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Donald Trump promised to greatly assist Lebanon and treat it with respect at Joseph Aoun's reception at the White House. The US President referred to several plans to support the Lebanese army, claiming that Israeli forces had begun to withdraw from the South and placing Hezbollah at the centre of his statements. The real scope of these announcements will now depend on the guarantees obtained on withdrawal, the financing of the army and the modalities of disarmament.

Since 2019, Lebanese banks have held the country's economy hostage: frozen deposits, capital flight, "lollars", the Riad Salamé case, an IMF still waiting... Meanwhile, international investment..

The Lebanese army accuses Israeli forces of firing near its units during their deployment to Zutr al-Gharbiyah. The locality is the first real test of the pilot zone programme, which must organize the Israeli withdrawal, the entry of the army and the return of the inhabitants. The incident, which occurred on the day of the meeting between Joseph Aoun and Donald Trump, immediately called into question the military coordination and guarantees granted by Israel.

The Syrian authorities announced the seizure of 226 grenades hidden in the secret compartments of a car heading towards Lebanon. The operation took place at the Jdeidet Yabous post on the road between Damascus and Beirut. The brief official statement does not reveal the identity of the driver, the origin of the weapons, or their final destination. The case raises questions about active traffic networks between the two countries.

Fron, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh became the first locations affected by the announced pilot zone in southern Lebanon. The arrangements must organize the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of the Lebanese army, the exclusive control of the State and the return of the inhabitants. But the three villages have very different realities, between the Lebanese military presence, massive destruction, dangerous access and uncertainty about the reconstruction schedule.

The 2015 real estate slowdown had revealed a large inventory of unsold apartments and a strong disconnect between prices and incomes. After 2019, the depositors transferred part of their blocked savings to the stone, fuelling an already old bubble. Prices are rising today in some sectors despite a weakened economy. Without bank loans, however, the market cannot normally sell its stock, while refugee savings in housing remain difficult to mobilize.

FIFA reiterates that politics has no place in the stadiums. Yet, the Argentina-Spain World Cup final quickly turned into a symbolic confrontation after Benjamin Netanyahu's public support at the Albiceleste. The Spanish victory was then celebrated in the Gaza Strip, offering this final an unexpected diplomatic dimension. A demonstration that sometimes those who demand neutrality are also the first to politicize football.

According to information published on 20 July, about 300 ISIS fighters are reported in northern Lebanon. This figure, attributed to safe sources, is not accompanied by a calculation method or a detailed official balance sheet. On the other hand, the arrest of an alleged senior official of Daesh in Syria is confirmed. Operations in the North show increased vigilance, but they do not yet establish a structured network of 300 members.

The government of Nawaf Salam devoted its weekly ministerial meeting to improving power supply during the summer and following up on official visits to Turkey and Syria. Discussions focused on a tripartite electrical connection, the Tripoli-Homs and Beirut-Damas railway lines, Turkish investment, the revision of 42 Lebanese-Syrian agreements and the simplification of procedures at the Masnaa border crossing.

Trump revives the idea, Damascus denies — but on the ground, thousands of Syrian soldiers are massed at the border.

The Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the pilot areas require an international intermediary. Italy is mentioned for a field mission, while Germany proposes a European force after the end of the UNIFIL mandate. The United States should maintain the political direction of the process. The future system will have to check withdrawals, transmit information and publish violations, without having direct power to search private property.

Hezbollah maintains its refusal to surrender its weapons before the withdrawal of the Israeli army and the cessation of operations in Lebanon. Yet the United States places disarmament of the movement at the centre of its political, military and economic support in Beirut. The government must implement the framework agreement without causing internal confrontation. With Nabih Berri, the party chose to stay in the cabinet to preserve its influence and negotiate the next steps from the institutions.

The framework agreement negotiated under American mediation is presented as the main way to avoid a new war in Lebanon. However, its implementation remains threatened by disagreements over Israeli withdrawal, searches of private property, the role of the Lebanese army and Hezbollah's weapons.