New Momentum Building Up, What Future Role for Anti-Hezbollah Shiites?

Joanne Naoum 11/12 13:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon

The setbacks suffered by Hezbollah in over a year of confrontations and a most devastating conflict with Israel in the past months usher in a new phase in Lebanon. The ceasefire agreement that took effect on November 27, calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the Army’s deployment in southern Lebanon, places the Iran-backed group at a ...

Counting the Costs of the Hezbollah - Israel War

Joanne Naoum 30/11 08:45 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon

Despite over 1,200 Hezbollah members killed, among them top leaders, and thousands of fighters injured, an estimated death toll of 3,961, $2.8 billion in housing costs and 99,000 housing units partially or fully destroyed, Hezbollah’s chief Naim Qassem declared “victory.” More important still is the fact that the war the Hezb launched ...

Lebanon at a Crossroads: The High-Stakes Push to Revive Resolution 1701, What of UNIFIL?

Joanne Naoum 28/11 11:25 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanese Army UNIFIL Lebanon Andrea Tenenti

Lebanon faces a critical two-month challenge as all parties work to maintain stability and implement the revived UN Security Council Resolution 1701. With reinforcement efforts underway, the focus is on translating this second chance into tangible action.  Cautious days lie ahead as UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army remain on high alert. This is ...

In Their Own Words, Journalists Testimonies in Times of War

Joanne Naoum 26/10 09:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Journalists War in Lebanon Lebanon

By a razor thin margin with danger, journalists are covering the war in Lebanon. Their courage cannot be summed up in words. Days on nights of reporting to deliver the story, convey the message and the image, and echo the voices. A wholehearted tribute to fellow journalists, some of whom share their stories and personal testimonies from times of ...

Where Have the Displaced Lebanese Fled to?

Joanne Naoum 15/10 20:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Displaced

Having fled the relentless Israeli bombardment, the displaced Lebanese find themselves on the streets, lacking basic human necessities. With the ministries doing “the best they can,” according to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, 1,000 shelters have been established. While more than a million displaced Lebanese have been reported as a ...

Hezbollah Leader’s Assassination: Lebanon at a Crossroads

Joanne Naoum 28/09 23:19 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Today marks a significant turning point for Lebanon and Hezbollah, which has suffered a devastating blow with the killing of its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, after decades of leadership in the Iran-backed group. Nasrallah and other key commanders were killed in a major Israeli airstrike targeting the group’s underground headquarters ...

Rush at Lebanese-Syrian Border as People Flee War in Lebanon

Joanne Naoum 25/09 20:47 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Photos and videos circulating across Lebanese media of long queues of cars at the Lebanese-Syrian border illustrate the exodus triggered by Israel’s ongoing massive air offensive on Lebanon. For the past few days, Lebanon has been grappling with relentless Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s strongholds amid mounting fears of an imminent ...

The Government Turning a Blind Eye to Hezbollah’s Weapon-Laden Tunnels

Joanne Naoum 27/08 16:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hassan Nasrallah

In his latest speech, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah called on the Lebanese to “rest” and “go back to their homes,” in southern Lebanon, announcing that revenge for the killing of top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shokr in an Israeli strike in Beirut’s Southern suburb had been “accomplished.” But incessant cross-border ...

Political Obstacles to Building a New Airport: A Closer Look

Joanne Naoum 15/08 22:57 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

  With Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport as Lebanon's only operational airport, the urgent need for a second airport is critical. Lebanon teeters on the brink of an all-out war, fueled by the Gaza conflict and the ongoing cross-border skirmishes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army. Should tomorrow's Doha negotiations fail to ...

The Role of Psychological Warfare on the Battlefield

Joanne Naoum 10/08 07:54 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

In times of war, the language of power dominates, with the growl of artillery filling conflict zones, leaving behind devastation and fear. Alongside physical confrontations, a non-lethal battle unfolds through "psychological propaganda". This psychological warfare wields an influence as powerful as the violence of war, impacting both military ...

Fleeing Lebanon Becomes a Costly Nightmare Amid Escalating Conflict

Joanne Naoum 06/08 20:38 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

  The war between Hezbollah and Israel has shifted gravely. The Middle East is in turmoil waiting for what seems to be a devastating all-out war. Diplomatic efforts to prevent a conflagration are relentless. Foreign embassies call on their nationals to “leave Lebanon immediately by taking any available flight.” The fear and apprehension ...

Gaza 'Support Front:' The Staggering Cost on Lebanon 

Joanne Naoum 17/07 11:19 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Palestine Hassan Nasrallah

After the July war in 2006, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah flabbergasted the Lebanese by declaring a “divine victory” against Israel. Lebanon had paid a heavy cost for this so-called “victory” with countless human losses and massive destruction, from which it took years to recover. Once again, Nasrallah disregarded the ...

Beirut’s Downtown Under Siege: Why Are the Concrete Barriers Still There?

Joanne Naoum 27/06 13:03 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Internal Security Forces

Walking through Beirut’s downtown ghost town feels surreal. Sieged from every angle, what was once a vibrant city, now resembles a prison. Yet, Downtown Beirut is reviving. New boutiques, cafes, and hotels are emerging, defying all odds, particularly in the shadow of an all-out war looming between Hezbollah and Israel. Some say this is what ...

Registration of Syrian Refugee Births... A Persisting Challenge

Joanne Naoum 20/06 13:33 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

  Syrian refugees and migrants in Lebanon, whose number is believed to have exceeded two million, compared to the Lebanese population of six million, are a hot subject of local debates. However, what is even more concerning, is the fast-growing number of unregistered Syrian births. Thirteen years have passed since the war in Syria, and yet, ...

Zouk Power Plant: Inflammable Chemicals Yet to Be Removed

Joanne Naoum 13/06 18:13 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Three years on, hazardous inflammable materials that have been stored at the Zouk Mikael thermal power plant in Keserwan have yet to be relocated. The issue is on the agenda of the caretaker government’s meeting on Friday. In the meantime, Lebanese officials are trading blame for the lack of action. Minister of the Environment Nasser Yassine ...

Why Did Hezbollah Launch an Appeal to Finance its Armament?

Joanne Naoum 07/06 14:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah did not stop at involving Lebanon unwillingly in the war against Israel “in support of Gaza”, but went as far as involving civilians in a donation campaign to finance the purchase of missiles, and the acquisition of drones to continue its fight against the Hebrew state. At war since October 8, the pro-Iranian party has broadcasted, ...

Hazardous Materials in Zouk’s Thermal Plant: Another Ticking Bomb?

Joanne Naoum 29/05 16:56 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

In 2020, while Lebanese citizens were still reeling from the devastating Beirut port explosion, alarming news surfaced about the presence of ammonium nitrate at the Zouk Mikael thermal plant factory in Keserwan, Mount Lebanon. This revelation sparked fears of another possible deadly catastrophe. Four years later, no official has been held ...

Crimes Involving Syrians Increasing amid State's Weak Capacities

Joanne Naoum 06/05 19:19 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

  Amid a national outcry about the protracted presence of displaced Syrians, compounded by calls to tighten control on their illegal residence, the rise in criminality in recent weeks involving Syrians is increasing tensions with their Lebanese hosts. The latest of these crimes occurred on Saturday (May 4) at Universal residence in Beirut, ...

Attieh to TIB: A Meeting Is Due This Afternoon With the Quintet Ambassadors

Joanne Naoum 17/04 13:29 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The National Moderation parliamentary bloc initiative is hanging by a thread. The MPs are set to meet with the ambassadors of the Quintet committee this afternoon at their headquarters in Saifi to try to find common grounds for a potential breach in the deadlock in the presidential election. "It's our last opportunity, and regardless of the ...

Berri – FPM Meetings, a Prelude to a Rapprochement?

Joanne Naoum 04/04 20:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) led by Gebran Bassil is reportedly seeking to improve relations with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, but the question of a rapprochement between the two adversaries was utterly denied by the Speaker’s circle. Nonetheless, a new dynamic in relations between the FPM and Berri’s Amal Movement was ushered in ...

Why Did Hezbollah Deploy Heavily in Dahyeh Yesterday?

Joanne Naoum 21/03 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Dahyeh

In a scene that raised concern among residents, masked and armed members of Hezbollah deployed heavily on Wednesday night in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahyeh), checking people’s identities in a move aimed at tightening control over the party’s stronghold. Security concerns are the main motive for Hezbollah’s heightened control amid its ...

Is the National Moderation Initiative Rolling Against All Odds?

Joanne Naoum 11/03 20:17 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

  The initiative that MPs of the National Moderation Bloc have been trying to sell to opposing political parties in an attempt to pave the way for the long-delayed presidential election is still under scrutiny, despite the urgency of filling the state’s top post amid Lebanon’s multiple crises. Bloc member MP Walid Baarini is hopeful ...

International Support Grows for LAF Amid Ceasefire Negotiations

Joanne Naoum 01/03 17:12 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Ceasefire Lebanese Army

  Significant international support is currently being extended to the Lebanese Army. The international community places great reliance on the institution's pivotal role and legitimacy as the sole and legal protector of the country, a sentiment shared by the majority of the Lebanese population. Diplomatic envoys have consistently advocated ...

Has the FPM-Hezbollah Relationship Entered a New Phase?

Joanne Naoum 21/02 19:39 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

FPM Gebran Bassil

In a move that brought the simmering divisions between the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and its former ally Hezbollah into the open,  former President and FPM founder Michel Aoun and the party’s current leader, MP Gebran Bassil, denounced Hezbollah’s military activities against Israel in South Lebanon. "We are not bound to Gaza by a defense ...