This is Beirut - Lebanon

The Syndicate of Traders and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages Denounces the Gap Law

This is Beirut, 20/12 14:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Banque du Liban economy Lebanon Banks Gap Law Traders

The Syndicate of Traders and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages issued a statement on Saturday denouncing the Gap Law, which they said shifts the state’s responsibilities onto traders and businesses. “While respecting the draft presented by the Prime Minister concerning financial restructuring and the recovery of deposits, the currently ...

Deposits at Risk: Gap Law Shifts Burden on Depositors and Banks; State Off the Hook

Antoine Saade, 20/12 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks Lebanon Banque du Liban Gap Law economy

The fate of depositors’ funds lies at the heart of Lebanon’s financial crisis. It is not merely a matter of figures or balance sheets; it directly affects the lives of thousands of families and undermines the country’s overall economic stability. Amid the ongoing financial collapse and the sharp erosion of the national currency’s ...

Gap Law: When the State Organizes Its Disengagement at the Expense of Depositors

This is Beirut, 19/12 22:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam IMF Banks

Under the guise of structural reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the “Gap Law” currently being prepared in Lebanon is raising growing concern. Presented as a technical tool designed to bridge the country’s massive financial shortfall, this law is now seen by many experts as a mechanism allowing the state to evade its ...

Egyptian PM Pledges Full Support to Lebanon

This is Beirut, 19/12 14:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Lebanese Army Nawaf Salam Joseph Aoun Egypt Madbouly

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday, reaffirming Egypt’s steadfast support for Lebanon and stressing the need for stability, sovereignty, and full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In his remarks, Madbouly said the visit aimed to “convey Egypt’s full support to ...

Israel and Lebanon Hold Second Direct Talks in Naqoura

This is Beirut, 19/12 12:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Following talks held Friday in Naqoura, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the meeting addressed ways to advance economic initiatives with Lebanon, alongside ongoing security discussions. In a statement, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the meeting aimed to continue the security dialogue, ensure the disarmament of ...

Israel Reveals Details About Hezbollah's Secret Maritime Unit

This is Beirut, 19/12 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Europe United States

Israel on Friday disclosed new details about its “Behind the Back” operation, a November 2, 2024 raid in northern Lebanon that led to the capture of Imad Amhaz, whom the Israeli army described as a senior figure in Hezbollah’s secret maritime apparatus and a member of the coastal missile unit (Unit 7900). Training and Expertise During his ...

Mechanism Meeting Faces Competing Interests and Agendas

Bassam Abou Zeid, 18/12 17:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The mechanism meeting on Friday takes place amid a series of unfolding events, beginning with the Paris meeting that set a preliminary date for the Army Support Conference in February, continuing with army operations in Yanouh in the Tyre district and videos from Toulin in the Nabatieh district, and culminating with the highly anticipated summit ...

Hezbollah’s Ammar Al-Moussawi Makes Secret Visit to Saudi Arabia

This is Beirut, 18/12 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Saudi Arabia Lebanon Israel Joseph Aoun

Hezbollah official Ammar Al-Moussawi has been on a secret three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, coordinated through Turkish mediation following his trip to Istanbul for the “Al-Ahd for Jerusalem Conference,” according to Nidaa Al-Watan. Sources cited by the newspaper said the meetings focused on providing “reassurances” regarding the recent ...

Depositors Rally Against Government’s Proposed Financial Gap Plan

This is Beirut, 18/12 16:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam Council of Ministers Depositors Banks

A protest organized by the Depositors’ Associations Gathering and the Association of Expatriate Depositors was held on Thursday, bringing together representatives of depositor groups and unions in a unified show of opposition to the government’s proposed financial gap draft law. Demonstrators said the proposed legislation unfairly shifts the ...

Paris to Host Conference Supporting LAF in February

This is Beirut, 18/12 16:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Lebanon Hezbollah Saudi Arabia United States France

Paris will host a conference in February in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), following a quadripartite meeting held in the French capital on Thursday, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed to This is Beirut. The venue of the conference has yet to be announced. The meeting brought together LAF Commander General Rodolphe Haykal, French ...

Scathing Message by “Shiite Depositor” Targets Yassine Jaber

This is Beirut, 18/12 14:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon International Monetary Fund USA Yassine Jaber Nabih Berri

The page “Lebanon Pulse” published on its X account a message purportedly from a “Shiite depositor”, addressed to Finance Minister Yassine Jaber. In the message, the author accuses the minister of having, in the past, incited members of the Shiite community in front of the US ambassador and called for their bombardment and removal of ...

BDL: IMF Concerns on Financial Gap Law Are Risky and Inconsistent

This is Beirut, 18/12 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) issued observations regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s recent comments on the financial gap bill. BDL described the IMF’s remarks as risky and inconsistent with accounting and financial standards, noting that there is no historical precedent in a systemic crisis where a state first erodes the ...

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