Hassan Nasrallah

Hezbollah’s Rickety Rifles: From Strength to Mockery

In the wake of the recent war with Israel, Hezbollah has entered a new phase, prompting a shift in many of its long-held convictions, most notably its attachment to weapons as a bargaining chip. What was once upheld as a symbol of dignity and pride, described by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as a divine mission, is now the subject of ...

Complaint Against Naim Qassem Puts Lebanese Judiciary to the Test

The complaint, lodged Wednesday by lawmakers and members of the Sovereignist Front, comes after an August 19 meeting during which several parliamentarians and political figures announced their intention to take legal action against Qassem and refer the case to the Court of Cassation. They argue that Qassem’s August 15 statement warning that ...

The Stages of Naim Qassem’s Grief

A clear separation is emerging between Naim Qassem and Hezbollah, or even between various factions within the party and its wider base of supporters, following the absence of a central figure like Hassan Nasrallah, which has undermined decision-making and centralized authority. Historically, Qassem played a secondary role within Hezbollah, ...

When Hezbollah Clings to a Perpetual State of War

In the aftermath of one of Hezbollah’s many aimless wars in recent years, a senior figure within the pro-Iranian party delivered a speech categorizing the Lebanese people into four groups: the “noblest” – party members and loyalists who, in his words, are “resisting the occupation,” those who “collaborate with the enemy,” those who ...

Ex-Bodyguard of Nasrallah Killed in Israeli Strike in Iran

A former bodyguard for Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah, was killed Saturday in an Israeli strike in Iran, according to an official from the Tehran-backed militant group. Hussein Khalil, commonly known as Abu Ali and nicknamed Nasrallah’s “shield”, was killed in Iran near the Iraqi border, the ...

Al-Qard al-Hassan: The Bank that Dodges Bombs but Not Audits

Al-Qard al-Hassan, a financial institution linked to Hezbollah and operating through 34 branches in areas controlled by the militia, has recently drawn attention for its role in the group’s financial operations. The Israeli think tank Alma Research and Education Center, which focuses on security issues in northern Israel, has provided ...

Abbas Visit Ends Cairo Pact’s Legacy, Joint Statement Set for Action

President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent visit to Lebanon is unlike any before it, neither in symbolism nor substance. Local and regional dynamics have been upended. What held true before September 2024 and even during the turbulent months that followed in Lebanon and Syria, no longer applies in 2025. Abbas in Beirut: A Break from the Past This visit ...

UK Charity Under Scrutiny for Alleged Hezbollah Ties

Since Saturday, the names of Hussein Harake and Zeinab Basma have been at the center of a growing controversy in the United Kingdom. The pair—Harake, a former British Airways security employee at Heathrow Airport, and Basma, an NHS doctor—are accused of raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for Lebanon through a group alleged to have ties to ...

New Revelations on Nasrallah’s Assassination

The pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat published fresh revelations Monday about the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the late Secretary General of Hezbollah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27, 2024. According to the report, Israel carried out the high-stakes operation without prior coordination with the United States, ...

Gold Rush for Nasrallah-Themed Memorabilia

Since the assassination of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a gold rush of sorts has swept through Beirut’s southern suburb, with a surge in demand for items bearing his image. Books, medallions, and even gold coins and bars are flying off the shelves. According to information obtained by This is Beirut, local ...

From Firepower to Billboards: The Evolution of "May 7"

It’s striking how much Hezbollah’s projection of power has changed over the years. Once firmly gripping Lebanon’s state institutions, the party sought to assert dominance over the entire political spectrum—often by force. There was a time when Hezbollah stormed Beirut with weapons and fire, burned down the TV studios of its political ...

Banners Proclaiming 'A New Era for Lebanon' Burned Just Hours After Installation 

Barely installed, already in flames. The banners bearing the slogan “A New Era for Lebanon,” unveiled on Thursday along the road leading to Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, survived only a few hours. By Friday morning, photos circulating on social media showed the signs reduced to ashes—targets of a deliberate act of ...