Digest

What happened in each country, written from all our sources.

Next update 07:00

Earlier digests

2026-11-02

19:00 Lebanon: Israeli escalation in the south, power cuts, and Al Habtoor Group's exit

South Lebanon witnessed an Israeli military escalation, with an Israeli airstrike targeting the town of Aita al-Jabal and artillery shelling hitting the town of Tayri in Bint Jbeil district and the town of Khiam in Marjeyoun district, while shelling also struck the Marjeyoun plain with five shells and the outskirts of Kunin. The Israeli army carried out a violent explosion in the town of Beit Yahoun, and Israeli vehicles were reported moving in the town of Mansouri. This coincided with reports on Israeli preparations for a possible expansion of confrontation with Iran, including a Maariv report on the possibility of controlling Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh and imposing a naval blockade on the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, and an analysis saying the fiercest battle between Hezbollah and Israel has not yet begun, with Israel continuing demolition and bulldozing operations north of the Litani River. Reports also spoke of Israeli pressure on Trump and the possibility of war after the elections, describing Lebanon's situation as facing the most dangerous scenarios.

On the humanitarian front, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that 775 children were killed in the Israeli war on Lebanon, while UNICEF said more than 260 children were killed and over a thousand injured since March, and that 770,000 children are suffering psychological distress. Fires caused by Israeli shelling also burned areas of Lebanon's forests.

Economically, Electricité du Liban began cutting power to public facilities behind on their bill payments, amid anticipation of announcing the names of those included, while Rafic Hariri International Airport pledged to pay its arrears to avoid a power cut; reports said the total dues of several facilities amount to about $248 million. The Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group announced that its board approved the sale of all its assets and investments in Lebanon, including hotels, commercial and residential real estate and land, in a complete exit from a market it has invested in since the late 1990s, after suspending operations on January 28 citing losses exceeding $1.7 billion. This comes amid financial oversight, as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) set a roadmap for exiting the monitoring of Lebanon, with a $7 billion budget being presented and tax amendments set to begin tomorrow.

In the energy file, Energy and Water Minister Joseph Saddi announced that the Lebanese section of the gas pipeline between Tripoli and the Syrian border is ready after rehabilitation works were completed with funding from the Lebanese state and a Qatari grant, and that gas import contracts are ready and will be presented to the cabinet at the appropriate time, with talks underway to join a project to transport Iraqi oil through Syria to Tripoli. In Abu Dhabi, on the sidelines of ADIPEC, Saddi held meetings with his Emirati counterpart Suhail Al Mazrouei and representatives of Chevron, Arcius, Siemens, GE and UCC, while Lebanon and Qatar are resuming a fourth round of negotiations on an integrated electricity project on November 5 and 6. Politically, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held an emergency meeting to follow up on food poisoning cases and suspected food fraud, and a high-level Lebanese delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri discussed in Damascus with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani bilateral relations, security cooperation and border control. A meeting between MPs from the Democratic Gathering and the Lebanese Forces stressed the importance of preserving reconciliation, civil peace and the Taif Agreement, while the army command announced the arrest of 7 Lebanese and 99 Syrians and the seizure of weapons, ammunition and drugs.

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13:00 Lebanon: Wide Israeli Escalation in the South, Naval Blockade Threats and Mounting Economic Crises

On Monday, 2 November 2026, south Lebanon witnessed a wide Israeli escalation with artillery shelling, explosions and gunfire targeting six areas, including the surroundings of Nabaa Ibl al-Saqi in Marjayoun district, Mansouri and Majdal Zoun in Tyre district, Bani Hayyan, and the Hujeir and Salouki valleys. More than 10 shells fell around Ibl al-Saqi and gunfire was directed at the two valleys. Dawn artillery also hit the Deir neighborhood in Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the outskirts of Mefdoun and Wadi Zibqin, while Israeli warplanes struck Kfar Tibnit and Israeli forces carried out an explosion in Bani Hayyan. This coincided with Israeli threats to impose a naval blockade on the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, based on scenarios published by Maariv including intensive bombing and targeting the southern suburbs. Military expert George Nader warned that a blockade could cut supply lines, while a political source saw the threats as a pressure and deterrence card as UNIFIL's mandate ends at the end of 2026. The developments follow Lebanese-Israeli technical military talks in Tampa on 20 and 21 October without announced tangible progress, amid disputes over Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah's disarmament; negotiations with Israel remain frozen and Hezbollah has not made any clear commitment regarding backing Iran.

Politically, Lebanon awaits a pivotal week in which the US midterm elections intersect with regional negotiations and escalation risks, amid talk of a new US agenda for Lebanon and harsh conditions, and warnings that Lebanon could become a card in regional calculations between Saudi-Iranian understandings and US moves. Internally, President Joseph Aoun stressed the need to accelerate the launch of 'Telecom Lebanon' and protect the rights of Ogero employees, while a Lebanese ministerial delegation visited Damascus to discuss the Syrian refugee file and facilitate their return. A visit by Bilal Erdogan, son of the Turkish president, to Lebanon is expected in the coming days or mid-November, likely with Tripoli as its main stop, amid readings that it aims to expand Turkish influence in Sunni circles and compete with Saudi and Gulf influence. In remarks, Tom Harb said polls indicate that more than 70% of Lebanese want normalization with Israel, and that the killing of Hassan Nasrallah was the factor that pushed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to open parliament and elect Joseph Aoun as president.

On the internal security front, reports spoke of an assault on customs personnel at the Masnaa crossing, and of gunfire and shells between Akkar al-Atiqa and Fneidek that prompted tourists to evacuate chalets. The threads of a cocaine operation extending from Ghana to Beirut airport were revealed, while sources told Al-Diyar that the situation was under control across Lebanese territory and that security agencies had raised their readiness to the highest levels.

Economically, the banking sector faces a tax claim from the Ministry of Finance ranging between $500 and $600 million related to accounting differences in the valuation of Eurobond bonds. Banks consider it based on unrealized book profits and a pressure on their liquidity, while the ministry insists on its right to include these differences in taxable profits, with technical meetings awaited to settle the dispute. The UAE-based Al Habtoor Group announced its board's decision to sell all its assets and investments in Lebanon, including hotels, real estate and land, after losses exceeding $1.7 billion, the closure of its operations and legal action to claim compensation, amid a severe financial and economic crisis since 2019 and banking restrictions that deny depositors access to their money. Electricité du Liban began implementing the 'no payment, no power' decision, 107 companies are before the judiciary in tax evasion files opened by Jaber, the Port of Beirut recorded its highest number of refrigerated containers, and Central Bank Governor Karim Said participated in a seminar hosted by the French central bank on reintegrating countries into the international financial system, stressing commitment to financial transparency and combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

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07:00 Lebanon: Shift in Sunni mood, expected US sanctions, ministerial visit to Damascus, and eSIM hacking concerns

Lebanon’s Sunni mood has seen a notable shift after the Jordan incident, according to sources cited by «Nidaa Al-Watan», with growing rejection of extremism and religious fanaticism set against an increasing political adherence to the approach of the martyr President Rafik Hariri. In the political context, information indicated that the US Treasury is working to identify the names of Lebanese political, economic, security, media and municipal figures ahead of adding them to sanctions lists, after the sources established their involvement in helping «Hezbollah» launder money, facilitate arms entry and expand its influence in Lebanon.

Diplomatically, a ministerial delegation is heading to Damascus today on a visit whose talks will focus on the issues of Syrians in Lebanon, according to Lebanon 24.

On the technical front, engineer Ahmad Khader, founder of AloFor, revealed on the program «Al-Malaf 101» with media figure Elie Khalil on RED TV details of the eSIM case in which Israeli soldiers were said to have bought eSIMs under Lebanese names. He explained that his company monitored seven hacking attempts from internet addresses located in Israel, and hundreds of subscriptions under names he described as strange from inside Lebanese territory in less than a month. The interview also addressed the possibility of locating users and tracking their movements via Alfa and MTC network towers and international roaming services.

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01:00 Blast and Israeli shelling in south Lebanon, telecom jamming... Berri calls for de-escalation and sticks to dialogue

South Lebanon witnessed a security escalation this evening, as the "Lebanon Debate" correspondent reported an explosion in the town of Kounine, coinciding with Israeli artillery shelling targeting the outskirts of the towns of Braashit, Beit Yahoun and Wadi al-Salouqi, accompanied by machine-gun sweeping in the area. In a related context, Lebanon's MTV channel revealed that Israel has returned to using jamming against communications in Lebanon, in areas extending from the Bekaa to the southern suburbs, amid questions about the possibility of war resuming. Meanwhile, a report by "Lebanon 24" addressed the question of who will control security in south Lebanon after "UNIFIL", with attention directed to the role of "Hezbollah" in this context.

On the political scene, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri affirmed his reliance on dialogue, pointing to the role of Qatari mediation, and called for de-escalation and avoiding raising ceilings and a policy of challenge, saying that any progress in negotiations would have positive repercussions for the world. Berri stressed that the Daher al-Baidar explosives file is following the required judicial track, rejecting its politicization. For his part, Moussaoui said that the defenders of Lebanon deserve reverence, not prosecution, while the head of the National Free Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, attacked the Lebanese government and warned of war, stressing that "decentralization is development, not sectarianism", as a Lebanese Forces leader, Adwan, hinted that his party would withdraw from the government under certain conditions. Rajji also announced from Bahrain a "new path", with the issue of the exclusivity of weapons at the core of his message.

At the government level, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is holding an emergency meeting at the Grand Serail to discuss food poisoning cases, without details on the number of infections or the sources of poisoning. On the electricity file, an MTV Lebanon report addressed the MEP company's efforts to return to the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants, and questions over whether the state had verified the legal status of its representative Yahya Mawloud.

Socially, reports addressed the attack on the Saints Cemetery in Harat al-Fawar, where statues were smashed and a number of graves were dug up, with the security forces beginning their investigations to uncover the perpetrators, in addition to a mysterious incident in the Hadath Baalbek area involving the discovery of open graves and tampering with the contents of coffins. On the services front, Middle East Airlines (MEA) announced new arrangements for travelers from Riyadh to Beirut at the request of the Saudi authorities at Riyadh airport, including arriving four hours before departure. In sports, Lebanon's rugby league team achieved a dramatic 24-20 golden-point victory over its French counterpart in a Rugby League World Cup match.

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2026-11-01

19:00 Wide Israeli Escalation in South Lebanon and Foiling of Largest Cocaine Smuggling Attempt in Beirut Airport's History

South Lebanon witnessed on Sunday a sustained Israeli military escalation involving airstrikes, artillery shelling, demolitions and explosions. The Israeli army bulldozed houses in the town of Zoutar al-Sharqiya, its warplanes struck the town of Qasir and the outskirts of Aita al-Jabal towards Beit Yahoun, while heavy artillery shelling targeted Wadi al-Hujayr towards the town of Toulin. In Khiam, a Merkava tank targeted a house inside the town and carried out combing operations, after the Israeli army spokesman claimed to have found weapons, ammunition and booby-trapped drones inside a civilian home there. A large explosion was also reported in the town of Qantara, an Israeli drone exploded inside a farm in Mefdoun, and Israeli warplanes carried out mock raids over southern areas without casualties.

These developments coincided with Social Affairs Minister Hanine al-Sayed's visit to the town of Froun, where video documented the moment of an airstrike on the south during the visit, and several journalists were assaulted and threatened with a weapon by a municipal policeman while covering the tour before security forces intervened. A political source said Israeli threats aim to deter Hezbollah from entering the war and to justify any Israeli expansion in Lebanon, while MP Melhem Khalaf warned that UNIFIL's departure at the end of its mandate without a replacement would entrench the Israeli occupation and threaten "Greater Lebanon," as the three presidencies lead diplomatic contacts to keep the international force or find an alternative.

On security, Lebanese security and customs agencies announced foiling an attempt to smuggle 46.700 kilograms of cocaine through Rafik Hariri International Airport, the largest drug case in the airport's history; the shipment was carried by a Syrian traveler arriving from Accra, Ghana, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam praised the operation, stressing that Lebanon's crossings will not be a corridor for smuggling. The army carried out security measures with armored and foot patrols and temporary checkpoints in Tripoli, Halba, al-Bira and al-Arida in Akkar, Khaldeh and Choueifat in Aley, and Naameh, Rmeileh, Saadiyat and Damour in Chouf, urged citizens to stay away from live-fire training areas, and a unit destroyed a marijuana crop of about 9,700 square meters in Zarzour and Ainatha in Baalbek.

Economically and socially, fears are mounting that Electricité du Liban will cut power to water facilities starting Monday, November 2, 2026, due to accumulated financial dues, following the settlement of the airport's dues with about $22 million and the exemption of public hospitals, while the South Lebanon Water Authority said it paid about 1.775 trillion Lebanese pounds. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber confirmed that taxes and fees can now be paid in cash in dollars, in Lebanese pounds or by bank card. In Akkar, the Economy Ministry stepped into a food poisoning incident, with 12 confirmed cases at Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital in Adbel and a search for the itinerant vendor. Politically, Gebran Bassil stressed that decentralization is a developmental, not sectarian, demand and criticized monopolizing the war and peace decision, while Lebanese-Kuwaiti relations returned to interaction with Kuwaiti delegations visiting Beirut.

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13:00 Lebanon between Israeli escalation and warnings of all-out war and economic collapse

Israeli warplanes carried out a raid on the town of Kafr Tibnit and targeted the town of Qantara with an unexploded missile, while warplane flights at very low altitude were recorded over southern Lebanon, in an escalation targeting Lebanese towns. A report by journalist Avi Ashkenazi in the Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed that Israel is preparing for a wide regional war scenario if the United States and Israel launch an attack on Iran, and expects Tehran to seek to open multiple fronts in Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza, with plans to occupy the cities of Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, intensive strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, and the possibility of imposing a naval blockade on the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, alongside a greater role for the Israeli navy in preliminary strikes.

Amid this escalation, the head of the Lebanese Companies Association, Dr. Bassem Bawab, warned that the outbreak of a new war would be a catastrophe for the Lebanese economy, noting that institutions have been exhausted by seven years of crises and are no longer able to bear additional shocks, and that losing the holiday season, which may account for 20 to 30% of some companies' revenues, could push more institutions to close at the beginning of next year, with estimates that the economy will shrink from about $40 billion to $35 billion and contract by about 8%. Maronite Patriarch Mar Beshara Boutros al-Rahi said that the Lebanese cannot bear a new war, stressing that Lebanese land is not for sale and that the decision of war and peace and the confinement of weapons must be in the hands of the state and its legitimate institutions, and warning against arms smuggling via trucks at Dahr al-Baidar.

On the domestic security front, Lebanese Customs announced the seizure of the largest drug shipment in the history of Beirut airport, without the available text including information on the quantity, the shipment's destination or those arrested. A cemetery in Zgharta was subjected early in the morning to an attack that damaged a number of graves and smashed statues, a young man was killed in a violent accident on the Bzal road, and a fire in an apartment in Amchit was extinguished while two children were rescued.

Politically, the weekly summary in Al-Akhbar addressed what it described as internal crisis and external escalation, while President Salam directed that a meeting of the parliamentary health committee be held on Monday, and the health minister stressed that protecting the Lebanese pharmaceutical industry is a necessity for health and economic security. A stable autumn weather pattern is dominating Lebanon, with temperatures above seasonal averages until Wednesday morning, before the region is affected by a moderately active depression that will bring lower temperatures and scattered light rain, expected to intensify at dawn on Thursday with thunder, lightning and active winds.

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2026-10-29

19:00 Lebanon: Aoun follows up on Tampa results... Israeli escalation in the south and cabinet dispute over explosives file

President Joseph Aoun chaired a meeting attended by Army Commander General Rudolf Heikal and former ambassador Simon Karam, head of the Lebanese negotiating delegation, and was briefed on the results of the meetings held in Tampa with the American and Israeli delegations on 20 and 21 October. At Baabda, he told German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabli Radovan that Lebanon adheres to diplomatic solutions and that negotiations with Israel have not achieved the required progress, stressing that state institutions are the only protector of the Lebanese and that the Lebanese are tired of war. The German minister announced her country's continued support for Lebanon, its army, the reform path and reconstruction, while King Abdullah II affirmed support for stability in south Lebanon and the success of the framework agreement. Aoun was also briefed by Civil Aviation Authority head Captain Mohammad Aziz on the plan for direct flights with the United States and Canada, after an order signed by Trump allowing the US government to operate direct flights to Lebanon and ending a four-decade suspension.

On the security level, Israeli escalation in the south continued: reports said Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Mafdoun, an explosion occurred on the outskirts of Mays al-Jabal, and there were reports of homes being burned and valleys shelled. Speaker Nabih Berri warned that south Lebanon is not ready for the post-UNIFIL phase, while an Israeli reading said the probability of dismantling Hezbollah is very low.

Domestically, ministers of the Lebanese Forces Party boycotted the cabinet session in protest at the failure to refer the explosives truck file linked to Hezbollah to the Judicial Council. Lebanese Forces sources described the situation as a mini-sit-in that could develop, with clear coordination with the Kataeb Party, and denied heading to resignation. Nassar insisted on referring the explosives file to the Judicial Council, while the file's boundaries were redrawn toward National Security, and the General Security Directorate issued a new statement on the Tripoli explosives after the army revealed the seized items. Salam placed return and reconstruction projects on the follow-up table from the south to the southern suburbs.

Economically and socially, the Finance Ministry announced the completion of transferring public sector salaries, pensions and the salaries of military personnel to the Central Bank, and Kuwait provided 25 million dollars to the Housing Bank. This coincided with a general power outage whose cause Lebanon's electricity company revealed, calls to disclose the reasons for the power outage at Beirut airport, and warnings of a social explosion as the old rent crisis worsened after the law liberating old rents, in addition to setting the parking fee ceiling at 500,000 Lebanese pounds and a maximum of 900,000 Lebanese pounds for lodging establishments.

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13:00 Lebanon: Ministerial Escalation, Expanded Israeli Strikes in the South, and the “Mi'raj Ural” Kidnapping File Preoccupies Security Agencies

Lebanon witnessed a day of overlapping political and security escalation. Ministers of the Lebanese Forces boycotted Thursday's Cabinet session in protest at the failure to include on the agenda the referral of the explosives seized in Dahieh al-Baydar and al-Qasr to the Judicial Council; the session was limited to the waste file, and the ministers called on the President and the Prime Minister to place the draft decree on the agenda and vote on it without delay. Hezbollah announced that the shipment belongs to the resistance and was intended against Israel, while judicial sources said investigations are advanced and that two people are detained. Meanwhile, Karam affirmed that the Lebanese Forces does not intend to resign from the government at present, warning against attempts to drag Lebanon into a war fought in defense of Iran, as Jumblatt called for “no new war” and for raising “the state's umbrella” over everyone, and Gemayel escalated against Qassem under the slogan “enough of tampering with the constitution.”

On the ground, the circle of Israeli shelling expanded in southern Lebanon to include areas from Kafr Tibnit to Khiam, with drones flying over several towns in the central Bekaa toward the eastern mountain range, Israeli vehicles moving between Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Zawtar al-Gharbiya, and Israeli violations continuing according to field reports. In this context, sources told Al-Jumhuriya that France rejects the continued presence of the Israeli army south of the Litani and considers the ongoing occupation a major danger, and that ending UNIFIL's mission in southern Lebanon would be a “very big mistake,” with Paris acting internationally and at the United Nations to avoid a security vacuum. Sources also told Al-Diyar that Trump offered official pledges to guarantee a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanese territory, conditional on Lebanon engaging in the path of the Abraham Accords, while other sources said the Israeli elections do not change Lebanon's reality as a permanent target on the Israeli targeting platform.

On the security front, the kidnapping of Syrian opposition figure Ali Kayyali, known as Mi'raj Ural, from al-Mansouriya in the northern Metn opened the file of hundreds of former Syrian security and military personnel present in Lebanon and caused confusion among Lebanese security agencies, while Turkey, whose nationality Ural holds, demanded his return. Security sources say the investigation is open and that they will confront any party linked to the kidnapping, while Damascus has prepared a list of names it wants, amid warnings from international organizations against handing them over to Syria for fear of unfair trials. In another file, the “Spot Shot” newsletter learned that the two Americans of Chinese origin detained in Beirut's southern suburbs on suspicion of surveillance and mapping operations may have been released by the party holding them, without clarity on the motives or whether the release resulted from a deal, while a priest was reported missing under mysterious circumstances, with the last signal from his phone traced to Jbeil.

Economically and socially, public sector salaries were transferred to Banque du Liban in a step described as good news, a parliamentary agreement led to the suspension of the Ogero employees' strike with a move toward legislation to guarantee workers' rights, and Joe Saddi was in Doha to sign strategic contracts related to Lebanon's electricity file, while sources spoke of pending files on the Baghdad–Beirut line requiring rapid solutions in preparation for Lebanon's joining a regional cooperation project with US backing. On the environmental front, the Litani River's water turned black and red and laboratory samples were taken to determine the cause, while a study by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with the National Council for Scientific Research documented war damage to soil, forests and agricultural land in the south, with rubble estimated at about 15 million cubic meters and a plan to reuse 70 percent of it, as Palestinian camps continue to suffer accumulated electricity debts estimated at about $100 million in Burj al-Barajneh camp.

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07:00 Lebanon: Dispute over statements attributed to Hezbollah and Qassem, expected US sanctions on judges, and power cut at Beirut airport

Political attention in Lebanon centered on a statement attributed to "Hezbollah", with a senior political source telling "Nidaa al-Watan" that the most dangerous element was not the repetition of its known positions but its insistence on placing decisions of war and peace and the conditions of national sovereignty outside Lebanon's state institutions. In the same context, media coverage described a statement attributed to Qassem as a "coup against the national will" and an "adventure for Lebanon", while the published text carried no additional details on the statement's content or circumstances.

Separately, sources told "Nidaa al-Watan", as reported by Lebanon ON, that US sanctions will be imposed on Lebanese judges for reasons including proven corruption and cooperation with "Hezbollah". The appointment of 43 employees in one ministry also sparked a sectarian controversy, after MPs described the appointments as a "scandal" because they did not take the country's sectarian balance into account.

On the services front, MP Jamil al-Sayyed commented on X on the urgent appeal issued by the presidency of Beirut International Airport over the power cut that has affected the airport since Wednesday morning, criticizing talk of reoperating Qlayaat airport at a time when the state cannot secure electricity for Beirut airport. The airport's presidency had announced that the facility was suffering a cut in supply from the public grid, that operations were continuing via backup generators, and called on the Ministry of Energy and Electricité du Liban to move quickly to restore power.

Other items included Aoun's presence in Tripoli, framed as "the battle of the image and the state", and the file of cannabis legality, whose farmers still operate outside the law.

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01:00 Wide Israeli airstrikes and shelling in the south... Lebanon awaits Israeli election results and the Dahr al-Baydar file

South Lebanon witnessed a wide security escalation, as Israeli aircraft launched two waves of airstrikes on the town of Kafr Tibnit, flew at low altitude and dropped thermal illumination bombs, while strikes targeted Wadi al-Hujayr and the outskirts of Braasheet, which was also hit by an unexploded missile and re-shelled. The National News Agency reported artillery shelling targeting Kafr Tibnit toward al-Khardali and the Marjeyoun plain. An Israeli explosion targeted the town of Khiam, two booby-trapped drones exploded over Mansouri after flying at low altitude over Mansouri, Qlaileh and Beit al-Siyad, and two young men entered the occupied town of Qantara on foot.

Diplomatically, President Joseph Aoun discussed with Irish Foreign and Defence Minister Helen McEntee the continuation of UNIFIL's mission or finding an alternative European formula in cooperation with the United Nations, affirming Lebanon's commitment to that, amid US pressure on Beirut over Hezbollah and the Dahr al-Baydar explosives file and threats of sanctions. Diplomatic sources told "Al-Jadeed" that the US administration wants greater engagement on the Lebanon file without field or military intervention, and that any progress remains contingent on steps taken by the Lebanese government, as official and political circles await the final results of the Israeli elections and their implications for the stalled Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, the south Lebanon file and the weapons issue.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the party does not care who rules Israel, stressing that the resistance continues and refusing to discuss handing over its weapons as long as occupation and aggression continue. He called on Israel to withdraw in accordance with the November 27, 2024 agreement and Resolution 1701 and the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, described the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding as a source of strength that proved effective in reducing aggression against Lebanon, and stressed the strength of ties with the Amal Movement, the rejection of sedition and support for dialogue.

Judicially, the Dahr al-Baydar explosives file is approaching the indictment stage, with Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem expected to receive the preliminary investigation records, two detainees still held and the identities of five other suspects revealed, including a person named "Sajed," another named "Dhulfiqar," the wife of a detainee and the truck owner; a judicial source expects the indictment on Thursday. Domestically, the four Lebanese Forces ministers decided to boycott the cabinet session after the referral of the Dahr al-Baydar and Al-Qasr explosives file to the Judicial Council was postponed, Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud ordered the closure of the "Nadini" restaurant and sealed the "Rahamco" warehouse in Raouche over suspected poisoning cases, and the Secondary Teachers' Association announced a strike on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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2026-10-28

19:00 Qassem rejects any discussion of Hezbollah's weapons; Israeli escalation in the south and a power cut at Beirut airport

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem affirmed that the party will continue its resistance against Israeli aggression, rejecting any discussion of surrendering its weapons as long as the occupation persists, and demanding that Israel withdraw from Lebanese territory in line with the November 27, 2024 agreement, Resolution 1701, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River. He described the "framework agreement" as unconstitutional and "as good as non-existent," said the Iran-US agreement is a source of strength for the party and Lebanon, called the Israeli election results "one image of defeat," and stressed the strength of ties between Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and allied pro-resistance forces.

These positions came as the south witnessed Israeli military escalation: an explosion near the town of Kounine, two drones exploding over the town of Mansouri, and a large explosion around Deir Mimas in the Marjayoun district after Israeli forces told residents to open their windows, amid continued incursions and detonations in border villages and towns. In Beirut, a high-level security meeting brought together security leaders from Hezbollah and representatives of a major security agency — the first of its kind since the Dahr al-Baydar and al-Qasr shipment incidents — to discuss lowering tension between official agencies and the party's environment. This comes amid debate over the implementation of the March 2, 2026 decision banning Hezbollah's military and security activities; MP Ghada Ayoub said the decision remains "ink on paper" for lack of political will, while retired Brigadier General Georges Nader said nothing of it has been implemented.

Politically, President Joseph Aoun warned that Lebanon cannot live without its Christian and Muslim wings, saying that losing the Christian wing would make extremism the alternative and allow it to spread to Europe. He stressed the need to keep UNIFIL forces or replace them with European forces, and that the solution lies in diplomatic negotiation rather than war. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam opened the second edition of the National Industry Exhibition in Beirut, announcing three commitments to stimulate local production, expand exports and attract technology investments; he also chaired a meeting on waste attended by Environment Minister Tamara El Zein and Council for Development and Reconstruction head Mohammad Ali Qabbani, and received a delegation from the International Union of Socialist Youth and the Progressive Youth Organization.

On the security and services front, power was cut off at Beirut airport with an urgent appeal directed to Electricité du Liban. The Internal Security Forces uncovered a network promoting fake medicines and products — some of them sexual stimulants — via Facebook and TikTok using AI-generated videos, arresting a number of those involved after raids in Barbour, Dbayeh, Choueifat and Daraya and seizing thousands of packages and $13,602. The Army announced the arrest of four wanted individuals in Dinniyeh–Minya and the seizure of about 5 kg of hashish and cocaine in Hermel, while General Security continues its return plan with a new phase for Syrian displaced persons. A Syrian man was arrested in Sarafand after confessing to deliberately killing his wife and trying to conceal the crime by claiming she fell in the bathroom, and a severe traffic accident in Zahrani on the Sidon–Tyre road left several people injured. Culturally, Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh discussed cultural relations with Iraqi Ambassador Mohammad Reda al-Husseini, and the Lebanon International Hakawati Festival was launched with the participation of four Arab countries.

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07:00 UNIFIL to end operations on 31 December 2026 as talks brew on an alternative UN formula for the south

Sources told the newspaper "Nidaa al-Watan" that the operations of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will end on 31 December 2026, and that from that date the units will stop carrying out patrols and operational tasks and return to their barracks and official headquarters. In parallel, ongoing discussions behind the scenes, according to Lebanon ON, are moving toward shaping an alternative UN formula to UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, as part of examining what the situation will be after the end of the international force's mission, with no further details on the content of this formula or the parties involved in the discussions.

In this context, a report by the newspaper "Al-Modon" addressed the visit of Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee to Beirut, where President Joseph Aoun discussed the continuation of UNIFIL's missions and the possibility of an alternative European force. The visit revived the Irish experience of addressing Hezbollah's weapons through a gradual negotiating track, but parliamentary sources saw that the model has not entered serious discussion, amid escalating American and Israeli pressure and the party's warnings of an internal explosion. Lebanon ON also reported that Washington issued a warning regarding "the Party's" calculations, indicating that the drones file and the leadership file top the ongoing preparations, without additional details on the content of the warning.

On the security level, the extremism file has returned to the circle of concern in Lebanon, according to a Lebanon ON report, amid warnings of an escalation of violence. Politically, it is noticeable that a number of Lebanese MPs belonging to political parties and movements are avoiding taking positions on diplomatic and military developments in the region, given the sensitivity of the situation and the acceleration of shifts, and in commitment to the recommendations of their party leaders. An analysis in "Al-Nahar" addressed the Lebanese state's bet on the American exterior versus Hezbollah's bet on Iranian attrition, in light of upcoming Israeli and American elections.

On the governmental level, sources at the Lebanese Presidency denied any intention of a government reshuffle, affirming that there is no logical possibility of thinking about it at present, which Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed to "Al-Nahar" by saying that there is no basis for talk of a ministerial reshuffle. Economically, a Lebanon ON report addressed the issue of electricity bills in the ministries and the question of whether the state will begin paying its dues to Electricité du Liban. On the displaced persons file, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, during his reception of the Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon Carolina Lindholm Billing, stressed the necessity of ending the file of the return of Syrian displaced persons to their country, and conveyed the Energy Ministry's demand that shelter camps pay their due electricity bills. In Tripoli, the municipality is moving to invoke a decree dating back to 1969 as part of addressing the accumulated waste crisis in the city.

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