish United Nations peacekeeper, a judicial official said Tuesday, after Hezbollah members were accused of involvement in the 2022 incident. Private Sean Rooney, 23, was killed and three others were wounded after a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy came under fire ...

Same Mistakes, Different Times

Lebanese history is marked by a long string of repeated missteps, errors that quietly pile up as the country resists any course correction. They’re the product of a persistent pattern of poor decisions, while entrenched political forces keep trying, in vain, to turn the tide in their favor. Today, Lebanon is repeating a familiar mistake, one ...

Thomas Barrack: When Diplomacy Moves in Circles and Lebanon Follows

Listening to Thomas Barrack, one might think Lebanon is close to redemption or on the edge of a cliff, perhaps both at once. For months now, the American special envoy has issued statements that are sometimes hopeful, sometimes threatening, often confusing, and always repetitive. With every tweet and announcement, the same message comes through: ...

Kuwait Sanctions Hezbollah’s Al-Qard Al-Hasan

In a significant move aligning with international counterterrorism frameworks, Kuwait has officially imposed sanctions on Hezbollah, its financial arm Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, and three individuals of Lebanese, Tunisian and Somali nationalities. The decision was announced Monday by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Committee for the ...

‘Dialogue’ with Hezbollah: Ensuring History Does Not Repeat Itself

One of Winston Churchill’s best-known quotes is that “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In Lebanon’s current context, the meaning is clear: if we don’t draw lessons from our recent past, we can neither navigate the present nor build any kind of future. This is especially relevant to the stance now taken by ...

The Politics of Frozen Conflicts and Their Antidotes 

Paradoxically enough, the strategic contexts throughout the Middle and Near East extending between Iran and Gaza are in a state of volatility, and none of the security issues at stake have been addressed in a conclusive manner — or were ever meant to be. After the consecutive defeats that have unraveled the strategic and political realms of ...

Hezbollah Halts University Stipends for Children of Killed Fighters

Hezbollah has informed the families of its members who were killed in battles of a new decision to halt all university education stipends for their children. Exclusive information obtained by Al Arabiya/Al Hadath reveals that Hezbollah’s “Martyr Foundation,” responsible for supporting the families of the deceased, has begun systematically ...

Israel and Hezbollah Tighten the Noose Around the Lebanese Government

President Joseph Aoun’s statement that he is holding talks with Hezbollah over its weapons and that negotiations are progressing slowly was especially noteworthy. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt’s remarks were equally notable, as he called on Hezbollah to give up its heavy weaponry, deeming it ineffective in confronting ...

Hezbollah Commander and Two Others Killed in Israeli Strikes

A Hezbollah commander and two others were killed on Saturday in two separate Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon.  Israeli drones struck late in the afternoon a house with two missiles in the town of Debaal, killing Ali Gharib and Mohammad Abboud. The strike occurred in the town square, prompting immediate response from emergency ...

Reluctant Settlements with No Preconditions

Lebanon is in a position few would envy in the current round of settlements. This situation does not stem from a government crisis, but from the dominance of a single party. Had the state itself been responsible for the decisions that brought us here, the outcome—though difficult—might have been more acceptable. Unfortunately, Lebanon is now ...

Israeli Drone Strike in Baraachit Kills One

A new targeted Israeli strike hit the southern Lebanese town of Baraachit, in the Bint Jbeil district, on Friday afternoon. At around 1 PM, an Israeli drone struck a vehicle, killing its driver — reportedly a member of Hezbollah, according to Al-Hadath media. Another individual was also reportedly wounded in the attack, according to the Ministry ...

South Lebanon’s Risky Homecoming

More than six months after the ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Beirut, tension still grips southern Lebanon. Israeli troops remain stationed in parts of the border region, even though the withdrawal deadline has passed. Yet amid the uncertainty, families are making their way back - cautiously, deliberately - to villages scarred by the ...