Lebanese Army soldiers deployed near damaged houses in Zawtar al-Gharbieh, southern Lebanon, on Oct. 1, 2026. Photo Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
Information of the day
The rift between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah widened further after Friday’s incident in the Galerie Semaan area, on the edge of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Dozens of armed Hezbollah members surrounded a Criminal Police patrol that was seizing medicines stored in warehouses. They withdrew after the army arrived at the scene.
While the party had criticized a raid carried out the previous day ‘‘without respecting the mechanism agreed upon between Hezbollah and the security services,’’ the Lebanese army began a ‘‘reinforced’’ deployment in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Saturday morning, according to a military source cited by L’Orient-Le Jour. In a statement issued late Saturday afternoon, the army said its ‘‘units have established public order measures in Beirut and its southern suburbs, notably by carrying out patrols by vehicle and on foot, and by setting up temporary checkpoints, in order to track down wanted persons and those disturbing public order.’’
Reports circulating online said Prosecutor General Hajj had requested an investigation to identify the armed individuals involved in the blockade in Galerie Semaan, with a view to taking legal action against them. The incident also triggered an outcry from Beirut MPs opposed to the pro-Iranian movement.
Why this matters
The incident appears to confirm the Lebanese state’s increasingly assertive stance toward Hezbollah. It comes a week after the seizure of hundreds of kilos of explosives, whose return the party demanded. More importantly, it comes as Israel and the United States accuse the Lebanese state of failing to effectively disarm the pro-Iranian group. Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, sponsored by Washington, have also stalled since August.
In a phone call Thursday evening, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the Lebanese president to ‘‘hold accountable all those who ordered, financed, and directed’’ the delivery of the half-ton of explosives seized last week to Hezbollah. Washington wants the investigation to be pursued thoroughly and not to stop at the arrest of the two individuals caught transporting the cargo. It also wants investigators to target those who ordered and directed the operation. This demand is part of U.S. pressure aimed at dismantling Hezbollah or pushing the Lebanese state to dissolve the party.
What to keep an eye on
- Egypt’s parliament will hold an extraordinary plenary session on Sunday at the request of President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, who is seeking authorization to intervene in defense of Saudi Arabia should Riyadh request assistance, Al-Arabiya reported Saturday. Since early October, the kingdom has faced almost daily attacks by the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels, which have killed at least 14 people and injured more than 320. Riyadh has also been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis but has failed to halt their advance in southwestern Yemen.
- Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji met Saturday with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Baghdad on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Neither country’s foreign ministry has officially commented on the meeting. Since taking office, Raggi, who is close to the Lebanese Forces, has insisted that the Lebanese state wants to open a ‘‘new chapter’’ in its diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, calling for an end to Iran’s ‘‘interference’’ in Lebanon through Hezbollah. He declined an invitation from his Iranian counterpart to visit Tehran in December 2025.
In the news
- Saudi Arabia announced Saturday that it had intercepted four drones over the Riyadh region and other parts of the kingdom, which has faced almost daily Houthi attacks from Yemen since early October.
- Araghchi said Saturday that Iran supports a ‘‘political process’’ to resolve the conflict between Riyadh and the Houthis in Yemen. On Friday, Iran denied any involvement in Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, following Riyadh’s accusations that the Islamic Republic was responsible for the ‘‘intensification of Houthi military operations.’’
- Three children were killed in Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, according to the Houthi news agency late Friday and early Saturday.
- Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank on Saturday, beating a French mayor, a witness and diplomatic sources told AFP.
- In southern Lebanon, a powerful explosion was heard Saturday afternoon as the Israeli army demolished several homes in Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh). The blasts were heard as far away as the Marjayoun and Nabatieh districts. Further explosions were reported near Kounine, Ainata and Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil).
At Sissi’s request, Egyptian parliament to hold extraordinary session on Sunday to discuss defense of Saudi Arabia