|   | Bonjourein. Pull up a chair ā it's the Sunā day edition of Sobhiye, your weekly look back at the biggest Lebanon stories of the past seven days. This was a week of reckoning and, quietly, some reform. A Financial Times investigation laid bare the scale of destruction in southern Lebanon ā 85,000 housing units damaged or destroyed, 270,000 residents still barred from returning. Meanwhile, parliament had a rare productive stretch: abolishing the death penalty and raising the age of criminal responsibility from 7 to 14. Here's everything that mattered, in one place. |
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Ā Which organization called Lebanon's abolition of the death penalty a 'landmark victory'? | International Court of Justice |
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Scroll to the bottom for the answer ā or play all 10 at sobhiye.news/games/news-quiz |
Ā | | - South Lebanon Laid Bare: A Financial Times investigation documented systematic destruction across Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon ā roughly 85,000 housing units damaged or destroyed, 270,000 residents barred from returning, and entire villages rendered uninhabitable. Rights groups called the pattern a deliberate strategy to prevent civilian return.
- Death Penalty Abolished: On 11 Augā ust, parliament voted to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, replacing it with life imprisonment. Lebanon becomes the 114th country to do so. As of Janā uary, 85 people remained on death row; their sentences must now be commuted once the president signs the law into force.
- Amnesty for the Exiled: Parliament also passed a general amnesty law covering crimes committed before Marā ch 1, 2026, partially addressing the status of Lebanese who fled to Israel after the 2000 withdrawal. Legal experts clarified that civilian exiles qualify, but those holding Israeli citizenship face significant legal hurdles under Lebanon's boycott laws.
- Rome Talks, Round Seven: The seventh round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Lebanon and Israel convened in Rome thisā week, even as Israeli forces issued fresh displacement orders targeting al-Mansouri and reportedly burned roughly 120 hectares of forest near Yaroun. Bint Jbeil and Khiam were under discussion as potential new pilot zone sites.
- Salameh Indicted Again: A Lebanese judge indicted former central bank governor Riad Salameh and former Bank Audi head Samir Hanna on Monā day over accusations of embezzling tens of millions from Banque du Liban. Hanna, 88, paid $1 million bail; Salameh, currently under medical supervision at a hospital, denied wrongdoing. It marks the first time a commercial banker has been indicted in a Salameh-linked case.
- Assad-Era General Detained: Lebanese authorities on Friā day arrested Maj. Gen. Adel Issa, a former commander of Syria's military 17th Division, after he visited the Syrian embassy in Beirut. If extradited, it would be the first time Lebanon handed over an Assad-era official to Damascus since the regime's collapse in Decā ember 2024.
- Turbines and Trouble: Lebanon's plan to build two new gas-fired power plants, initially estimated at $2 billion, could cost up to $6 billion due to a global turbine shortage driven by AI data-center demand. Delivery times have stretched to six years, with GE Vernova effectively sold out through 2030.
- Iraqi Fuel Route Studied: Lebanon began laying groundwork for a project to transport Iraqi fuel oil by road through Syria to Tripoli's oil facilities. Energy Minister Joe Saddi toured Tripoli's storage tanks on Monā day to assess rehabilitation needs, while a cabinet meeting was expected to discuss logistics including border crossing readiness and customs procedures.
- Children's Criminal Age Raised: Parliament moved to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 7 to 14 years old, ending decades of exposing primary-school-aged children to criminal prosecution. Judges and legal experts welcomed the reform as a shift from punishment toward protection, rehabilitation, and social reintegration ā though its success depends on parallel investment in social services.
- Caracalla Opens in Fakra: The Caracalla dance troupe opened its new show "Phoenicia" at Faqra Castle in Kfardebian weaving Lebanese history, Phoenician heritage, and vibrant choreography into a celebration of cultural resilience. The production marked another chapter in Caracalla's decades-long tradition of staging Lebanon's story for the world.
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That's your week in full. Enjoy the rest of your Sunā day ā we'll be back in your inbox toā morrow. |
Ā | āC. Amnesty International |
Amnesty International praised Lebanon's parliament for approving the law abolishing the death penalty. Read the full story ā |
Ā Lebanon news, every weekday morning. Free, sharp, ~5 minutes. |
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