2025 municipal and mukhtar election results announced for Jezzine district
Click here to view the full results.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun chairs first meeting of committee tasked with Cyprus border negotiations
BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chaired on Thursday the first meeting of the committee tasked with negotiating with Cyprus to demarcate the maritime borders of the exclusive economic zone between the two countries, according to a statement released by the Lebanese Presidency. The committee is headed by Public Works Minister Fayez Rasamni. According to the Presidency, the "principles to be adopted in the negotiations were presented with the aim of reaching an agreement." Talks on the Lebanon-Cyprus maritime border date back to 2007, when the two sides drafted an initial agreement setting their southern maritime tripoint with Israel at point 1, off Naqoura. But the Lebanese Parliament never ratified the agreement due to Turkish pressure. In 2011, Lebanon submitted Decree No. 6433 to the U.N., defining its EEZ unilaterally between point 23 (south) and point 7 (north). These key coordinates mark the EEZ boundaries with Israel and Syria. Point 23 is especially crucial — it defines Lebanon's southern maritime limit where its waters intersect with the Cypriot and Israeli EEZs. In June 2024, around three months before his assassination, Hezbollah's former Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, attacked Cyprus, warning it against "opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy," in the event of a wider war between the group and Israel. The warnings issued by the secretary-general of the party provoked numerous reactions from the political class in Beirut and the Cypriot authorities. Despite this episode, ties between Lebanon and Cyprus have been growing recently. Last month, Joseph Aoun met in Nicosia with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries across various sectors. In late April, Cypriot Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades announced the launch of a ferry line between Lebanon and Cyprus, expected to begin service soon. Moreover, Cyprus recently proposed to lay a submarine cable to supply electricity from Cyprus to Lebanon.
LBCI
6 hours ago
- LBCI
Israel's Netanyahu to convene security meeting on expanding Gaza war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to meet with a small group of senior ministers on Thursday to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza, despite mounting criticism at home and abroad over the nearly two-year-old war there. Netanyahu will convene the security cabinet following a three-hour meeting this week with the head of the military, which Israeli officials described as tense, saying the military chief had pushed back on expanding the campaign. Opinion polls show that most Israelis want the war to end in a deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages. Netanyahu's government has insisted on total victory over the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which ignited the war with its deadly October 2023 attack on Israel. The idea of Israeli forces pushing into areas it does not already control in the shattered Palestinian enclave has generated alarm in Israel. The mother of one hostage on Thursday urged people to take to the streets to voice their opposition to expanding the campaign. Reuters
LBCI
21 hours ago
- LBCI
Hezbollah's arsenal through the years: A historical overview of its rise and impact
Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Mariella Succar Since its founding in 1982, Hezbollah's arsenal has evolved from basic tools of local resistance into a fully integrated military system, now considered a key component of regional deterrence dynamics. This transformation was not just a result of technical battlefield advances but stemmed from sustained external support—first from Iran, then Syria—in weapons, training, and supply routes that ran from Iran to Lebanon via Syria. The development of Hezbollah's arsenal occurred in six phases: Phase One began during the organization's formation, with direct Iranian military assistance. Iran capitalized on the political and security vacuum created by the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, deploying its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps via Syria into the Bekaa Valley. There, members of what became known as "The Faithful Amal"—a group that split from the Amal Movement—underwent training in guerrilla warfare, ambush tactics, and the use of improvised explosive devices against the Israeli army, which was occupying large swaths of southern Lebanon. Iran began supplying Hezbollah with light and medium-range weapons. Phase Two spanned from 1990 to 2000. Following the Taif Agreement, Hezbollah's weapons remained the only arms outside state control, justified under the banner of resisting occupation. During this period, regional supply lines were expanded, providing the group with Katyusha rockets and anti-armor guided munitions. With Syria overseeing Lebanese political affairs at the time, Hezbollah assumed responsibility for security and military resistance. In 1996, Hezbollah's confrontation with Israel during 'Operation Grapes of Wrath' marked the first time its rockets were used as part of a deterrent strategy. The Israeli army's full withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 further solidified the group's legitimacy as a resistance force in the eyes of many Lebanese, instead of prompting disarmament. Phase Three, from 2000 to 2006, saw a qualitative leap in Hezbollah's arsenal, culminating in the July 2006 war with Israel. The group used medium-range Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 rockets with ranges of 45 to 75 kilometers, along with Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles, which proved decisive in battle. Hezbollah also employed naval missiles to hit the Israeli Sa'ar warship and introduced tunnel networks and ground communication systems. Phase Four, from 2006 to 2012, reflected Hezbollah's shift toward strategic regional weaponry. Long-range missiles like Zelzal and Fateh-110, and even Scud missiles, reportedly entered the group's arsenal. Hezbollah also unveiled reconnaissance drones, such as the 'Mirsad.' Phase Five, from 2013 to 2020, coincided with Hezbollah's military involvement in Syria. Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, aware of the implications of Bashar al-Assad's potential fall, intensified efforts to preserve the group's advanced weapon supply routes. This period further expanded Hezbollah's battlefield experience and access to strategic weapons. Phase Six, from 2020 until just before the September 24 war, marked the height of Hezbollah's stockpiling. Reports during this period estimated its arsenal at over 150,000 missiles, including precision-guided munitions and drones capable of penetrating air defense systems. All of this weaponry was sourced from Iran and transported through Syria to Lebanon. However, in the most recent conflict, this arsenal proved insufficient against Israel's advanced technological capabilities, particularly its AI-driven warfare systems. This has raised questions: What remains of Hezbollah's rocket and aerial capabilities? Have they fulfilled their strategic purpose? Is it time to transition this arsenal toward the service of state-building?
