This is Beirut - Hezbollah

UAE Announces Reopening of Embassy in Beirut

This is Beirut, 24/01 23:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Gulf Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Friday that it has reopened its embassy in Lebanon, years after it was closed in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. According to state news agency WAM, the Emirati embassy in Beirut "has officially resumed diplomatic activities." Omar Obaid al-Shamsi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ...

The Last Shot… Ending Amal-Hezbollah Grip on Finance Ministry

Johnny Kortbawi, 24/01 17:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah Lebanese Forces

The Ministry of Finance is not just a mere step in government formation. Speaker Nabih Berri has reopened the “Taif” files, reflecting on a past that no longer has anyone to endorse or oppose. The Ministry of Finance was indeed part of the Taif Agreement discussions, with a proposal to assign it to the Shiite community. However, this proposal ...

Netanyahu: Israel Will not Fully Withdraw Troops From Lebanon Before Sunday

This is Beirut, 24/01 15:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Lebanon war Hezbollah army ceasefire

Israel announced on Friday that the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon would continue beyond the 60-day period stipulated in a November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the ceasefire agreement had been drafted "with the understanding that the withdrawal process might extend ...

Mine Clearance in Lebanon: When Will Displaced Families Return South?

Natasha Metni Torbey, 24/01 13:37 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Haunted by thousands of landmines and unexploded ammunition, Lebanon faces a significant challenge: clearing a territory scarred by decades of conflict, the most recent being the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel. Triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Tel Aviv, the conflict spilled over into Lebanon under the banner of ...

Taif Agreement Carries No Provision of Monopoly on Ministerial Portfolios

Bassam Abou Zeid, 24/01 13:17 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah Taif agreement Finance Ministry government

For some in Lebanon, everything takes precedence over the law and the Constitution. Terms such as the National Pact, consensus, custom or even the “minutes of the Taif Agreement” are frequently misused to justify allocating the Ministry of Finance to the Shiite duo Amal-Hezbollah. This is not the first time the minutes of the Taif Agreement ...

Israeli Incursions and Hezbollah's Retaliation: Is a New Escalation Looming?

This is Beirut, 24/01 13:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As the ceasefire draws to a close, Israeli transgressions persist in southern Lebanon, casting doubt on the imminent complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Having completely withdrawn from nine localities, it nevertheless continues to impose restrictions on the inhabitants of border areas, and to carry out incursions into several border ...

Israel Voices Concerns over Ceasefire Implementation with Hezbollah as Deadline Approaches

This is Beirut, 23/01 20:27 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Lebanon Israel Army Hezbollah

The Israeli government expressed concerns on Thursday about the slow implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Iran-backed Hezbollah, just days before Israel is scheduled to complete its troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as outlined in the deal. The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, was agreed upon in November, ...

Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire: Possible Extension

Elie Joe Kamel , 23/01 14:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Ceasefire Hezbollah Israel South Lebanon

The ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, announced on November 27, 2024, is set to expire in four days. However, with the lack of enforcement thus far and the sluggish pace of implementation, an extension of the truce seems likely. Israeli forces continue to occupy dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, conducting raids and bombings, ...

Lebanon: A Drone of a War!

Marc Saikali, 23/01 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon War Hezbollah Israel

The hum of Israeli drones continues to fill the skies over Beirut. What might induce fear in other places has become just another layer of the city’s already chaotic soundscape. Hardly anyone takes notice anymore. Yet, there’s a subtle shift in the air when the buzzing ceases—passersby exchange fleeting, anxious glances, as if the sudden ...

Is a Fait Accompli Government on the Horizon?

Bassam Abou Zeid, 22/01 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Nawaf Salam

Will Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun succeed in forming a government that aligns with their expectations and meets the needs of the Lebanese people, all while resisting political pressures, particularly from Amal and Hezbollah? Although this outcome cannot entirely be ruled out, there are warnings against its ...

Hezbollah Official Fatally Shot in West Beqaa

This is Beirut, 21/01 21:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Hezbollah

Sheikh Mohammad Hamadeh, a Hezbollah official in Western Beqaa, was ambushed and fatally shot outside his residence in the town of Mashghara on Tuesday. According to preliminary information, unidentified individuals riding a motorcycle opened fire on Hamadeh outside his home, striking him with six bullets. Initial investigations indicate that ...

It Is Time for Israeli-Lebanese Peace

David Hale , 21/01 18:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Israel USA

A window for peace between Israel and Lebanon just unexpectedly opened. There was an old adage that "Lebanon will never be the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, but it won't be the last." Sadly, with Lebanese decisions dictated by the Assad family backed by Iran, that concept became obsolete. Since 1983, the Assads ensured that South ...