Source: Agence France Presse
Security & Justice
Familiar Map, Different Occupation: Israel’s New Zone in Southern Lebanon Compared With 2000
Israel’s expanding military presence in southern Lebanon has revived comparisons with the security belt it maintained before its withdrawal in 2000. Although the current Israeli-controlled zone overlaps with parts of the former occupation map, particularly along the border, the two periods represent different forms of military control.
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Dozens of Hezbollah Fighters Trapped in Underground Complex Beneath Strategic Hill, Sources Say
Between 30 and 40 Hezbollah fighters remain trapped inside a vast network of tunnels beneath Ali al-Taher Hill, south of Nabatiyeh, more than a month after they became isolated there, according to private Lebanese security sources who spoke to Erem News.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Opinion
Lebanon Isn’t a ‘Small Piece of the Puzzle.’ It’s the Whole Game.
President Donald Trump suggested this month that Lebanon is a “very small piece of the puzzle” he’s trying to put together in the Middle East. But Trump’s dismissiveness could cost him: Far from some ancillary fragment, Lebanon is the linchpin of the president’s dealings with Tehran.
Monday, June 29, 2026
Vance and Ghalibaf’s Shared Blind Spot on Lebanon
The remarkable thing about the recent statements by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is not how different they are, but how much they reveal about the assumptions that continue to shape foreign attitudes toward Lebanon.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Sports
Portugal beats Spain to win Nations League
Portugal defeated Spain in penalty kicks 5- 3 to win the UEFA Nations League final late on Sunday after both sides failed to score in extra time following a showdown that ended 2-2.
Monday, June 9, 2025
Alcaraz Wins Roland Garros, Completing Historic Comeback from Two Sets Down
Carlos Alcaraz mounted an extraordinary comeback to win the men’s final at Roland Garros on Sunday, defeating world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).
Monday, June 9, 2025
Tuesday 14 July 2026 11:09:11
Lebanon Says Army Ready to Take Over Areas Vacated by Israel
Lebanon’s army is ready to gradually assume control of towns and villages from which Israeli forces withdraw, a Lebanese diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations said as Israel and Lebanon opened a new round of US-mediated talks in Rome on Tuesday.
“The Lebanese army is ready to gradually take control of the localities from which the Israeli army withdraws,” the source said.
The two countries, which have formally remained at war for decades, reached a framework agreement on June 26 aimed at achieving a “lasting peace” following five rounds of negotiations in Washington.
Implementation of the agreement is expected to begin with an Israeli withdrawal from designated “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization that maintains significant military power in Lebanon, has rejected the agreement.
The talks are also taking place against the backdrop of renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran, raising concern that the regional escalation could undermine the negotiations.
Iran had demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon before concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington on June 17. That agreement now appears to be unraveling following unprecedented exchanges of strikes between the United States and Iran since a regional ceasefire took effect in early April.
The United States launched its third consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Monday, ahead of the planned reimposition Tuesday of a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
“The Iranians want to establish a link between the two cases, while we want to separate them,” Mizrahi said.
“Whenever they have the opportunity, they will try to derail what is happening in Lebanon,” she added, though she said Tehran’s immediate priorities appear to be the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear program.
Bitar said the risk that the regional crisis could trigger renewed violence in Lebanon “is obviously not negligible.”
“But I think Iran today will think twice before asking Hezbollah to launch new strikes against Israel,” he said.
According to Bitar, Tehran is likely to preserve Hezbollah as a long-term deterrent rather than use it immediately to open another front against Israel.
