Lebanon 

UNESCO is expected to declare Beaufort Castle a heritage site in danger; the vote this week would expedited protection for the Crusader fortress in southern Lebanon after the IDF retook the strategic site

Details of the peace agreement with Israel are emerging, among them the army's commitment to the disarmament of Hezbollah in exchange for a 'gradual' withdrawal of Israeli forces; in the meantime 40% of recently displaced citizens are returning home

Videos from southern Lebanon show the destruction in the city of Tyre; multiple strikes targeted densely populated neighborhoods and residential buildings that had largely been emptied after Israel issued forced displacement orders

In Beirut, families search for safety in the stadium, hotels, schools and cinemas amid escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates and the city is overwhelmed by displaced Lebanese

Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; in response, the Israeli military hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, ending a shaky cease-fire, with 31 dead and over 3.000 people displaced

Another building has collapsed in Tripoli, leaving at least 2 dead as rescues fear up to 20 people could be trapped under the debris; Qobbeih, where a building collapsed on an entire family last weekend, is among the neighborhoods most at risk

The election process has begun with the publication of the decree calling for elections in the Official Gazette: expats would vote abroad on 1 and 3 May, election workers would vote in Lebanon on 7 May and resident voters would vote on 10 May

In Hadath, Beirut’s outskirts, a shelter for abandoned cats has been running for 12 years: it began with a single rescue and became a long-term commitment; since 2024, the war has intensified the pressure and cats are relocated amid scarce housing options

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon underscored the unique position of Christians in the Middle East’s most religiously diverse country, the only Arab one with a Christian president, where Christians wield influence far greater than their numbers