Amal

Amal, Hezbollah Open to Presidential Third Option, Eventually

Hezbollah was still recovering from the wounds inflicted by the Israeli cyberattack on its communications network when it suffered another devastating blow: the targeting of Dahyeh and the assassination of its highest-ranking security official, Ibrahim Aqil, commander of the elite Radwan Brigade, who was wanted by the US and France for the 1984 ...

The Shiite Duo and the Presidential Deadline Saga

According to Western diplomatic sources, the Shiite duo of Amal and Hezbollah will not break the deadlock on Lebanon's presidential elections until an American-Iranian agreement has been reached. Indeed, the MPs of the Shiite duopoly have reportedly refused to meet with the opposition delegation to discuss the initiative they launched to ...

Another Year of Presidential Vacancy in Sight

There will be no president for Lebanon for at least another year, as efforts and initiatives to break the presidential election deadlock are put on hold. A prominent leader in the opposition camp blamed the prolonged stalemate on the “Shiite duo”, Amal and Hezbollah, who managed to disrupt the efforts of the five-nation group known as the ...

The Shiite Duo: No to a President Unless…

Since the beginning of the presidential vacancy on October 31, 2022, the Shiite duo (Amal-Hezbollah) has not taken any significant steps to expedite the election of a new president. Their actions have varied from casting blank ballots to voting for Sleiman Frangieh for the first time during the 12th session on June 14, 2023, during which Frangieh ...

Insecurity in Southern Suburb: Amal and Hezb Request Army Intervention

The Amal Movement and Hezbollah claim that it is important to ensure security in Beirut's southern suburb through “official security forces and apparatuses,” following the fatal shooting of Hezbollah member Samir Kabbani. In a joint statement issued on Sunday, both parties extended condolences to the family of Samir Kabbani, head of the Madi ...

Presidency: Further Initiatives Hinge on Shiite Duo’s Position

The saga of the presidential election in Lebanon keeps unfolding with a series of initiatives that have yet to translate into tangible outcomes. The five-nation Quintet Committee (France, US, Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia) is in full swing, in parallel to Qatar's own initiative and the efforts of the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian. ...

Quintet: No President in the Foreseeable Future!

Seemingly, no positive sign regarding the potential for successive sessions to elect a president of the Republic ensued from the meeting of the Quintet ambassadors (USA, France, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) with the Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri. Furthermore, Berri did not convey any clear answer regarding the possibility of a dialogue ...

Amal-LF 'War of Words' over Municipal Elections

A controversy pits Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal Movement against the Lebanese Forces over upcoming municipal elections, which the Amal-Hezbollah duo wishes to postpone, much to the LF’s dismay. In a statement issued by their information department on Wednesday, the Lebanese Forces strongly reacted to remarks made the day before by ...

Amal Fighter Killed on Southern Front

Artillery fire exchange between Hezbollah and Israel intensified on Wednesday evening. An Amal fighter was killed in an air raid on a house in Kantara, which had been repeatedly targeted. Israel also bombed Kfar Kila, Aita al-Shaab and the outskirts of Wazzani for the second time on the same day. Earlier in the day, cattle breeders had been ...

Kataeb: A Goodwill Gesture to Facilitate the Presidential Election

The Kataeb political bureau considered that any initiative aimed at facilitating the election of a president of the Republic should be accompanied by “a goodwill gesture from those attempting to impose their will and delay the election of a president to secure their candidate,” alluding to Amal and Hezbollah. According to the Kataeb, the ...

Clashes in the South with 2 Dead from Amal

Clashes continued on Sunday afternoon in south Lebanon, where two members of the Amal movement were reportedly killed in an air raid on a house in the Chihine region. Israeli raids also hit the Jabal Blat and Yaroun areas in the central sector. The Wadi Hamoul and Labbouneh areas were bombarded with 155-mm shells. Israeli artillery also ...

A Broader Sovereigntist Opposition Front on the Horizon?

Negotiations are intensifying behind the scenes between opposition forces intending to create a broad coalition of sovereigntist forces — traditional parties as well as so-called Change MPs. This would be a large-scale national coalition, with significant political weight due to the large number of personalities who would make it up. Only the ...