Lebanon:
- Ongoing targeting of Hezbollah operatives involved in efforts to rebuild military capabilities, along with multiple strikes on launch sites and weapons depots in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.
- Hezbollah maintains a firm stance on the issue of “disarmament”: it insists that any future discussions will only commence after Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory and releases all detainees (“the prisoners” – in the original) it holds. Even then, Hezbollah asserts that the discussions will not concern relinquishing its weapons, but rather the development of a defensive strategy.
- (June 18) – The implementation of the process of handing over Palestinian weapons in the refugee camps was postponed due to fear of escalation and because of the need for “internal Palestinian organization.”
- (June 18) – President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, publicly expressed support for the continued deployment and presence of the UNIFIL force in southern Lebanon.
- (June 21) – A new commander has taken charge of the UNIFIL force: Italian General Diodato Abagnara, who succeeds Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz.
- Hostile incidents targeting UNIFIL operations persist, with the latest involving a blocked UNIFIL convoy route in the village of Al-Sultaniyah (June 21).
- Protests, gatherings, and outspoken expressions by Hezbollah supporters and Palestinian organizations opposing Israel and the United States, in response to the ongoing war with Iran.
Syria:
- The new regime’s security forces are persistently uncovering and confiscating weapons and military equipment meant for smuggling into Lebanon, including the interception of a Grad rocket smuggling attempt near Tel Kalakh, west of Homs (June 19).
- One of the prominent figures of the former regime, Wasim al-Assad—cousin of Bashar al-Assad—was arrested (June 21) – He was a central figure in the Captagon industry and was involved in kidnappings, torture, and executions.
- The new regime plans to reinstate into military service hundreds of officers who had defected from Assad’s army during the civil war.
- The new regime closed (June 20) the offices of the Palestinian organization “Popular Front – General Command” in Damascus. The head of the organization, Talal Naji, left Syria.
- ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus (June 22): A suicide bomber blew himself up inside the church. 22 people were killed, and dozens were injured. Many countries strongly condemned the attack. The Syrian authorities promised to bring those responsible to justice and to restore the church, emphasizing that the attack was directed not only against the Christian community but against the entire Syrian people and was an attempt to undermine the stability of the state.
