Lebanon - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Lebanon

Lebanon

September 20, 2026

Beirut 2:04 pm

28°C

Hibatullah Barakat / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon charges 5 in alleged Hezbollah operation to train Assad loyalists

A Lebanese military court has charged the five, including an Assad-era Syrian officer and Hezbollah members, with running a cross-border security network planning attacks in Syria’s coastal region.

ISRAEL-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-MASS-MEDIA-D (L to R) Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, co-creators of the hit Israeli TV show "Fauda", attend a demonstration against the Israeli government's plans to shut-down public broadcaster KAN, in Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv on January 25, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Israeli show ‘Fauda’ tops Netflix in Lebanon, hits top 10 across Arab states

The show was created by Israeli journalist Avi Issacharoff and actor Lior Raz, drawing on their experiences serving in the Israeli military’s elite Duvdevan unit.

UN peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon, Feb. 22, 2026.

Explainer

Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

Showing its support for Lebanon, Paris is backing Beirut’s request at the UN for a short-term extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, although French sources acknowledge that the chances of the request being approved are slim.

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on Aug. 14, 2026.

Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah tunnels in Ali al-Taher ridge: What to know

The ridge has become a flashpoint in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon due to its extensive tunnel network Israel says is utilized by the Iran-backed group.

Latest News

Israeli escalation in south Lebanon leaves 27 dead in 3 days as talks stall

Kawnat HAJU / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon says at least 12 killed in Israeli strikes as tensions rise in south

An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amid the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Roummane, southern Lebanon, Sept. 7, 2026.

Analysis

Playing for time: Despite US pressure, Israel stalls Lebanon talks until after election

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Why Ali al-Taher ridge is emerging as Israel-Hezbollah flashpoint

A flare fired by the Israeli military lands over the highlands of the area of Ali al-Taher as seen from nearby Marjayoun (Marjeyoun) in southern Lebanon on June 14, 2026.

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Ali Hashem

In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict

Hanna Davis

In Beirut, reporting on politics, migration, human rights

Rodayna Raydan

In Boqaata, reporting on culture

A Lebanese activist, dressed as a bride, carries a sign during the Lebanese Laique Pride, a secular march towards citizenship, in Beirut May 6, 2012. The signs read, "A Muslim secular supporting the civil marriage" and "Freedom, peace, human rights" (L). REUTERS/Wadih Shlink (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST SOCIETY IMMIGRATION) - RTR31OXC

Is Lebanon a Veiled Theocracy?

Recent debate in Lebanon over the legalization of civil marriage has caused an uproar and raised questions about the true nature of the Lebanese Republic, writes Jean Aziz.

Pope Benedict XVI is greeted by the patriarch of Lebanese Christian Maronites, Bishara Boutros al-Rai, as Lebanon's President looks on upon his arrival at Beirut's airport September, 14, 2012. REUTERS/ Jamal Saidi (LEBANON - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS) - RTR37YUG

Lebanese Elections Linked To Syria, Regional Crisis

Although regional crises threaten to postpone upcoming Lebanese parliamentary elections, the international community is insistent upon elections taking place on time, writes Mohammad Harfoush.

Sunni Muslim Salafist leader Ahmad al-Assir (R) poses with a snowboarder in Faraya ski area, in Mount Lebanon, January 24, 2013. Lebanese Army dispersed protesters and reopened a blocked road leading to Faraya in an attempt to prevent al-Assir and his supporters from reaching the ski area, according to local media. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST SPORT RELIGION) - RTR3CW87

Salafist Leader Goes SkiingTo Broaden Support in Lebanon

Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir recently journeyed to the Lebanese resort of Faraya to go skiing in a public-relations effort to depict himself as part of a new generation of Salafist leaders and to broaden his base of support, writes Nasser Chararah.

Tear gas fired by riot police is seen during clashes with protesters opposing Egyptian President Mursi along Qasr Al Nil bridge, which leads to Tahrir Square in Cairo January 27, 2013. Police fired teargas at dozens of stone-throwing protesters in Cairo on Sunday in a fourth day of street clashes that have killed at least 42 people and compounded the challenges facing President Mohamed Mursi. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3D1T3

Egypt Needs Dialogue Now

Clovis Maksoud urges Egypt to begin a dialogue and end the political crisis.

Lebanese soldiers set up concertina wire after Palestinians threw stones at the army post and started a fire at the entrance of the Ain al Hilweh refugee camp near the port-city of Sidon, in south Lebanon, June 19, 2012, to protest the recent clashes that happened between Lebanese army soldiers and Palestinians in a separate refugee camp in Lebanon. The Lebanese army shot dead two Palestinians in a refugee camp near the northern city of Tripoli on Monday after confrontations broke out during the funeral of

Al-Qaeda Taking Root in Lebanon

As refugees move between Syria and Lebanon, fears grow that al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist groups could increase their influence in Lebanon, writes Mohammad Harfoush.

A man from the Salafist faction holds up a banner that reads "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God", on the second anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution at Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis January 14, 2013. Thousands of Tunisians protested against the Islamist-led government on Monday, exactly two years after the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a popular revolt that inspired others across the Arab world. In the same street, about 2,000 supporters of the Islamic-led

The Arab Awakening at Two:Facebook to Faith Book

Nassif Hitti focuses on the ascendance of Islamist movements on the second anniversary of the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

A Lebanese activist, dressed as a bride, carries a sign during the Lebanese Laique Pride, a secular march towards citizenship, in Beirut May 6, 2012. The signs read, "A Muslim secular supporting the civil marriage" and "Freedom, peace, human rights" (L). REUTERS/Wadih Shlink (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST SOCIETY IMMIGRATION) - RTR31OXC

Hope for a Secular Lebanon

Clovis Maksoud comments on the civil union of Kholoud Sukkariya and Nidal Darwish as giving hope for a more secular Lebanon.

Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah shout slogans during a rally to commemorate the birth of Prophet Mohammad in Beirut's suburbs, January 25, 2013. REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS)

Hezbollah Satisfied With Israeli Election Results

Nasser Chararah explains how Hezbollah interprets Israeli politics and the recent elections.

Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid (There's a Future) party, speaks to members of the media outside his home in Tel Aviv January 23, 2013. Lapid, a former television news anchor whose new centrist party stormed to second place in Israel's election, may well be the kingmaker holding the keys to the next coalition government. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)

Israel's Election Results: Mirage or Reality?

Clovis Maksoud examines the results of the Israeli elections and calls for Palestinian unity.

Lebanese army soldiers inspect a car at a checkpoint in the port city of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, during clashes between Sunni Muslims and Alawites December 6, 2012. Two men were killed by sniper fire in Tripoli on Thursday during sectarian clashes between gunmen loyal to opposing sides in neighbouring Syria's civil war, residents said. REUTERS/Stringer (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY TRANSPORT)

Should Lebanon Amend The Taif Accords?

Mohammad Harfoush analyzes the history of the Taif Accords and asks whether they should be amended given the current political climate.

U.S. President Barack Obama stands with members of the U.S. military at the Commander in Chief's Ball during presidential inauguration ceremonies in Washington, January 21, 2013. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)

US Seeks To Be 'Great Power,' Not a Superpower

Clovis Maksoud analyzes US President Barack Obama's inaugural address.

An Israeli soldier uses a pair of binoculars by the entrance of Marwahine village in south Lebanon September 27, 2006. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON)

Israel's Elections Linked to Its Arab Policies

Historically, there has been a close relationship between Knesset elections and the way in which Israel has conducted its regional foreign policy towards the Arabs, writes Jean Aziz.