Lebanon

Syria and Lebanon: Who Is Moving Forward in 2026?
AnalysisSyria and Lebanon: Who Is Moving Forward in 2026?

Salam El Zaatari 04/01 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam European Union Gulf Hezbollah Syria

Entering 2026, Syria and Lebanon stand at an inflection point along the region’s active fault line. While both nations shook off paralysis at roughly the same time a year ago, neither has become truly stable. What separates them is the nature of the risks they face in the near and medium-term as the Middle East undergoes uneasy post-war ...

Do Syria’s Former Regime Networks Really Command 168,000 Fighters?
Do Syria’s Former Regime Networks Really Command 168,000 Fighters?

This Is Beirut 03/01 00:05 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon AssadRegime AhmadAl-Sharaa

As Syria tries to stabilize after years of devastating war, a new and unsettling narrative has emerged: claims that remnants of Bashar al-Assad’s former regime command an armed force of up to 168,000 fighters, allegedly preparing for renewed confrontation. The figure, revealed through leaked documents and intercepted communications obtained ...

Lebanon Probes Syrian Anti-Sharaa Operations from Its Soil
Lebanon Probes Syrian Anti-Sharaa Operations from Its Soil

Bassam Abou Zeid 02/01 19:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon

Lebanese authorities have stepped up security measures following reports from Al Jazeera that groups loyal to the former Syrian regime may be preparing military operations against Syria’s current government from Lebanese territory. Sources say the issue is a top priority for Lebanese security agencies, particularly military intelligence. ...

Israel Shells Hezbollah Radwan Force Sites
Israel Shells Hezbollah Radwan Force Sites

This is Beirut 02/01 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Baalbeck Hezbollah Israel Saïda South Lebanon Beqaa

The Israeli army announced Friday that it carried out a series of intense air raids targeting what it described as a training complex belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, along with military buildings in southern Lebanon. In a post on the platform X, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said the strikes targeted a ...

Hezbollah Receives ‘Last-Chance Advice’ from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey to Disarm
Hezbollah Receives ‘Last-Chance Advice’ from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey to Disarm

This is Beirut 02/01 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Turkey Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Lebanese Army

Lebanese ministerial officials say Hezbollah on Wednesday received “last-chance advice” from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to hand over its weapons to Lebanon’s government, according to the Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.  According to the sources, the countries warned the militant group that failing to disarm would isolate ...

Deadlock in the Second Phase of the State Monopoly on Arms
PoliticsDeadlock in the Second Phase of the State Monopoly on Arms

Bassam Abou Zeid 2025-12-31 19:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army Disarmament United States

By the last day of 2025, the Lebanese government was expected to have completed the disarmament of Hezbollah nationwide, following a decision made at a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on August 5. The official statement tasked the Lebanese Army with drawing up an operational plan to restore the monopoly of weapons exclusively to the ...

Ahead of 2026, Washington's Tougher Terms for Lebanon
Ahead of 2026, Washington's Tougher Terms for Lebanon

Amal Chmouny 2025-12-31 17:10 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Washington Donald Trump Lebanese Army Amal

Heading into 2026, U.S. engagement in Lebanon has become explicitly conditioned on measurable progress toward Hezbollah’s disarmament, marking a clear break from the strategic ambiguity that long defined Washington’s approach. The aftermath of the 2024 Israel–Hezbollah conflict, alongside Lebanon’s deepening economic and political crises, ...

Israel Prepares for “Days of Fighting” Along the Lebanese Border
Israel Prepares for “Days of Fighting” Along the Lebanese Border

This is Beirut 2025-12-31 17:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Hezbollah

Israel is preparing for possible “days of fighting” along the Lebanese border, as the deadline set by the U.S. for the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025 expires on Wednesday, Israeli media reported. The U.S. news site Axios, citing American officials, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the ...

Fatah Hands Over Weapons to LAF in Ain al-Hilweh
Fatah Hands Over Weapons to LAF in Ain al-Hilweh

This is Beirut 2025-12-30 12:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Fatah Lebanon Joseph Aoun Palestine Mahmoud Abbas

Members of the Fatah movement on Tuesday handed over their weapons to the Lebanese Army (LAF) from the movement’s center in Jabal al-Halib, located on the outskirts of the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the Saida district of southern Lebanon. The LAF deployed in the vicinity of the handover site and reinforced security measures to ...

Trump, Netanyahu Signal Hard Line on Lebanon as Hezbollah Disarmament Takes Center Stage
Trump, Netanyahu Signal Hard Line on Lebanon as Hezbollah Disarmament Takes Center Stage

This is Beirut 2025-12-30 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Trump Hezbollah Netanyahu Lebanon USIsrael

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a tougher stance toward Hezbollah following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in Florida, warning that the group is “behaving badly” and stressing that efforts to disarm it remain a central focus of U.S. policy toward Lebanon. Speaking after the meeting at his ...

Peace with Israel: Lebanon's Path to Economic Revival
Op-edPeace with Israel: Lebanon's Path to Economic Revival

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 2025-12-30 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel United Arab Emirates Baalbeck Bahrain

An unconditional peace treaty with Israel, inspired by the Abraham Accords' success, could reduce Lebanon’s security risks, unlock billions in foreign investments, revive trade, agriculture, and services, and create jobs—offering economic salvation while preserving Lebanon’s support of Palestinians.  Normalization could boost Lebanon’s ...

After the Vote: Exposing the Gap Law’s Broken Promises
ExplainerAfter the Vote: Exposing the Gap Law’s Broken Promises

Claudia Groeling 2025-12-29 19:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam International Monetary Fund Lebanon Banque du Liban Gap Law Banks

Lebanon’s cabinet on December 19 approved one of the most controversial pieces of legislation since the country’s financial collapse in 2019, adopting the so-called “Gap Law” in a narrow vote that has reignited public anger and raised serious concerns among economists, legal experts, and international observers. Backed by 13 ministers ...

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