Lebanon Financial News

Reports are claiming that this wave of Pager explosion has killed around 8 people and more than 200 people are in critical condition, said the Health Ministry of Lebanon adding that most of the victims have suffered injuries on their hands and legs primarily. Times of India noted that Lebanon authorities are still in search for the cause behind this series of explosion which took place on the southern suburbs of Beirut creating widespread panic and fear amongst the civilians. Also Read: By how much will the Fed slash rates by? Here's how the move will matter world markets

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political allies vigorously made the case for him to replace his defense minister amid bitter disagreement over the war in Gaza, a move that would deepen the divide between the leader and his security establishment and remove the government’s main advocate of a tighter relationship with the U.S. Sacking Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who has clashed publicly with Netanyahu for months, would have wide-ranging impacts on the country’s multifront war and U.S.

Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday with the special envoy of the President of the United States, Amos Hochstein, at the Israeli military's headquarters in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu's office said that he «made it clear in a determined and decisive manner» in his conversation with the envoy that it will not be possible to return Israelis to their homes in the areas near Lebanon who were evacuated for their safety without a «fundamental change in the security situation in the north.» The prime minister also said that Israel appreciates and respects the support of the United States, but in the end «will do what is necessary to maintain its security and return the residents of the north to their homes safely.»

Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of the country's war goals on Tuesday to include the return of northern residents who fled cross-border fire traded with Hamas ally Hezbollah. «The political-security cabinet updated the goals of the war this evening, so that they include the following section: the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,» Netanyahu's office said in a statement. Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group have exchanged near-daily strikes since Hamas's October 7 attack sparked war in the Gaza Strip.

A Lebanese judge has ruled that the country’s former central bank chief will remain in jail while facing charges of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from state coffers

Israeli strikes in central Syria killed at least seven people late Sunday, including three civilians, a war monitor reported. Since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes there, targeting pro-Iranian groups in particular. «The number of dead in the Israeli strikes on the Masyaf region stands at seven, namely three civilians, including a man and his son who were in a car, and four unidentified soldiers,» said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a vast network of sources inside the country.

Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Israeli forces traded cross-border attacks, both sides said early Sunday, a day after the Lebanese health ministry reported three rescuers killed in an Israeli attack. The Iran-backed Lebanese movement has exchanged near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war in the Gaza Strip, with repeated escalations during 11 months of the cross-border violence. Hezbollah said it had bombarded the northern Israeli town of «Kiryat Shmona with a volley of Falaq rockets» early Sunday «in response to the enemy attacks… and particularly the attack» that killed the emergency workers in the Lebanese village of Froun.

Three judicial officials have told the Associated Press that Lebanon has charged its embattled former central bank governor with the embezzlement of $42 million

Officials say Lebanon’s controversial former central bank governor has been detained after being questioned in several corruption cases

Gold prices were little changed on Wednesday, but held near a record high hit last week on prospects of imminent U.S. rate cuts and safe-haven demand fuelled by the Middle East crisis.

Asian stocks are mixed after U.S. stocks rallied close to their records on the expectation the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates soon to help the economy

Hezbollah, which has been trading fire with Israel since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7 between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas. Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones against Israel on Sunday in retaliation for the assassination of a commander in Beirut, the Iranian-backed movement said. The Israel military said it had thwarted a much larger attack with pre-emptive strikes.

The ferocious exchange of fire by Hezbollah and the Israeli military is raising fears of a regional war beyond the tense border

Israel launched a series of airstrikes across southern Lebanon in the early hours of August 25, targeting Hezbollah in what it described as a pre-emptive strike. In response, militant group Hezbollah claimed to have launched hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders the previous month. This heavy exchange of fire deepened tension that a big conflict could soon begin that could involve the US, Iran and a number of militant groups in the region. By mid-morning, the exchange of attacks appeared to have ended, with both sides stating that they had focused their strikes on military targets. However, the situation remained tense, and the full extent of the casualties and damage was not immediately known. At least three people were reported killed in the strikes on Lebanon.

Gold prices ticked up on Monday, extending gains from the last session as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's dovish remarks solidified expectations of an interest rate cut next month.

Lebanon's Hezbollah has drawn on a greatly expanded arsenal during more than 10 months of cross-border hostilities with Israel. One of the world's most heavily armed non-state groups, it says it has used just a small part of its weaponry so far. It launched hundreds of rockets and drones against Israel on Sunday in retaliation for the assassination of a senior commander in Beirut last month, the Iranian-backed movement said. The Israeli military said it had thwarted a much larger attack with pre-emptive strikes. Here are some facts about Hezbollah's weapons:

Israel launched airstrikes inside Lebanon early Sunday that its military said targeted positions of the Shiite militia Hezbollah. In a statement, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of «preparing to file missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.» "‎‏In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the (Israeli military) is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians," Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday said he had spoken with his Israeli counterpart to discuss a range of issues in the region, including the ongoing exchanges of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border and the need to finalize a ceasefire deal. In a post on X, Austin said he also discussed the risk of escalation from Iran and Iran-backed groups in the call on Thursday and told Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant that the United States is well postured across the region.

Hezbollah group said it launched several rocket salvos at Israeli army positions in the annexed Golan Heights on Tuesday «in response» to Israeli strikes on eastern Lebanon the previous day. Hezbollah fighters launched «intense rocket barrages» at two Israeli army positions in the occupied Golan Heights «in response to the Israeli enemy's attack on the Bekaa» Valley — which a source close to Hezbollah said targeted weapons depots in the eastern region. The Israeli military confirmed that around 55 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces has killed senior commanders and several hundred fighters from the Iran-backed group, causing destruction and displacing tens of thousands on both sides. Hezbollah has seen more fighters killed since October than when it last went to war with Israel in the summer of 2006. AFP looks at the mounting toll for the Shiite Muslim movement, which has been trading near-daily fire with the Israeli army in support of Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

geopolitical risks as the war in Gaza drags on, and kept the rating outlook negative, meaning a further downgrade is possible. The ratings agency expects the Israeli government to permanently increase military spending by close to 1.5% of GDP versus pre-war levels, putting upward pressure on the country's budget deficit and debt levels. «In our view, the conflict in Gaza could last well into 2025 and there are risks of it broadening to other fronts,» the ratings agency said in a statement.