Gov’t Decision to Delay Daylight Savings Puts Lebanon in Two Time Zones

Beirut, Lebanon (AFP)
Beirut, Lebanon (AFP)
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Gov’t Decision to Delay Daylight Savings Puts Lebanon in Two Time Zones

Beirut, Lebanon (AFP)
Beirut, Lebanon (AFP)

Lebanon has woken up in two time zones amid an escalating dispute between political and religious authorities over the government’s decision to postpone winter clock changes till after Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan, is over.

Rising tensions, which reflected fragile ties between Lebanon’s social components, had forced caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to cancel a cabinet session.

Mikati issued the decision on Thursday to delay entering daylight savings time till April 20, instead of rolling the clocks forward an hour on the last weekend of March.

Christian political forces rejected the government’s decision and circulated audio clips and data confirming that their regions across Lebanon will adhere to universal timing and not wait until after Ramadan.

The General Secretariat of the Kataeb Party, a Christian political party in Lebanon, released a statement demanding all workers in its central to attend work according to the universal time.

“All caucuses will be held on schedule, according to the universal daylight savings time,” said the Kataeb.

Businesses and media organizations, including two of Lebanon’s main news channels LBCI and MTV, announced they too would enter daylight savings on Saturday night as calls for disobedience gained steam.

On Saturday, the influential Maronite Church said it would disregard the decision and would set its clocks forward on Saturday night.

Mikati, for his part, refused to give any sectarian character to his decision and insisted that it was just an “administrative” measure.

“Some want to divert attention from their obstruction of the presidential election process by targeting the government,” claimed Mikati.

“We are witnessing an attempt to drag the country into a sectarian division to fuel conflicts, and to give a purely administrative procedure an abhorrent sectarian turn,” said Mikati in defense of his decision.



Trump Says He Hopes for Gaza Deal within a Week

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn upon arrival at the White House in Washinton, DC, on July 13, 2025 after attending the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP)
US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn upon arrival at the White House in Washinton, DC, on July 13, 2025 after attending the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP)
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Trump Says He Hopes for Gaza Deal within a Week

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn upon arrival at the White House in Washinton, DC, on July 13, 2025 after attending the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP)
US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn upon arrival at the White House in Washinton, DC, on July 13, 2025 after attending the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP)

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he hoped talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will be "straightened out" this week.

The US is backing a 60-day ceasefire with a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and talks to end the conflict. Trump told reporters, "We are talking and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week."

On Sunday, Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 32 people, including six children at a water collection point, while the Palestinian death toll passed 58,000 after 21 months of war, local health officials said.
Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in indirect talks meant to pause the war and free some Israeli hostages after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit last week. A sticking point has emerged over Israeli troops ' deployment during a ceasefire.
Israel says it will end the war only once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, about 20 said to be alive, in exchange for the war's end and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.