Paula Astih

Paula Astih
Features A view of Lebanese Middle East Airlines airplanes on the tarmac at Beirut-Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid flight cancellations and escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 31, 2026. (Reuters)

Political, Security Significance of Resumption of Direct Flights between Lebanon, US

Lebanon hailed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he ordered all American airlines to resume direct flights to Lebanon. He made the announcement…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meets with Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal during an earlier meeting. (Lebanese Presidency)

Hezbollah Cuts Ties with Lebanon's Presidency While Sparing the Army

In recent days, Hezbollah has sharply escalated its confrontation with the Lebanese authorities, particularly the presidency, ahead of President Joseph Aoun's…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Supporters of Hezbollah carry Iranian and Hezbollah flags during a memorial ceremony for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, 08 July 2026. (EPA)

Could Hezbollah Launch a New War in Support of Iran?

Amid deteriorating regional conditions and faltering US-Iranian understandings, Lebanese people fear that Hezbollah may once again launch a new round of war in…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Residents walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the city of Tyre, Lebanon (dpa). 

Israel Pushes Beyond ‘Yellow Line’ in Lebanon to Target Hezbollah and Bolster Negotiating Leverage

Israel’s latest advance beyond the self-declared “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon has raised questions about whether the expansion is driven solely by…

Paula Astih
Arab World The Lebanese government in session chaired by President Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Presidency)

Between Bringing Down Governments and Losing Control: Hezbollah Faces a New Political Equation

Since becoming involved politics in 1992, Hezbollah gradually evolved from a parliamentary player with limited influence into a central force in Lebanon’s…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World A camp housing displaced people from southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs on the Lebanese capital’s waterfront (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Beirut Plan to Organize the Displaced Ends in Waterfront Camp

The insistence of about 500 displaced Lebanese to stay along Beirut’s waterfront has raised questions about why they chose to remain in that area despite the…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Damascus (Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office)

Formation of Lebanese-Syrian Higher Business Council to Revive Economic Relations

Lebanon and Syria are expected in the coming weeks to translate the agreements and understandings reached during the recent visit of the Lebanese prime…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Syrian refugees in Lebanon return to their country through the Masnaa crossing after the fall of the Syrian regime in December 2024. (EPA)

Did Israel’s War on Lebanon Drive Syrian Refugees Back Home?

Israel’s war on Lebanon has accelerated the return of Syrian refugees, but officials and aid agencies say it has not by itself resolved, or fundamentally…

Paula Astih (Beirut)