This is Beirut

05/08/2026

One year after Lebanon's cabinet voted to place all non-state weapons under state authority, the country's official position has shifted—but implementation remains elusive.

Despite repeated government decisions, the Lebanese Army's efforts to expand disarmament stalled, Hezbollah rejected the process, and the issue has since become a central pillar of the ongoing U.S.-brokered Trilateral Framework negotiations with Israel.

05/08/2026

One year after Lebanon's government decided to disarm Hezbollah, analysts say the policy has seen little implementation on the ground but has fundamentally shifted the state's legal position, diplomatic trajectory and negotiations over the group's future, writes Samar El Kadi.

Insights from Nawfal Daou and Ali Hamade

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A year after the Lebanese government took the landmark decision to disarm Hezbollah, analysts say that while the policy has yet to be effectively implemented, …

04/08/2026

The Beirut port explosion investigation is entering what officials describe as its final judicial phase, with prosecutors preparing the next legal steps.

As the case advances, there are growing hopes that the long-awaited investigation will identify those responsible and bring Lebanon closer to justice six years after the blast.

By Kaline Antoun and Ralph Atrach.

04/08/2026

Following renewed U.S.-Iran fire in July 2026, Iran intensified regional attacks alongside Iran-backed militias in the ‘Axis of Resistance.’

These developments reveal a highly coordinated strategy from Iranian leadership that aims to put pressure on the U.S. and its allies, test their endurance, and signal that diplomacy will not occur solely on Washington's terms, Jeremy Brecher writes.

Insights from Alex Vatanka and Riad Kahwaji.

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As the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire has given way to renewed exchanges of fire and threats to global shipping, Tehran is sending a clear message that diplomacy …

04/08/2026

Calls for accountability over the Beirut port explosion continue six years after the blast, with renewed allegations that Hezbollah obstructed the judicial investigation and undermined state institutions. The reel also highlights calls to ensure justice is no longer delayed for the victims and their families.

By Kaline Antoun and Ralph Atrach.

04/08/2026

Lebanon's political discourse focuses on personalities instead of policy, a dynamic that benefits Hezbollah by sidelining debate over reforms, economic recovery and the group's influence, writes Hussain Abdul-Hussain.

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Whoever recognizes Hezbollah as the paramount threat should make common cause with whatever force can help dismantle it.

03/08/2026

Six years after the Beirut port explosion, victims' families recount what they describe as years of pressure, intimidation, and political obstruction that delayed the investigation, as the indictment in the case has yet to be issued.

By Kaline Antoun and Ralph Atrach

03/08/2026

Six years after the Beirut port explosion, former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's public denials are contrasted with testimonies from victims' families, who accuse Hezbollah of obstructing the judicial investigation and pressuring those seeking accountability.

By Kaline Antoun and Ralph Atrach

03/08/2026

Lebanon’s pilot zones in southern Lebanon are entering a decisive phase as Lebanon, Israel, and the U.S. seek to establish a credible verification mechanism. Without proof of Hezbollah’s disarmament and the Lebanese Armed Forces’ full control, the initiative risks stalling before achieving Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction, Amal Chmouny writes.

Insights from Matthew Levitt , General Fadi Daoud, General Khalil Gemayel, and General David Petraeus

Read More Here 👉https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/features/reports/no-progress-without-proof-the-verification-battle-over-lebanons-pilot-zones

01/08/2026

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is pursuing a two-year strategy to dismantle Hezbollah by combining military pressure, state-building, and U.S. support, arguing that restoring Lebanese sovereignty requires more than disarmament alone, writes Hussain Abdul-Hussain.

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https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/opinion/op-ed/israel-wants-hezbollah-disarmed-lebanons-presidents-wants-it-dismantled