Naim Qassem

Force in Play

Opposing Washington talks and refusing disarmament; Hezbollah continues armed operations against Israeli forces in Lebanon

After Hezbollah resumed cross-border fire in early March 2026—retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—Israel launched its heaviest campaign against Lebanon since the 2024 war. The fighting killed hundreds and displaced more than one million people before the United States brokered a new ceasefire on April 17. Trump announced a three-week extension on April 23 after high-level talks at the White House, pushing the expiration date to May 17.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Leading Hezbollah's military response; rejected Lebanese government disarmament orders

Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon, launched March 1, has reached a new phase with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) systematically destroying bridges over the Litani River, including strikes on April 4 targeting connections between Sohmor and Mashghara in eastern Lebanon. By late March, the IDF had struck over 500 Hezbollah targets, killed 70 operatives, and seized roughly 850 square kilometers using three armored and infantry divisions. The campaign has now severed at least seven major bridges, expanded evacuation zones north of the Litani, destroyed key infrastructure, and resulted in clashes killing six IDF soldiers.

Updated Apr 4

Force in Play

Leading Hezbollah since Hassan Nasrallah's assassination

Israel and Hezbollah signed a ceasefire on November 27, 2024, ending a year of cross-border war that killed nearly 4,000 Lebanese and displaced 1.4 million people. Fifteen months later, Israel has conducted over 10,500 documented violations—including 7,500 airspace violations and more than 3,000 ground and air strikes—with over 450 people killed since the truce began, including major strikes on February 21, 2026 in the Bekaa Valley near Baalbek killing at least 10 including eight Hezbollah operatives and three children, and a separate strike on Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp killing two Hamas operatives.

Updated Feb 16

Force in Play

Leading Hezbollah since October 2024 after Nasrallah's assassination

Lebanon's army says it now controls the south—except for five hilltops Israel refuses to give up. On January 8, 2026, the military announced it had completed phase one of disarming Hezbollah and other militias south of the Litani River, bringing weapons under state control for the first time in 40 years. Over 9,000 soldiers swept the war-battered region, clearing unexploded ordnance and tunnels left from the devastating 2024 war that killed 4,000 people and displaced 1.3 million. Hours later, Iran's foreign minister arrived in Beirut for tense talks, and the next day Israel resumed strikes across southern Lebanon—business as usual despite the milestone announcement.

Updated Jan 10