|   | Ahla w sahla — and happy Sunday. This is Sobhiye's weekly recap, your look back at the biggest Lebanon stories from the past seven days. It was a week defined by two big fault lines: the slow, complicated machinery of the post-war diplomatic push — with Rome talks scheduled, pilot withdrawal zones being mapped out, and President Aoun defending the Washington framework against its critics — and the long shadow of accountability, as Banque du Liban filed a second lawsuit against commercial banks and a major investigation mapped a web of offshore companies tied to some of Lebanon's most familiar political names. A lot happened. Let's get into it. |
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Who is Banque du Liban's lead legal counsel demanding banks repay billions to depositors? Scroll to the bottom for the answer — or play all 10 at sobhiye.news/games/news-quiz |
| | - Banks Must Pay Back Billions: Banque du Liban's chief legal counsel told Daraj this week that "banks must pay, and the money must be returned — we are talking about billions of dollars." The central bank filed its second lawsuit against commercial banks, targeting Bank Med and a shadowy billionaire, raising cautious hopes — and deep skepticism — about real accountability after six years of waiting.
- Rome Talks Scheduled: Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors were set to hold their sixth round of direct talks in Rome on July 15–16, mediated by the United States and hosted by Italy. The two countries have no diplomatic relations and remain technically at war.
- Pilot Withdrawal Zones Complicated: Military-level contacts between Israeli and Lebanese army officers, with intense U.S. mediation and sponsorship, were established this week to define two pilot withdrawal zones — the Nabatieh area and the Froun-Zawtar al-Sharqiyah vicinity. Israel simultaneously escalated airstrikes and demolitions in border villages, exposing a sharp gap between diplomatic talks and field reality.
- Over 640,000 Displaced Return: The International Organization for Migration reported that 646,107 displaced people had begun returning to their communities since June 22, while roughly 500,000 others remained displaced. Dozens of border towns near the south remain inaccessible due to massive destruction, and Israeli forces continued to hold a declared 10-kilometer security zone.
- South Reconstruction Pledged — With a Catch: Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar and Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed toured southern Lebanon and Nabatieh on Saturday, pledging reconstruction "as soon as funding is secured." Sayed announced financial assistance for 130,000 families, with 29,000 in Nabatieh's district alone — but no funding timeline was provided, reflecting the government's continued dependence on international donors.
- UNIFIL Out, Who Fills the Gap? With UNIFIL's mandate ending, France and Italy launched consultations this week on a new European mission to support the Lebanese Army in the south, while the UN Secretary-General proposed three replacement models ranging from 1,500 to over 4,000 personnel. Washington favored a limited model empowering the Lebanese Army rather than a broad multilateral force.
- Aoun Defends Framework, Army Unity: President Joseph Aoun pushed back firmly against critics of the Washington framework agreement, telling journalists it is "a framework, not an agreement," and challenged opponents to offer an alternative. He also gave an unambiguous guarantee that no one should "gamble on the division of the army," citing Shia officers' central role in maintaining security across Beirut's key institutions.
- Hariri–Siniora–Makhzoumi Web Mapped: An OCCRP-linked Daraj investigation revealed a network of offshore companies in Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands, and Bahrain linking Bahaa Hariri as the ultimate beneficial owner to entities whose boards also featured allies of former PM Fouad Siniora and MP Fouad Makhzoumi. Hariri's name was notably absent from most official company documents, raising compliance questions under international anti-money laundering standards.
- Fuel Prices Explained, Iraq Pipeline Eyed: Energy Minister Joe Saddi held a press conference Tuesday detailing Lebanon's fuel pricing formula, showing Lebanese diesel prices rose 87% during the war versus 111% globally — absorbing 24 percentage points on behalf of consumers. He also said he had written to his Iraqi counterpart about reviving the Iraq Petroleum Company pipeline through Syria to Tripoli to diversify supply routes.
- Arthaus Beirut Rises Again: Monocle this week profiled Arthaus, the Gemmayzeh boutique hotel that was destroyed hours after its soft opening on August 4, 2020 — the day of the Beirut port explosion. Owner Nabil Debs rebuilt it within a month, and the property, housed in a 200-year-old stone complex with nine current rooms and plans for 23, has become one of Beirut's most celebrated creative gathering spots.
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That's your week in review. Rest up — we'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning. |
Badih Moukarzel gave an exclusive interview stating banks must return billions of dollars. Read the full story → |
Lebanon news, every weekday morning. Free, sharp, ~5 minutes. |
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