Lebanese authorities have issued an unprecedented and stern warning to Hamas, signaling a shift in how the country deals with armed Palestinian groups operating within its borders. The move follows Hamas’s refusal to hand over four suspects accused of launching rockets at Israel from southern Lebanon, including a senior commander who is believed to have masterminded the attack.
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council convened Friday for the first time under the leadership of President Joseph Aoun, focusing on the country’s overall security situation and renewed efforts to reassert state authority across all regions.
Friday, May 2, 2025
A parliamentary committee in Lebanon last week issued a draft law for restructuring the country’s financial sector. The Lebanese people surely breathed a sigh of relief, but does this mean they will finally regain access to their bank deposits, which they have been unable to withdraw for several years? That remains uncertain.
Monday, April 28, 2025
Last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that Beirut would not forcibly disarm the Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah as part of its effort to gain a state monopoly on weapons. Instead, Aoun said Hezbollah would be convinced to give up its arms on its own, through dialogue and negotiations. Moreover, the president suggested the militia’s troops could then be integrated into the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). This approach, which avoids a potentially bloody face-off, will be unacceptable to both the US and Israel, and will ultimately undermine the hopeful progress Lebanon has made toward reasserting its sovereignty.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet in their second derby of the season with the Liga lead on the line and the focus on refereeing. Real Madrid has spent the days ahead of Saturday’s match complaining of mistakes against the club.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
The first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Zhou Guanyu, is heading back to Ferrari as one of its reserve drivers for the 2025 season.
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Monday 5 May 2025 10:30:43
Kataeb MP Elias Hankach described the Burj Hammoud–Jdeideh landfill as one of the country’s most severe environmental disasters, calling it a “crime” against the more than 1.5 million people who live in its vicinity.
In interview on Voice of Lebanon radio, Hankach criticized the unchecked expansion of the landfill, which he said now towers at 36 meters high, and decried the government’s failure to implement decentralized, sustainable waste management solutions.
“This isn’t a new issue, but it has become more urgent than ever,” Hankach said. “We’re witnessing the worst environmental crime committed against a population that’s already endured too much.”
With Lebanon entering a new presidential term, Hankach urged the country’s leadership to take bold steps on long-neglected public health challenges, starting with the waste crisis.
“Now that we have a new administration, we cannot continue with the current situation,” he said. “Every issue that impacts people’s health, especially landfills, must be addressed head-on.”
Hankach called on municipalities and newly elected local officials to move toward “healthy and sustainable” waste treatment systems, noting that Lebanon could learn from international models.
“Waste is a global challenge. Many countries have developed models we can learn from. The solutions exist,” he said.
The MP referred to a recent parliamentary question filed by Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel, which raised alarm over the worsening risks posed by the overfilled Jdeideh–Burj Hammoud landfill. In a letter addressed to Speaker Nabih Berri and directed to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as well as the ministers of interior, environment, and public works, Gemayel warned of “an impending environmental and public health catastrophe” and demanded immediate answers on government response efforts.
“The question raised by the Kataeb Party leader to the government and ministers is meant to push them into action in order to stop the crime, pursue sustainable solutions, and relocate landfills away from groundwater sources and residential areas," Hankach stressed.
He urged the government to act swiftly on existing strategies and shift toward decentralized waste solutions tailored to local needs.
According to Hankach, the country’s waste crisis ranks as the third-largest scam perpetrated against the Lebanese people, after the financial collapse and the decades-long electricity debacle. He expressed hope in the judiciary’s ability to pursue accountability, crediting Justice Minister Adel Nassar with fostering a “new atmosphere” within the judiciary.
“Accountability is coming,” Hankach said. “The waste crisis is only one piece of a broken system, but justice will eventually prevail.”
Hankach blamed entrenched political interests and a lack of public education for blocking efforts to promote recycling and waste sorting.
“The ruling powers have repeatedly stood in the way of progress and public awareness,” he said. “That needs to change — and fast.”
