Paula Astih

Paula Astih
Features People wait with their belongings at the Al-Masnaa crossing as they prepare to return to Syria, on the Lebanese-Syrian border, Lebanon, 11 December 2024. (EPA)

Should Lebanon Fear the ‘New Syria’?

Celebration may have swept Lebanon over the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria given its decades of brutal hegemony over its smaller…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features A man walks past near the rubble of a building in Beirut's southern suburbs, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon November 29, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Reconstruction Studies Begin in Lebanon, Costs Exceed $6 Billion

As Lebanese return to their ruined cities and villages after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, the main question on their minds is: “When will…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World 
Lebanese Civil Defense personnel search for victims following an Israeli airstrike on Baalbek, November 14, 2024 (AFP)

Lebanese Civil Defense: A Victim of Israeli War

An Israeli airstrike on the Civil Defense Center in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, late Thursday killed at least 13 personnel. This marks the second such…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World This handout satellite picture provided by Planet Labs PBC and dated October 24, 2024 shows a view of the village of the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal on the border with Israel, amid the ongoing war between Hezbollah and Israel. (Photo by Planet Labs PBC / AFP)

Israel Wipes Out 29 Lebanese Border Towns

Some 29 Lebanese border villages have been “completely destroyed” by Israel, revealed Mohamed Chamseddine, policy research specialist at Information…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features Lebanese in Beirut watch Naim Qassem deliver a speech. (Reuters)

What We Know About Hezbollah’s Shura Council

If it is confirmed that Hezbollah’s Shura Council has met and elected Sheikh Naim Qassem as the party’s new secretary-general, this would indicate two…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World A man carries bread to sell at his shop in the southern town of Rmeish (Reuters)

Christians in South Lebanon’s Border Villages Stand Firm with Vatican Reassurances

Intense pressure from residents and local leaders in Lebanon’s southern border town of Rmeish has delayed the withdrawal of Internal Security Forces, just days…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)

Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Over the past three weeks, Israel has systematically targeted hospitals, medical staff, aid workers, and ambulances across various regions of Lebanon,…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features An image of Imad Mughniyeh raised alongside Hezbollah missile launchers during a military drill in southern Lebanon. File photo

Hezbollah’s New Strategy: Gradual Escalation, Focus on Ground Combat

Since suffering major setbacks on September 17, the day its communication systems were targeted, Hezbollah appears to have outlined a new military strategy for…

Paula Astih (Beirut)