How Hezbollah's Coordination Unit Continues to Influence Lebanese Security
Ralph Atrach 06/05 20:10 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah Lebanon Amal Lebanese Army Internal Security Forces
The Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) recent raids in a southern suburb of Beirut to apprehend gunmen were coordinated with Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, a security source told This Is Beirut, highlighting the unit’s continuing influence over security measures in Lebanon. In a tense standoff Sunday, Hezbollah supporters blocked ...
Will Lebanon Repeal Its Law Criminalizing Contact With Israel?
Kaline Antoun 24/04 20:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Israel Donald Trump Washington White House
As Lebanese and Israeli officials conclude their second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington, a contradiction is becoming harder for Beirut to ignore. The state is now negotiating with Israel, while its citizens can still face prosecution for far less. Following Thursday’s meeting between Lebanese and Israeli envoys at the White House, ...
Majd Harb: 1955 Israel Boycott Law Should Be Repealed Immediately
Kaline Antoun 23/04 20:25 - Reading : less than a minute
Attorney and Legal Activist Majd Harb told This is Beirut in an exclusive interview that the 1955 Israel Boycott Law should be abolished immediately, arguing it has been misused as a political tool. He said the law is hindering economic development while exposing individuals, including journalists and business professionals, to disproportionate ...
IDF Delivers Aid to Christian Border Towns in South Lebanon
Ralph Atrach 21/04 13:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon USA Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Forces
Humitarian supplies were deposited by the Israeli Army near several Christian southern Lebanese border towns on Saturday, including Rmeish, Ain Ebel, and Debel, in a cross-border arrangement organized to avoid direct contact with Lebanese citizens, local officials told This Is Beirut. Ayoub Khreish, mayor of Ain Ebel, a border town currently on ...
After Ceasefire, South Lebanon Residents Back Negotiations for Peace
Claudia Groeling 19/04 19:25 - Reading : less than a minute
Lebanon Ceasefire South Lebanon
Residents across Nabatieh in south Lebanon voiced deep exhaustion from repeated cycles of war, stressing the need for the Lebanese state and army to restore security and stability. As talks continue, many see direct negotiations as the only viable path to lasting peace.
From War To Business Suits: What Peace with Israel Could Mean for Lebanon's Economy
Ralph Atrach 17/04 23:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Israel Nawaf Salam Gulf Hezbollah
As Lebanese and Israeli officials met face to face in Washington for the first time in decades, the war with Hezbollah dominated headlines, but the prospect of future economic ties between Jerusalem and Beirut came into view. Following the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter brought up the potential windfalls of peace. “The ...
Beirut: A Safe and Weapon-Free City
Claudia Groeling 16/04 17:10 - Reading : less than a minute
In Beirut, MPs from across political lines met to discuss declaring the capital a weapons-free city and restricting arms exclusively to state control. MP Fouad Makhzoumi: Called for army deployment in Beirut and the southern suburbs and activating coordination mechanisms to keep the capital free of weapons. MP Ghassan Hasbani: Said effective ...
Breaking The Silence: Challenging Hezbollah's Narrative Control
Ralph Atrach 15/04 14:50 - Reading : less than a minute
Displaced Lebanese civilians told This Is Beirut Hezbollah uses intimidation, disinformation, and digital manipulation, including AI-generated and fabricated media, to shape an inaccurate narrative and suppress dissent. By Ralph Atrach
Proxy, Not Priority: Iran Leaves Hezbollah on the Sidelines
Ralph Atrach 11/04 23:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon AUB Israel
As Iran and the U.S. begin negotiations in Islamabad while Israel continues its military campaign in Lebanon, analysts say Tehran is prioritizing its own interests over those of its proxy, Hezbollah. “Iran has its priorities as a state,” political analyst Ali al-Amine told This is Beirut. “Today, its main interest is to avoid a ...
Decapitation of Iranian Military and Intelligence Leadership: Timeline and Structure
Ralph Atrach 06/04 23:40 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East Tehran
Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran on February 28, a series of coordinated strikes by both countries has dramatically reshaped Iran’s military and political command structure. The U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion have systematically targeted senior Iranian officials, top advisors, ...
Why Lebanon–Israel Diplomacy Remains Frozen
Ralph Atrach 02/04 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Israel Lebanese Army Hezbollah Washington
As the U.S. signals readiness for a negotiated settlement to the regional war with Iran, a key question is resurfacing: could a broader diplomatic reset in the region revive the prospect of talks between Lebanon and Israel? Since Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war with Israel on March 2, Beirut has reiterated its willingness to enter direct talks ...
Saudi Arabia Weighs Its Position as Houthis Enter the Fray
Kaline Antoun 28/03 12:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Saudi Arabia Gulf Houthi Israel Tehran
For nearly a month, Saudi Arabia has absorbed sustained waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks on its cities and critical energy infrastructure, while maintaining a posture of calculated restraint. This comes as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement launched its first missile toward Israel on Saturday since the start of the war, ...
Lebanon Declares Iran's Ambassador Unwelcome, But Can It Make Him Leave?
Claudia Groeling 25/03 21:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Tehran United Nations
The Lebanese state has formally expelled Iran’s envoy to Beirut, its latest step to curb Tehran’s influence as the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah intensifies. On March 24, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said he had instructed his ministry to inform Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Toufiq Samadi Khoshkou, ...
Lebanon Steps Up Security Measures Amid Displacement Crisis
Ralph Atrach 24/03 18:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Nawaf Salam Achrafieh Internal Security Forces Hezbollah
Lebanese authorities have stated their intentions to increase security measures across the country following rising tensions over the ongoing conflict and a mounting displacement crisis. Tensions peaked following the government’s controversial decision to set up a camp for the displaced in the majority-Christian area of Karantina on Beirut’s ...