Paula Astih

Paula Astih
Features MP Gebran Bassil and members of his bloc after naming Nawaf Salam as prime minister. (Reuters)

Gebran Bassil: From Joseph Aoun’s Fierce Opponent to Supporter

Head of Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement MP Gebran Bassil has demonstrated his ability to change his stances and adapt to changes in the country. This was…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam waves as he arrives to meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (not pictured) at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (EPA)

What Is the ‘Shiite Duo’s’ Problem with Salam’s Appointment as Lebanon’s PM?

Several observers have questioned the strong opposition by the “Shiite duo” of Hezbollah and the Amal movement of the appointment of Nawaf Salam as Lebanon’s…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun (Reuters)

Constitutional Path for Aoun’s Presidential Election in Lebanon

Gen. Joseph Aoun currently leads the race for Lebanon's presidency, but some warn his election could be unconstitutional because he holds a “Class A” position,…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World The army enters a position of a Palestinian group. (Lebanese Army)

Lebanon Begins Removing Palestinian Arms Outside of Refugee Camps

Lebanon kicked off on Saturday the process of removing weapons in possession of Palestinian factions outside of their refugee camps. The arms are mainly held…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
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)