Key Takeaways:
- Israel conducted 105 airstrikes in Lebanon in July, its second-highest tally since the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) came into effect. On July 15, Israel carried out its deadliest bombing wave since the CoH came into effect, killing 12 and injuring 12 more in strikes in eastern Lebanon. Israeli troops’ cross-border raids and controlled demolitions continue to hamper the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the southern border region.
- United States Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack visited Lebanon twice in July to discuss a plan for the Lebanese government to take control of Hezbollah’s weapons. This initiative is reportedly faltering, with Barrack on July 27 calling on Lebanon’s government to assume responsibility and commit to Hezbollah’s disarmament. The Council of Ministers convened on August 5 to discuss state policy on Hezbollah’s armaments. Ministers tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with drawing up a plan to bring all arms under state control by the end of the year.
- Against a backdrop of intensifying heatwaves, severe drought, and a record number of wildfires, the Ministry of Environment launched a USD 3.5 million forest fire prevention project. The initiative supports early warning systems, training for first responders, and post-fire recovery, and contributes to wildfire prevention and rehabilitation programs.
- Lebanon’s worsening drought conditions mean scarcer public water resources for households, agriculture, and energy production. Reservoirs and lakes such as Janaa and Qaraoun are heavily polluted or depleted, forcing hydroelectric plants to shut down, thus increasing dependence on private, and often unregulated, water sources.
- Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee approved the amended draft banking sector law, one of three interdependent pieces of legislation required to honor Lebanon’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to introduce a financial reform plan. Committee head Ibrahim Kanaan called on the government to finalize the remaining draft laws on financial sector reform.
- Since mid-July, in a bid to regulate the non-sanctioned presence of Syrian nationals in Lebanon, the LAF and several municipalities have stepped up security measures, and have arrested some 500 individuals and imposed curfews. An initial voluntary repatriation convoy of 72 Syrians departed on July 29, part of a broader UN-backed return program for which 17,000 individuals have registered.
By Crisis Analytics Team, Mercy Corps Lebanon
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