English

Between 6 p.m. on 31 March and 1 April at 1000 hours on 1 April, Lebanon went through a night of strikes marked by two deadly attacks in Khalde and Jnah, while Naqurah and several southern localities remained under shell, confirming an active escalation on several territorial fronts.

Tourism in Lebanon rebounded in 2025, but war is already threatening flights, reservations and a vital source of currency.

There is a rumour that there would be coordination between the Lebanese army and Israel via Washington, with the United States transmitting instructions prior to Israeli advances in southern Lebanon. This hypothesis finds a favorable ground in very real facts: reported withdrawals from the Lebanese army, especially around Rmeish, growing fear of the inhabitants in the face of possible occupation, and Israeli will to control up to Litani. But at this stage, these elements are not enough to prove a formalised mechanism.

The conflict in the Middle East could already cost Arab economies $186 billion, according to UNDP. Regional GDP, employment, poverty and human development are at risk. The Gulf and the Levant appear to be the most exposed to this shock, which already exceeds an entire year of growth in the region.

On the eve of April 1, the world no longer offers the conditions of an harmless hoax. Between wars, rumors, videos generated by IA and false alerts, the border between real and false is dangerously blurred. In such a context, the current joke does nothing: it adds noise to an already toxic confusion. This editorial argues for a form of civic restraint, as the audit becomes almost an act of public safety.

In Lebanon, the official record at 7 p.m. puts the humanitarian crisis at the forefront, against the backdrop of bombing, fighting and tensions at the United Nations.

The current conflict in Lebanon is causing another major economic shock. The available projections suggest a contraction of real GDP from 12% to 16% in 2026, combined with the collapse of tourism, damage to infrastructure, pressure on agriculture, rising energy bills and declining demand. Behind this recession, it is the entire economy of services, trade and production that is being weakened, in a country already experiencing six years of crisis.

The Lebanese army redeployed its posts to southern Lebanon, while Israel announced its intention to control the area to Litani.

More and more countries are rationing petrol. In France, stations are broken. In Indonesia, civil servants go to telework.

After the death of three UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon, Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged Emmanuel Macron to "retaliate" invoking a "chirac doctrine". Paris remains for the time being on a diplomatic and multilateral line, while the United Nations continues to investigate attacks against the UN mission in South Lebanon.

Netanyahu claims that no ceasefire in Lebanon should be imposed on Israel under an agreement with Iran.

Donald Trump accuses France of blocking a military overflight to Israel as part of the war against Iran. According to Reuters, Paris refused a precise transfer of US weapons. The episode reveals a growing Franco-American crisis on Western alignment, between French diplomatic autonomy and Washington's strategic pressure.

Israel announces a buffer zone to Litani in southern Lebanon, with continued military control, a ban on return for internally displaced persons and the announced destruction of border villages. The statement by Israel Katz marks a major hardening and puts the question of occupation at the centre of the regional crisis.

Trump struggles to finance the war with Iran between appeal to Arab countries and growing resistance to the US Senate.