This is Beirut - Nawaf Salam

After the Vote: Exposing the Gap Law’s Broken Promises

Claudia Groeling, 29/12 19:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam International Monetary Fund Lebanon Banque du Liban Gap Law Banks

Lebanon’s cabinet on December 19 approved one of the most controversial pieces of legislation since the country’s financial collapse in 2019, adopting the so-called “Gap Law” in a narrow vote that has reignited public anger and raised serious concerns among economists, legal experts, and international observers. Backed by 13 ministers ...

Lebanon Signs Deal to Purchase Natural Gas from Egypt

This is Beirut, 29/12 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam Joseph Aoun USA Natural Gas

Lebanon said Monday it plans to purchase natural gas from Egypt, seeking to reduce its reliance on fuel oil for its ageing power plants in a country hamstrung by regular electricity cuts. The electricity sector has cost Lebanon more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, and successive governments have failed to reduce losses, ...

Lebanon’s Cabinet Divided Over Controversial Financial Gap Law

This is Beirut, 22/12 20:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam International Monetary Fund Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Gap Law

The controversial financial Gap Law presented as key to resolving Lebanon’s enduring banking crisis that deprived depositors of their savings, topped discussions at Monday’s cabinet meeting, exposing differences among ministers. The session, attended by Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid, was adjourned and will resume Tuesday to ...

Hezbollah Allegedly Strengthens Hold on Beirut Port Amid Disarmament Doubts

Michael al-Andary, 22/12 13:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Beirut Port Hezbollah Nawaf Salam Beirut International Airport Lebanese Army Israel United States

Despite the Lebanese cabinet’s move to impose a firm deadline for the disarmament of militias, developments on the ground point to a “lack of seriousness” in enforcing the decision against Hezbollah, a security source told This is Beirut on condition of anonymity, questioning whether the government’s commitment is backed by concrete ...

Financial Gap Law: Farewell to a Lifetime’s Savings… Where Is Karim Souhaid?

This is Beirut, 20/12 15:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Banks Banque du Liban Gap Law

The draft Financial Gap Law, also known as the Financial Regularization Law, is set to be discussed at the Cabinet table on Monday. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has praised the project, presenting it as the first comprehensive legal framework to recover deposits and address the financial gap in a systematic and fair manner, within available means, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Lebanon Debate: Gap Law Risks Bankrupting Banks, Wiping out Depositors

This is Beirut, 18/12 12:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Lebanon Banque du Liban Nawaf Salam

The following article, originally written on Thursday by Lebanon Debate, is reproduced here in full to highlight their analysis of the proposed financial gap bill and its potential impact on depositors and the Lebanese banking sector: “Once again, Nawaf Salam’s government is rushing to pass the financial gap law before the end of the year, ...

Depositors’ Cry Association: Yassine Jaber, Accomplice or Powerless in the Banking Crisis?

This is Beirut, 15/12 11:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Nawaf Salam Yassine Jaber Finance Minister Lebanon

The Depositors’ Cry Association sharply criticized Finance Minister Yassine Jaber over the proposed Financial Gap Law, accusing him of failing to protect bank customers’ funds amid Lebanon’s ongoing banking crisis. In a statement, the association questioned whether Jaber is “a conspirator on depositors’ money” or simply ...

Aoun Welcomes French Role in Mechanism Committee, Reaffirms Commitment to Diplomacy

This is Beirut, 08/12 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Emmanuel Macron UN Security Council Lebanon European Union Nabih Berry Jean-Yves Le Drian Le Drian France Israel

President Joseph Aoun told French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday that Lebanon is open to an enhanced French role within the framework of the “Mechanism Committee,” stressing that any such involvement must support the committee’s core negotiation goals. During the meeting at Baabda Palace, Aoun outlined ...

Hezbollah Challenges Security Council Visit, Army Acts on UNIFIL Attack

Bassam Abou Zeid, 06/12 13:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

UN Security Council Hezbollah Lebanese Army Nawaf Salam Lebanon

The 15 UN Security Council ambassadors visiting Lebanon received reactions to Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem’s recent speech. In it, he opposed the appointment of Simon Karam as head of Lebanon’s negotiating delegation with Israel and reiterated the group’s refusal to disarm, saying that any impact would be limited to the ...

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