Limo in Lebanon, IN

BEIRUT — Following visits to Lebanon by US Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus and Egyptian Intelligence Director Maj. Gen. Hassan Mahmoud Rashad — both carrying clear international messages emphasizing the need to preserve Lebanon’s stability and prevent it from sliding into another war amid escalating Israeli threats of conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah — the Political Bureau and Central Council of the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP) held their regular meeting, chaired by party president Ibrahim Mrad.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the USUP declared that “Hezbollah’s insistence on maintaining its weapons under the pretext of defending the south and Lebanon is nothing but deception and distortion of reality. Successive events have proven that these weapons have protected neither Hezbollah’s leaders nor its own community, but instead have brought calamities upon all Lebanese.”

The statement further described Hezbollah’s arsenal as “the weaponry of a militia politically and ideologically subordinated to Iran’s regional project and the interests of Tehran — not those of Lebanon and its people — and as the primary cause of destructive wars, economic collapse, and the erosion of the state’s institutions and authority.”

The party condemned Hezbollah’s declaration that it has restored its military and logistical capabilities, calling it “a blatant challenge to the Lebanese state and to international resolutions, one that provides Israel with pretexts to continue its assaults and airstrikes — exposing Lebanon to the risk of total destruction and complete collapse.”

Reiterating its long-standing position, the USUP called for “the implementation of international resolutions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter,” describing it as “the only path to liberate Lebanon from the grip of Hezbollah’s weapons, as well as those of Palestinian factions and their affiliates.”

The party urged the Lebanese government to “seek assistance from effective international forces to support the Lebanese Army in extending its authority across the entire national territory and in safeguarding the sovereignty of the state and the dignity of its people.”

The USUP urged the Lebanese government to show courage and a sense of national responsibility by entering into a direct peace process with Israel under US sponsorship. It said Lebanon should follow the example of Arab countries that have chosen the path of peace, development, and prosperity over war, destruction, and ignorance, in order to secure a safe and stable future for the next generations.

The party also stressed the importance of guaranteeing the participation of Lebanese expatriates in the upcoming parliamentary elections, allowing them to vote for all 128 seats on an equal basis with residents in Lebanon. It rejected any form of discrimination or denial of their constitutional rights.

Allocating only six parliamentary seats to expatriates “violates the principle of equality and marginalizes a community that constitutes Lebanon’s true economic lifeline,” stated the USUP. Without the expatriates’ remittances and constant support for their families and homeland, the party added, “Lebanon’s crises would have been far more catastrophic.” The statement urged that the diaspora “be treated as an integral part of the nation, not as outsiders — for they are partners in saving and rebuilding Lebanon, not seasonal visitors to its land.”

The statement concluded by asserting that “the state’s hesitation, and the complicity of certain political forces with the militia’s weapons, are the main reasons behind Lebanon’s ongoing collapse and isolation. Only a bold and sovereign national decision can restore Lebanon’s legitimacy and international standing, placing it once again on the path of genuine peace and lasting stability.”

Over the past few months, we have been exposed to various publications — both journalistic and research-based, from Lebanese as well as international sources — claiming that there is no real military purpose for Israel to hold on to the five geographic points inside Lebanese territory, near the border.

It is also claimed that Israel’s daily attacks on Lebanese territory weaken the Lebanese government and provides Hezbollah with an excuse not to give up its weapons. In addition, it is argued that Hezbollah, for its part, is showing patience, but continued Israeli escalation will lead to a response from it.

Warning / Deterrence / Intentions / Capabilities — four words that capture the essence of Israel’s lesson from October 7, 2023: Israel has learned that it cannot rely completely on receiving warning of actions against it, cannot rely on achieving deterrence over its enemies, and cannot be certain of its ability to interpret, analyze, and understand their intentions.

Israel faces enemies with an extreme religious ideology — such as Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and even a significant portion of the forces that make up Ahmad al-Sharra’s regime in Syria. Enemies of this kind will always have the ideology and motivation for “resistance” and for the destruction of Israel — and they possess both time and patience in abundance.

Israel, however, can analyze and assess capabilities — that is, what such enemies are potentially able to do and what their potential threat to Israel is. Based on this analysis and assessment, Israel can prepare militarily.

The five geographic points mentioned above constitute a central component of Israel’s military preparedness against the potential threat from Hezbollah.

These are five points located in strategic areas that hold topographical dominance over the surrounding geographic space — both on the Lebanese and Israeli sides — and they provide strong physical protection for the Israeli communities near the border.

Operationally — based on a comparative analysis we carried out, it is clear that all five points lie right in the heart of the Radwan unit’s infiltration routes that were planned to enable an incursion into the Galilee… Anyone who thinks Hezbollah’s motivation to penetrate Israeli territory in one way or another has vanished should think again.

On the psychological/perception front — for a change, residents of northern Israel near the Lebanese border do not wake up to see Hezbollah’s flag with Radwan unit fighters around it, controlling the area. They wake up and see the Israeli flag. Residents of the north understand that Hezbollah cannot, at present, carry out its original plan to invade the Galilee and stage a “northern October 7.”

Since the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, and up to the time of writing these lines, Israel has carried out 600 strikes in southern Lebanon, in the Beqaa Valley, and in Beirut. Forty-eight percent of these strikes took place south of the Litani River, in the 1701 area.

These strikes were carried out against Hezbollah’s activities in general — and particularly against its reconstruction efforts, which violate the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese state neither has the will nor the capability to genuinely confront Hezbollah. Anyone who thinks that Hezbollah will disarm or be disarmed is mistaken and misleading, and anyone who believes that Israel’s strikes give Hezbollah an “excuse” not to disarm is doubly mistaken and misleading.

“The ‘excuse’ is a deception. Hezbollah’s core and identity are armed resistance. The rifle on its flag is not decoration; it is a statement. From the words of Ibrahim al-Amin (editor of Al-Akhbar — Hezbollah’s mouthpiece) in November 2024, one can grasp the essence of Hezbollah’s core worldview: ‘The current confrontation is only another round in the war to destroy Israel. Hezbollah will rebuild itself and become stronger again.’To these remarks one can add Hassan Nasrallah’s past words: ‘They will take our lives before they take our weapons… the weapon is a symbol of honor and pride…'”

And indeed, from the ongoing and close monitoring of events in Lebanon, it is plainly evident how Hezbollah — under Iranian patronage and with Iranian assistance — is working to rebuild its military capabilities (smuggling weapons and money, repairing and manufacturing weapons, recruiting and training operatives, restoring military infrastructure, refreshing operational plans, and more).

Hezbollah’s interest at the moment is to preserve, as much as possible, the continuity of its reconstruction and not to carry out moves against Israel that could cause significantly greater harm to those reconstruction efforts than the damage Israel is already inflicting. But let us not be mistaken Hezbollah currently has operational capability and, if it decides to, can launch offensive actions against Israel in various forms.

The term “patience,” as attributed to Hezbollah, stems from Hezbollah’s clear internal interest in focusing on military recovery — not from any display of “regional strategic responsibility.”

We invite anyone who wishes, is able, and is relevant to contact us and/or visit us in person at the Alma Center to receive a professional briefing — and even to tour along the border to see Israel’s security challenges in the north with their own eyes. In any case, you are welcome to visit our website and follow our publications on our various social media channels.

Under the patronage and in the presence of General Rodolphe Haykal, Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Lebanon today inaugurated its Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) at Beirut Naval Base. The Centre was established with funding from the European Union and the French Republic under the project “Disaster Management, Port and Maritime Reform for Economic Recovery”, with technical and advisory support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other partners.

The JRCC, the first of its kind in Lebanon, is designed to strengthen the Armed Forces’ capacity to protect lives at sea and oversee Lebanese territorial waters. Its work is grounded in the four pillars of disaster risk management: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The Centre will coordinate maritime emergency response, enabling faster and more effective action in cases of distress calls, maritime accidents, and migrant rescues.

The Centre also promotes civil–military cooperation, bringing together the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Internal Security Forces, General Security, Civil Defense, and other relevant ministries. It integrates staff from multiple national institutions and agencies, as well as UNIFIL’s Maritime Task Force.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ms. Nathalie Zaarour, representing the Ministry of Public Works and Transport; H.E. Sandra De Waele, Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon; H.E. Hervé Magro, Ambassador of France to Lebanon; and Ms. Blerta Aliko, UNDP Resident Representative in Lebanon, alongside several Directors-General, representatives of security agencies, government institutions, and international organizations.

In his remarks, General Rodolphe Haykal underlined the urgent need for a national centre of this kind, operating in line with international standards. He stated: “The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre is first and foremost a humanitarian message before being a technical achievement. It reflects a true partnership between the Lebanese Armed Forces, friendly nations, and international organizations to safeguard every human life—whether citizen or passerby.”

He also highlighted the Army’s ongoing missions across Lebanon: maintaining domestic security and stability, monitoring and securing the northern and eastern borders, leading the national counter-terrorism effort, combating smuggling and drug trafficking, and reinforcing state authority across all Lebanese territory. He concluded by thanking the European Union, the French authorities, and all partners who contributed to the establishment of the Centre.

French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro emphasized France’s continued commitment, stressing: “France will continue to support this project, both in the training of personnel—primarily locally but also in mainland France—and in sharing its extensive experience in the field. The planned visits of French military vessels, expected to increase, will notably facilitate this support and gradual progress.”

UNDP Resident Representative Blerta Aliko underscored the human dimension of the initiative, stating: “Above all, this project is about people—saving lives, protecting vulnerable communities, and reinforcing public confidence in the State’s ability to respond. With continued collaboration among Lebanon’s institutions and international partners, the country will be better prepared to manage risks at sea and ensure safety for all.

4 August 2025, Beirut, Lebanon – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy has concluded a 3-day – from 23 to 25 July 2025 – official visit to Lebanon. Dr Balkhy met with national authorities, health workers, civil society actors and international partners and witnessed firsthand the profound challenges facing the Lebanese health system.

At the heart of the mission was a call for increased domestic and international investment in health as Lebanon navigates multiple overlapping crises, including economic collapse, protracted conflict and one of the highest refugee burdens per capita globally.

“The health sector has shown remarkable resilience – but the needs are vast and growing,” said Dr Balkhy. “Trauma care, mental health services, essential medicines and rehabilitation and assistive products for persons with disabilities are in urgent demand.”

Dr Balkhy held high-level meetings with the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, the First Lady, the Minister of Public Health and the Minister of Finance to discuss Lebanon’s most pressing health priorities. These include pharmaceutical security, cancer care, substance use treatment and the urgent need to reinforce health governance and sustainable financing mechanisms.

She also participated in the launch of the WHO–Lebanon Country Cooperation Strategy 2026–2029, a joint roadmap developed with the Ministry of Public Health. The Strategy aims to strengthen health security, drive system recovery and reform and address both social and environmental determinants of health.

“We have a narrow but critical window of opportunity before needs escalate further and the consequences of inaction become irreversible,” Dr Balkhy warned. “Smart investment, international solidarity and a commitment to public health from the ground up could still turn the tide.”

While acknowledging progress made, Dr Balkhy emphasized the urgent need to close funding gaps. Currently, less than half of the health-related needs outlined in the 2025 Lebanon Response Plan are funded, with an even more uncertain outlook for 2026. She appealed to donors and partners to sustain and expand their support.

In visits to health care facilities in the Beirut suburban area and in meetings with frontline staff Dr Balkhy commended the resilience and dedication of Lebanese health workers who serve in extremely challenging and resource-limited conditions.

WHO remains fully committed to strengthening Lebanon’s national health system, supporting recovery efforts and ensuring access to essential services for all, especially the most vulnerable.