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In the run-up to the end of the Final in December 2026, Europeans, Lebanese and international partners are already preparing the future security arrangements in South Lebanon. European mission, increased role of the army, resolution 1701 and discreet negotiations with Hezbollah draw several competing scenarios to avoid a security vacuum in the region.

From the younger son of Pierre Gemayel to the elected president of Lebanon, Bachir Gemayel experienced a staggering rise in the heart of the civil war. Controversial military leader, allied and then demanding interlocutor of Israel, he tried after his election to overcome community fractures. His assassination, on 14 September 1982, abruptly interrupted this political trajectory.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claims that the army is preparing to resume a large-scale war in the Gaza Strip before the implementation of a "migration" project involving its approximately two million Palestinian inhabitants. Israel presents these departures as volunteers. Washington assures that no forced displacement is foreseen, while Egypt reaffirms its opposition to the transfer of the Palestinian population from the enclave.

Michel Aoun filed a criminal complaint following the dissemination of information on his possible involvement in the investigation into the explosion of the port of Beirut. The former president denounces leaks of justice, while the recommendation attributed to the prosecutor remains subject to the decision of the investigating judge Tarek Bitar now alone competent.

The parliamentary battle against the government of Nawaf Salam could strengthen rather than weaken the executive. Despite criticism from several camps, there is no consistent alternative majority. A vote of confidence would force some hesitant Members to choose between maintaining the government and opening a new major political crisis.

The announced departure of the Finul already triggers negotiations on the future security arrangements in South Lebanon. Pakistan is one of the avenues for a multinational force, while an American presence is also envisaged. Beirut, Washington and several European capitals also discuss the necessary strengthening of the Lebanese army.

In Paris, international support for the Lebanese army now exceeds military needs. Partners want to link their commitment to state progress in arms and territory control. With the post-Final era and the negotiations in the South, Beirut must convince that strengthening the army will also strengthen its authority.

In Paris, support for the Lebanese army is coupled with a major diplomatic sequence around Joseph Aoun, Emmanuel Macron and Abdallah II. The Saudi presence announced at the meeting further strengthens its scope. Behind the military conference is a coordination between Paris, Beirut, Amman, Riyadh and Washington on Lebanon.

President Joseph Aoun wants to negotiate a security agreement with Israel before considering a possible peace, while maintaining as an objective the disarmament of Hezbollah without internal confrontation. Faced with the end of the operations of the Final scheduled for 31 December 2026, he also called for a temporary international force in order to avoid a security vacuum in southern Lebanon until the Lebanese army could fully deploy and control the border area.

Six years after the explosion of the port of Beirut, the Lebanese prosecutor asked Judge Tarek Bitar to prosecute former President Michel Aoun. The Public Prosecutor's Office considers that the former Head of State was aware of the presence of ammonium nitrate and the danger it posed before the disaster of 4 August 2020, without having taken the necessary measures. The final decision on the responsibilities now rests with Tarek Bitar, who is preparing his indictment.

Despite a book stabilized around 89,500 for a dollar, life remains expensive in Lebanon. War, private energy, banking crisis, finance, freight, taxation and dollarisation keep prices up. The country is now paying largely international prices, plus its malfunctions, with purchasing power still severely weakened since 2019.

Nawaf Salam's government under pressure The parliamentary session devoted to government action largely dominates the political pages of the Lebanese press of 15 September 2026. It must extend over two days. The newspapers see less the immediate prospect of a fall in [...]

The investigation into the explosion of the port of Beirut reached a decisive stage. Judge Mohammad Saab transmitted to Tarek Bitar the request of the Public Prosecutor ' s Office on the merits of the case. The investigating judge can now review the prosecution's observations and finalize his indictment. Due before the end of 2026 according to several judicial information, this document must specify the responsibilities which the magistrate considers to be established after six years of an investigation marked by multiple political and judicial blockages.

The oil scandal in Lebanon is taking on a new dimension with the identification of companies and ships linked to a vast network of Russian oil trade. At least eight companies and fifteen oil tankers involved in the Lebanese supply chain between 2023 and 2025 have since been subject to Western sanctions. In Beirut, two new judicial proceedings bring to at least three the number of investigations opened around the shipments, their origin and the conditions under which they were purchased.