2026 in Lebanon
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Events in the year 2026 in Lebanon.
Incumbents
[edit]| Photo | Post | Name |
|---|---|---|
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|
President of Lebanon | Joseph Aoun |
|
Prime Minister of Lebanon | Nawaf Salam |
Events
[edit]January
[edit]
- 9 January – The government signs an agreement with an international consortium consisting of TotalEnergies, Eni, and QatarEnergy to develop the Block 8 gas field off the coast of southern Lebanon.[1]
- 12 January – The Le Commodore Hotel Beirut ceases operations after having been in existence since 1943.[2]
- 13 January – The United States designates the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, citing its support for Hamas.[3]
- 15 January – Authorities announce the arrest of a Syrian national in Byblos on suspicion of providing financial support for Assad loyalist fighters in Syria on behalf of exiled senior officials of the Assad regime.[4]
- 26 January – The Qatar Fund for Development announces a $430 million aid package to Lebanon, primarily to support its energy sector.[5]
- 30 January – The government approves an agreement allowing for the repatriation of Syrian nationals serving prison sentences in Lebanon.[6]
February
[edit]- 8 February – Fifteen people are killed in the collapse of two adjoining residential buildings in Tripoli.[7][8]
- 9 February – Atwi Atwi, an official of the Islamic Group and former mayor of Al-Hebbariyah, is abducted in a cross-border raid by Israeli forces.[9]
- 10 February – The United States imposes sanctions on the gold trading firm Jood SARL, citing its role in raising funds for Hezbollah.[10]
- 16 February – FIFA president Gianni Infantino is granted a Lebanese passport on account of his marriage to a Lebanese national.[11]
March
[edit]- 2 March –
- 2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran: Hezbollah carries out an aerial attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel launches a military operation in Lebanon.[12]
- The government bans military activities by Hezbollah.[13]
- 4 March – Israeli strikes on a hotel and residential areas in the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat, in the south of Beirut, kill 11 people and injure four others.[14]
- 5 March – The government prohibits activities by members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps within Lebanon and instructs authorities to detain and deport individuals linked to the group. The cabinet also introduces a visa requirement for Iranian nationals entering the country.[15]
- 6 March –
- At least 41 people are killed, including three soldiers, and 40 more injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes in and around Al-Nabi Shayth, Beqaa Valley.[16]
- Three Ghanaian UN peacekeepers are injured in an Israeli missile strike in southern Lebanon.[17]
- 8 March –
- An Israeli airstrike on a hotel in central Beirut kills at least four people and injures 10 others.[18]
- Two Israeli soldiers are killed in overnight clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.[19]
- 9 March – Killing of Pierre al-Rahi: Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi is killed by an Israeli double strike on a house in the Christian-majority town of Al-Qlayaa.[20]
- 11 March –
- Seven people are killed and 18 are injured after an Israeli strike on Temnine Et Tahta, Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. Five people are also injured after a strike on the nearby village of Aali en Nahri.[21]
- Hezbollah launches over 100 rockets at Israel, injuring five civilians in Upper Galilee.[22]
- 12 March –
_v2.png/250px-Bachoura_airstrike%2C_18_Mar_2026_(1)_v2.png)
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in the Bachoura neighborhood of Beirut, 18 March 2026. - Eight people are killed and 31 more injured on the Israeli airstrike on the Ramlet al-Baida beach in central Beirut. Seven more people are also killed in other attacks in the country.[23]
- Hezbollah launches over 200 rockets and 20 drones at northern Israel, injuring two.[24]
- 16 March – The IDF's 91st Division launches a ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, expanding a buffer zone along the border.[25]
- 17 March – A Lebanese soldier is killed and four more are injured in an Israeli airstrike in Qaaqaait al-Jisr, Nabatieh Governorate.[26]
- 18 March – Six people are killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Beirut.[27]
- 24 March –
- Lebanon expels the Iranian ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, citing Iran’s financial and military support for Hezbollah.[28]
- Israeli defense minister Israel Katz states that the IDF will control a "security zone" up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon until the threat of Hezbollah is removed.[29]
- 26 March – Two Israeli soldiers are killed in action in southern Lebanon.[30]
- 28 March – Five paramedics are killed in an Israeli airstrike in Zawtar al-Gharbiyah.[31]
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April
[edit].jpg)
- 1 April – Israeli airstrikes kill seven people, including the Hezbollah commander for Iraq, and injure dozens in Beirut and nearby Khalde.[32]
- 6 April – Christian anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces official Pierre Mouawad, his wife Flavia, and another woman are killed in an Israeli airstrike.[33]
- 7 April –
- Three people are killed and several are injured by an Israeli airstrike in Maarakah, Tyre District.[34]
- One person is killed by an Israeli drone strike in Deir ez-Zahrani, Nabatieh District.[35]
- Israel deploys the 98th Division to southern Lebanon, raising the force there to five divisions.[36]
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserts that the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon, contradicting mediator Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's announcement.[37]
- 8 April – Hezbollah says that it halted attacks on Israel and on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon,[38] but later claims responsibility for launching rockets towards northern Israel in response to massive Israeli attacks on that day.[39]
- 14 April – The first direct diplomatic negotiations between Lebanon and Israel since 1993 are held in Washington, DC.[40]
- 15 April – Two Filipino migrant workers are killed in a hostage-taking incident by their employer in Beirut.[41]
- 17 April – A 10-day truce between Lebanon and Israel comes into effect.[42]
- 18 April – Two French soldiers are killed and two others are injured in an attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers blamed on Hezbollah.[43][44]
- 23 April –
- President Trump says that Israel and Lebanon agree to a three-week extension of the ceasefire.[45]
- Italian soldiers install a new statue of Jesus Christ in the Christian village of Debel in place of a previous statue given by the IDF, who destroyed the previous statue with a sledgehammer, drawing widespread outrage.[46][47] [48]
Predicted and scheduled
[edit]Holidays
[edit]Source:[51]
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 6 January – Epiphany and Armenian Christmas
- 9 February – St. Maroun Day
- 20 March – Eid al-Fitr
- 25 March – Annunciation Day
- 3 April – Good Friday
- 5 April – Easter Sunday
- 1 May – Labour Day
- 25 May – Liberation and Resistance Day
- 27 May – Eid al-Adha
- 16 June – Islamic New Year
- 15 August – Assumption Day
- 4 September – The Prophet's Birthday
- 22 November – Lebanese Independence Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
Deaths
[edit]- 17 February – Mohsen Dalloul, 93, journalist and politician, minister of agriculture (1989–1992) and defense (1992–1995)[52]
- 5 March – Antoine Ghandour, 83, writer.[53]
- 9 March – Pierre el-Raï, 50, priest.[20]
- 26 March – Ahmad Kaabour, 70, singer.[54]
- 30 April – Milia Maroun, fashion designer.[55]
References
[edit]- ^ "Lebanon signs gas exploration deal with international consortium amid economic crisis". AP News. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Beirut's Commodore Hotel, a haven for journalists during Lebanon's civil war, shuts down". AP News. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Trump administration labels 3 Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations". AP News. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Lebanon arrests Syrian citizen suspected of funding pro-Assad fighters". AP News. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Qatar announces $430 mn in support for Lebanon". France 24. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ "Lebanon's government approves a deal to transfer Syrian prisoners back to Syria". AP News. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ^ "Building collapse in Lebanon's Tripoli kills at least 14 people". Al Jazeera. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ "Death toll in Lebanon building collapse rises to 15". AP News. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "Lebanese group accuses Israel of abducting its leader in raid". Al Jazeera. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "US sanctions target alleged Hezbollah gold exchange". Arab News Japan. Agence France Presse. 11 February 2026.
- ^ "FIFA President Infantino celebrates in Beirut after receiving a Lebanese passport". AP News. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "IDF strikes in Beirut after Hezbollah enters fray and fires rockets, drones at north". The Times of Israel. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "Lebanese PM bans Hezbollah's military activities after attack on Israel". Al Jazeera. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill 11, striking hotel, residential areas". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ "Lebanese government bans all activity by Iran Guards in Lebanon". Ahram Online. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ "At least 41 killed in Israeli air attacks on Lebanon's Bekaa: Ministry". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ "War in the Middle East: Ghanaian peacekeepers in Lebanon wounded in missile attacks". France 24. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ "Lebanon says Israeli strike on Beirut hotel kills four". BSS. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ Fiona Kelliher; Caolán Magee. "Tehran sky turns black as oil sites hit; Bahrain desalination plant struck". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Lebanon: Israeli strike kills Maronite priest". ICN. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "'Largest ever' oil reserve release agreed by 32 countries, as Strait of Hormuz ships attacked". BBC News. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "Sirens sound across Israel as Hezbollah, Iran launch attack". The Jerusalem Post. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Israeli 'double-tap strike' hits displaced on Beirut seafront, kills eight". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel; Berman, Lazar (11 March 2026). "Hezbollah fires 200 rockets at north, Iran launches missiles in 'integrated operation'". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "IDF launches ground operation in southern Lebanon". Israel Hayom. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Iran war live: Israel says Iran's security chief Ali Larijani killed".
- ^ "Israel bombs central Beirut, strafes south, east Lebanon, killing over 20". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Lebanon declares Iranian ambassador persona non grata amid Israeli attacks". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel (24 March 2026). "Katz says Israel will hold 'security zone' in south Lebanon until Hezbollah threat removed". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ "Two Israeli soldiers killed in Southern Lebanon".
- ^ Mariamne Everett; Stephen Quillen. "US-Israeli war on Iran widens with first attack from Yemen". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Israel says strike on Jnah killed top Hezbollah commander". Naharnet. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ^ Fulton, Adam; Dunbar, Marina; Lawther, Fran; Lowe, Yohannes; Frew, Wendy (6 April 2026). "At least 15 killed in strikes on Lebanon – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
- ^ "Israeli forces kill 5, expand ground invasion in southern Lebanon". Daily Sabah. 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ "Israeli forces kill 5, expand ground invasion in southern Lebanon". Daily Sabah. 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ "Israel sends more troops to southern Lebanon to expand ground offensive". Anadolu (in Turkish). 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ "Netanyahu says US-Iran ceasefire 'does not include Lebanon'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ^ "Hezbollah pauses attacks under US-Iran ceasefire, sources close to group say". Reuters. 8 April 2026. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ^ "Hezbollah: Rockets Fired at Northern Israel in Response to 'Cease-fire Violations'". Haaretz. 9 April 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ^ "Israel-Lebanon direct talks in the US: All to know". Al Jazeera. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ "Two OFWs killed by employer in Lebanon hostage incident". The Philippine Star. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ^ "What we know about the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire". BBC. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ^ "French soldier serving with UNIFIL killed in Lebanon attack". Al Jazeera. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ^ "Macron announces death of second French UN peacekeeper from alleged Lebanese Hezbollah clash". The New Region. 22 April 2026. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
- ^ "Iran war updates: Trump announces three-week Lebanon ceasefire extension". Al Jazeera. 23 April 2026. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ "All eyes on the 2026 Legislative Elections and the post Hezbollah-Amal alliance era". L'Orient Today. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ^ Todman, Will (10 January 2025). "Lebanon Finally Elects a President". Center for Strategic and International Studies.
- ^ "Lebanon Public Holidays 2026". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Former MP and minister Mohsen Dalloul passes away at 93". L'Orient Today. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Antoine Ghandour, storyteller of everyday Lebanon, passes away". L'Orient Today. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Ahmad Kaabour, the voice of 'Ounadikom,' dies at 71". L'Orient Today. 27 March 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ "Lebanese designer Milia Maroun, the 'nomadic creator,' passes away". L'Orient Today. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
