LEBANON
Gebran Bassil Distances Himself from Hezbollah as Samir Geagea Warns of Party’s Divisive Logic
BEIRUT — In a rare and pointed departure from his long-standing alliance with Hezbollah, Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil called on the powerful Shiite party to acknowledge that its arsenal has become a “burden” on Lebanon — a signal that the once rock-solid Christian-Hezbollah understanding may be fraying…
Read More »In Zahle, Fears Mount Over Suspicious Land Sales and Demographic Shift
ZAHLE, Lebanon – A growing chorus of concern is rising from the historic city of Zahle in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, where local leaders, political figures, and Christian community representatives are sounding the alarm over what they view as a troubling trend: the sale of land under suspicious circumstances that could…
Read More »In Suroyo TV interview, Salim Sayegh warns of ‘time bomb’ as Hezbollah disarmament, US-Israel talks expose Lebanon’s political crisis
BEIRUT — In a candid televised interview on Suroyo TV Lebanon, veteran lawmaker and former minister Salim Sayegh delivered a sharp critique of the current Lebanese political trajectory, calling into question Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm, the country’s entanglement in regional power struggles, and the lack of transparency surrounding recent negotiations…
Read More »Lebanese President Joseph Aoun: All militias, including Hezbollah, must hand over their weapons to Lebanese Armed Forces
BEIRUT — Pressure on Lebanese authorities is mounting as American, Israeli, and domestic forces — particularly Christian political parties — intensify demands coinciding with the eightieth anniversary of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), marked on Army Day. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, a Syriac Maronite and former Army Commander, delivered a…
Read More »Samy Gemayel on Hezbollah’s weapons: “We cannot tie the disarmament decision to the notion of consensus”
BEIRUT — The issue of disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has become a top priority for many Lebanese — both civilians and politicians — particularly among Christian groups opposing what they call the “Axis of Resistance” that stretches from Iran through Syria and Lebanon to the Holy Land. This demand,…
Read More »US Ambassador to Lebanon nominee Michel Issa: Hezbollah needs to go
WASHINGTON, D.C. / BEIRUT — Appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Michel Issa, the nominee to become the new US Ambassador to Lebanon, said that, “Hezbollah needs to go, Hezbollah needs to be disarmed, to bring some kind of hope to Lebanon.” Issa, who is of Lebanese origin…
Read More »Lebanon’s Quiet Pact: Lebanese state’s failure to disarm Hezbollah is a political choice, not a lack of capability
BEIRUT — In the years since the 2006 war with Israel and the waves of protest that followed, one question has lingered in Lebanese political discourse: Is the Lebanese state unwilling or simply unable to disarm Hezbollah? For Dr. Hicham Bou Nassif, a political analyst and associate professor at Claremont…
Read More »U.S. Pressures Lebanon to Commit to Hezbollah Disarmament Before Further Talks
BEIRUT — The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Lebanon to issue a formal cabinet decision committing to the disarmament of Hezbollah, Reuters reports, a move seen as a precondition for continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at halting Israel’s military operations in southern Lebanon, according to multiple sources familiar with the…
Read More »Ibrahim Mrad Defies Taboos: “Hezbollah’s Arms Have Destroyed Lebanon — It’s Time for the State to Rise”
BEIRUT — In a defiant public statement, Ibrahim Mrad, President of the Universal Syriac Union Party in Lebanon, launched a scathing attack on Hezbollah, accusing the Iranian-backed group of turning Lebanon into a “bargaining chip for Tehran” and insisting that its continued armed presence is obstructing the formation of a…
Read More »Mor Elias Aude on upcoming Beirut Port explosion anniversary: “many in this country turn a blind eye to truth and justice”
BEIRUT — As Lebanon approaches the fifth anniversary of the devastating Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020, the country remains far from achieving justice. Despite renewed efforts, the investigation has been repeatedly obstructed by powerful Lebanese factions, with Judge Tarek Bitar facing multiple suspensions before ultimately resuming the case. …
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