Lebanon

Hezbollah-Affiliated Al-Akhbar to Scale Back Due to Funding Cuts

The Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar is carrying out widespread terminations and restructuring amid funding cuts, according to Beirut Time News. According to the report, the financial changes were announced suddenly and without prior notice, as departments were reorganized and employees received cuts in their salaries and ...

Qatar Pledges $480 Million and Plans to Rebuild Three Destroyed Villages in South Lebanon

Qatar has decided to allocate $480 million to fund projects and investments in Lebanon, while preparing to rebuild three destroyed villages in the south, according to information obtained by daily An-Nahar. The initiative is reminiscent of Doha’s role in post-war reconstruction following the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The ...

Salam, Macron Discuss Lebanese Sovereignty, Security and Reforms in Paris

On Friday evening, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss Lebanon’s internal reforms and consolidation of state control.  Salam reiterated that the Lebanese state is committed to its goal of confiscating all non-state weapons on Lebanese territory. Macron stated that France will ...

Salam Says Lebanon to Expand State Control as International Confidence Grows

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday that Lebanon has full operational control over southern Lebanon and will expand operations north of the Litani river as international engagement with Lebanon increases.  Salam outlined a two-part policy driving the Lebanese state’s governance goals: institutional and ...

Yoav Gallant: Lebanon at a Crossroads

Former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant wrote an article titled “Written in Ink, Signed in Fire,” in which he offers a description of the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, arguing that agreements alone do not produce lasting peace unless they are backed by military superiority that imposes facts on the ground. In the article, ...

Israel Strikes Northern Bekaa as South Sees Escalation

Israel struck the northern Bekaa Valley on Friday, causing material damage but no reported casualties. The first strike hit the public road linking Majdaloun and Baalbek with two missiles, while the second targeted a site near Dar Al-Amal Hospital in Baalbek. Local reports said the Baalbek strikes were aimed at a military official affiliated with ...

Trump at Davos: Hezbollah is “a Small Remnant”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Hezbollah in Lebanon has been significantly weakened, describing the group as “a small remnant compared to what it used to be.” In his remarks during the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stressed that action is still required against the ...

PM Salam: Arms Consolidation Plan Covers All Lebanese Territory

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated on Thursday that the Lebanese Army’s (LAF) plan to consolidate all arms under state authority applies to the entirety of Lebanon, not only areas south of the Litani River, underscoring the government’s commitment to restoring the state’s exclusive control over weapons. In an interview with ...

Lebanon and Syria Seek Rapprochement Amid Lingering Distrust

Since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, Lebanon and Syria have been in the process of rebuilding trust and repairing relations. The challenging endeavor, supported by Saudi Arabia with Washington’s backing, follows decades of recriminations and Lebanon’s former subjugation under Syria’s Baathist rule. Syria did not ...

The Unraveling of Hezbollah’s Strategic Myth

Since its inception, Hezbollah has sought to transform Shia identity in Lebanon from a national one into an ideological one, anchored in Iran’s Wilayat al-Faqih doctrine of absolute loyalty to its supreme leader. Yet its attempts to tighten control over the Shia community through Tehran’s political ideology met significant obstacles, pushing ...

Israel Says Struck Syria-Lebanon Border Crossings Used by Hezbollah

The Israeli military said it struck four crossings along the Syria-Lebanon border on Wednesday that were used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons, after earlier launching fresh strikes on the militant group in Lebanon. "A short while ago, the (Israeli military) struck four border crossings on the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah to smuggle ...

Israel Strikes Buildings in South Lebanon Towns

On Wednesday, following earlier strikes in Zahrani, additional Israeli airstrikes targeted buildings in the south Lebanon towns of Jarjouaa, Qenarrit, and Kfour. The Israeli army carried out the attacks aiming to impair alleged Hezbollah military infrastructure. Prior to the strikes, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee released an ...