Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Lebanon

Disarming the Camps—Palestinian Factions and the Limits of Lebanese Sovereignty
Flags of the Palestinian Fatah movement hang above an alley in the Burj al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees, Beirut, Lebanon, February 2024. Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images
Palestinians in Lebanon

Disarming the Camps—Palestinian Factions and the Limits of Lebanese Sovereignty

As Lebanon moves to disarm Palestinian camps under intense geopolitical pressure, long-standing factional rivalries, unresolved refugee rights and Israel’s continued military presence expose the limits of state sovereignty.
Erling Lorentzen Sogge • 13 min read
Repair Amid Ongoing Ruination—Rebuilding Dahiyeh Once More
Lebanese civilians clean streets of the debris from buildings destroyed by Israel in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, December 2024. Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images

Repair Amid Ongoing Ruination—Rebuilding Dahiyeh Once More

Standing beside a destroyed building in Dahiyeh in September 2025, a fruit seller said to me, “I want to bring Naim Qassem [Hizballah’s new secretary general] here. I want to show him the damage. Our people need to do better.” He knew that, like him, I was Shia, and
Iman Ali • 11 min read
Times of Struggle and Cultural Liberation—A Conversation with Elias Khoury
Elias Khoury. Originally posted on Facebook by the Lebanese publishing house Dar Al Adab in 2013. Photographer unknown.Palestine in a World on Fire, co-edited by Katherine Natanel and Ilan Pappé.Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury.Children of the Ghetto, My Name is Adam, by Elias Khoury.
Current Analysis

Times of Struggle and Cultural Liberation—A Conversation with Elias Khoury

An Excerpt from 'Palestine in a World on Fire' in light of Elias Khoury's passing.
Elias Khoury, Ilan Pappe • 20 min read
Beirut and the Birth of the Fortress Embassy
The new US embassy under construction in Awkar with a view of Beirut in the distance. Photo courtesy of the US Embassy in Beirut’s X feed, May 5, 2023.US embassy officials meeting with Lebanese President Camille Chamoun (in a dark suit with cigarette) at his residence in Jiyyeh, 1959. Photo courtesy of Hanna Farha.The new US embassy complex under construction in Awkar. Photo courtesy of the US Embassy in Beirut’s X feed, May 5, 2023.
Current Analysis

Beirut and the Birth of the Fortress Embassy

A deep dive into the local, regional and global politics behind the sprawling new US embassy complex in Beirut.
Habib Battah • 16 min read
Listening to the Camps' Walls—Lebanon Since October 7
A mural in an alley in the Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian camp south of Beirut on November 15, 2023. Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty ImagesA Facebook post by the media outlet Jouzour reads, “How can you directly support the people of Gaza?” The flyer suggests companies to boycott.A Facebook post by Jouzour reads, “How can you directly support the people of Gaza?” The graffiti reads, “Do not pay the price of their bullets.”
MER Article

Listening to the Camps' Walls—Lebanon Since October 7

There has been no shortage of worry in Lebanon following the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the ensuing Israeli declaration of all-out war on Gaza. Israel has made it clear that war with Hezbollah will lead to devastating consequences for the whole of Lebanon. “What we’re doing in
Rami Rmeileh, Maziyar Ghiabi • 7 min read