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Ben Gvir reportedly proposed arresting women and youth from Hizbullah-related families, according to the Israeli press. This declaration revives the charge of collective punishment, questions international humanitarian law and places Israel's allies in the face of a major political and legal red line at the heart of the conflict.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the Israeli army issued a new evacuation order targeting Tyre, its camps and several surrounding neighbourhoods, including the Christian neighbourhood of the Old City. This measure comes after the official Lebanese denunciation of the damage caused by bombardments near the archaeological sites in Tyre, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Artifacts, columns, capitals, column bases and mosaics were reportedly damaged by debris.

The Israeli technique in Lebanon resembles the frog in a pot: temperature rises in degrees, village after village, strikes after strike, evacuation order after evacuation order. Meanwhile, Lebanon is being asked to negotiate as if a ceasefire could be unilateral. This editorial defends the obvious: no serious discussion can begin without complete, complete, reciprocal and verifiable cessation of military operations.

The traffic at Beirut airport fell sharply, with a 34.2% decrease in the number of passengers over the first five months of 2026. At the same time, the Lebanese government is relaunching the Rene Mouawad airport in Qolayat, Akkar. This decision responds to an old demand from the North, but it can also exacerbate public finances if it adds fixed costs to a shrinking air market.

Resident bank deposits fell by £2,710 billion over the week ended May 21, 2026. This contraction is mainly due to a decrease in foreign currency deposits equivalent to $45.5 million. The increase in book deposits is mainly based on overnight accounts, while savings are declining. The signal remains a concern for a banking system that has not regained the confidence of depositors.

The loss of war in Lebanon would already exceed $20 billion since 2024 and could reach $25 billion if hostilities continued. Over 61,000 dwellings were reported to have been totally or partially damaged between March and early May 2026. Reconstruction is expected to be all the more difficult as the state remains in default, the banking sector is not restructured and the international aid available remains limited to the extent of the needs.

CNN reports, citing an American official, that the United States did not intercept any Iranian missile during the night. The same source finds the Israeli claim that Washington was involved in the interception of ballistic missiles launched by Iran to Israel unfounded. This denial comes after a sequence of cross strikes between Israel and Iran, while the United States seeks to contain escalation and preserve a negotiating space.

The US Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, was received in Baabda by President Joseph Aoun and then in the Grand Serail by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He confirmed that negotiations should resume in Washington and that Donald Trump followed the Lebanese case daily. Nawaf Salam recalled, for his part, that no one was negotiating on behalf of Lebanon outside the Lebanese state.

The Lebanese Ministry of Culture, by the Directorate General of Antiquities, calls for immediate intervention by the international community to protect the Beaufort Castle, or Qalaat al-Shaqif. The call responds to videos and maps broadcast by Israeli media, claiming that the site or its environment would house military infrastructure. Beirut rejects these accusations and insists on the heritage status of the monument, its public management since 2000 and its enhanced protection.

Sanctions against Israel are at the centre of European diplomacy. France is preparing coordinated measures against individuals linked to settler violence in the West Bank, while Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Slovenia are moving towards trade restrictions on settlements. The UK now appears ready to join a new E1 sequence. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich's comments on the West Bank and Lebanon could also push some of Israel's historical allies to support targeted sanctions.

The end of the MEA monopoly marks a turning point for Lebanese aviation. Granted from the late 1960s and extended in 1992 and 2012, exclusivity protected the national company from crises and market risks. Its expiry can open the way for new Lebanese operators, at more competition and at more accessible prices. But without a strong regulator, transparency and fair access rules, opening up could create new rents instead of a modern market.

Moodys keeps Lebanon under strong financial pressure. The Agency estimates that rapid IMF assistance of up to $1 billion would not change sovereign note C without debt restructuring or a comprehensive stabilization programme. War, the decline in tourism, massive displacement and the pressure on the balance of payments aggravate a crisis whose causes remain primarily institutional and political.

Donald Trump returned Israel and Iran back to back after a night of cross-strike, asking the two countries to stop firing immediately. Tehran announced the suspension of its last wave of attacks, while making this pause conditional upon the cessation of Israeli operations in Lebanon. The sequence also reveals an increasing tension between Washington and Tel Aviv, aggravated by electoral interests opposed to the United States and Israel.

The municipality of Beirut is subject to an investigation by the Court of Auditors following revelations by Al Akhbar about employees with allegedly disproportionate assets. The newspaper quotes 15 properties, a transfer of $1 million followed by a purchase of real estate in Paris and $5 million in the account of an employee's minor son. The issue questions internal controls, political protections and the ability of financial justice to trace the entire chain of responsibilities.