This is Beirut

03/06/2026

The United States, Lebanon, and Israel issued a joint statement following the fourth high-level trilateral meeting held on June 2–3, announcing agreement on a framework for a ceasefire and outlining steps toward broader security arrangements.

More here:

The United States, Lebanon, and Israel issued a joint statement following the fourth high-level trilateral meeting held on June 2–3, announcing agreement on a …

03/06/2026

Delegations from Lebanon and Israel are continuing direct talks in Washington under U.S. mediation. Amid the diplomatic track, Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon have continued over the past 24 hours, with the IDF reporting strikes and destruction of Hezbollah-linked infrastructure across the area.

More here: https://f.mtr.cool/ivlydhrtmy

03/06/2026

In an interview with CNBC, Netanyahu stated that "if we want to save Lebanon" and achieve a Lebanese-Israeli peace agreement, Hezbollah must be disarmed and demilitarized. He also claimed that many of those targeting Israel are operating from Beirut.

More here: https://f.mtr.cool/srrvsmhjng

03/06/2026

Commentary: For decades, Hezbollah has presented itself as a resistance movement. Yet some of its most forceful rhetoric has been directed at the Lebanese state, its institutions, and political actors advocating for state authority.

This raises a broader question about who Hezbollah is truly confronting: external adversaries, or the Lebanese state itself as it seeks to assert its authority on the militia’s parallel political and financial structures.

By Ralph Atrach

03/06/2026

Kuwait reported one death and 63 injuries following an Iranian missile and drone attack on civilian and vital infrastructure, including the airport.

Read more here: https://f.mtr.cool/opfjvuosji

03/06/2026

Opinion: Lebanon’s negotiating approach with Israel is failing because it sidesteps the issue of Hezbollah’s arms, which is the core driver of continued conflict, territorial losses, and instability. Bringing all weapons under state authority is the only way to enable a ceasefire, restore sovereignty, and secure Israeli withdrawal, writes Marwan El Amine.

Read more here:

Lebanon has paid—and continues to pay—a heavy price because of Hezbollah’s weapons.

03/06/2026

Analysts say Israel’s capture of Beaufort Castle could pave the way for a deeper advance into southern Lebanon, potentially breaching Hezbollah’s remaining defensive positions, while increasing pressure on Hezbollah to further degrade its military presence in the south and on the Lebanese state to take a clearer position on disarming the group, writes Samar El Kadi.

Insights from Johnny Mnayyer, Makram Rabah, and Riad Kahwaji

Read here:

As the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) escalate their campaign in southern Lebanon, the capture of Beaufort Castle this past weekend opens the potential for a deep…

02/06/2026

As meetings between Lebanese and Israeli officials, mediated by the United States, proceed in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized Hezbollah as an impediment to reaching an understanding between Lebanon and Israel.

"The impediment in Lebanon is the fact that Hezbollah has embedded itself into that country...and all the suffering that happened is entirely funded, entirely controlled by Iran," Rubio said.

02/06/2026

Speaking to This Is Beirut, MP Fouad Makhzoumi said recent meetings among Sunni MPs and public statements by religious and political figures indicate a shift toward support for direct negotiations with Israel.

He referenced polling data he cited as showing broad support for peace talks across multiple Lebanese communities, while acknowledging variation in responses among sects. Makhzoumi said the current moment represents a political opening that should be turned into concrete progress toward peace.

Claudia Groeling and Kaline Antoun

Watch the full interview here: https://f.mtr.cool/fhubfidbba

02/06/2026

Speaking to This Is Beirut, MP Fouad Makhzoumi described Lebanon’s “deep state” as an entrenched system of sectarian power-sharing that prioritizes loyalty to political leaders over loyalty to the state. He said this network has historically controlled key institutions and sustained its influence through what he characterized as a tightly held ruling “club.”

He added that dismantling this system requires political change through elections and stronger state authority.

By Claudia Groeling and Kaline Antoun

Watch the full interview here: https://f.mtr.cool/cmeslgjqrw