🌳 One war too many

TOP STORIES

"One War Too Many": Lebanese Civilians Turn on Hezbollah Openly

• Across Beirut neighborhoods—Sunni, Christian, and even Shia—ordinary Lebanese are voicing fury at Hezbollah for dragging the country into a new war cycle after Israel and the US struck Iran on February 28, killing its supreme leader and triggering a massive escalation.
• In Aisha Bakkar, a woman who lost relatives to a Wednesday airstrike told AFP Hezbollah forced "one war too many" on the Lebanese; in Mar Mikhael, a grocery store owner called the group's battles "pointless."
• The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Hezbollah had "officially entered the war" approximately three hours before Hezbollah itself issued a statement—a detail that's fueling Lebanese anger about who's really calling the shots.
• Even within the Shia community, frustration is audible: "No one wanted this war," said one Shia lawyer, whose government formally outlawed Hezbollah's military activities last week.

The bigger picture: When a displaced mother sheltering in a school says "this time, we are left to fend for ourselves," it signals a potential political turning point—one that Lebanon's new government will need to move quickly to capitalize on.

Drones From Lebanon's Coast Hit British Base in Cyprus

• A Shahed-type drone struck the British military base at Akrotiri, Cyprus—roughly 220 kilometers from the Lebanese coast—in the early hours of March 2, damaging one of its hangars.
• Two further attacks on the same day failed; on March 4, two additional drones were intercepted by a Greek fighter jet over the eastern Mediterranean, according to LBCI.
• Cyprus's Foreign Minister said the drones were launched from Lebanon, while Reuters cited a Cypriot source identifying Hezbollah as responsible; Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rachid condemned the attacks and affirmed Beirut's policy of prohibiting Hezbollah's military activities.
• Lebanese security and judicial authorities have not yet officially confirmed whether the launches originated from Lebanese territory, and no formal investigation has been announced.

The backstory: Akrotiri is one of two British sovereign base areas on Cyprus, used for regional intelligence and military operations. Lebanon's government only outlawed Hezbollah's military activities last week, making the timing of these attacks—and Beirut's response—a direct test of that new policy.

What to watch: Britain has asked Lebanon to open its airspace to British aircraft and to take concrete steps preventing further launches—Beirut's follow-through will be the real measure of whether its anti-Hezbollah military stance has teeth.

Lebanon's War-Time Free Speech Crisis: Where Does Criticism End and Incitement Begin?

• As the current conflict intensifies, Lebanon's public sphere is seeing a sharp surge in hate speech, threats against journalists, and accusations of treason targeting critics—a pattern that recurs with every major crisis but is worsening under wartime polarization.
• Media law experts point to statements by public figures like Ali Barru and Samir Geagea as examples that crossed from political criticism into explicit threats and sectarian incitement, while a case involving rapper Jafar al-Taffy sparked a separate debate about artistic expression versus incitement.
• The head of Lebanon's Journalists Union noted that during the previous war, 12 direct attacks on journalists were documented, resulting in 6 deaths; in the current conflict, media institutions have again been targeted, limiting reporters' access to the field.

Why it matters: In a country where words have historically preceded bullets, the erosion of a shared public space for debate is not an abstract concern—it's a direct early-warning sign for civil unrest.

QUICK HITS

• A campus, not a target: An Israeli drone killed Lebanese University faculty director Hussein Bazzi and Professor Mortada Srour in the outdoor courtyard of the Hadath campus Thursday—marking the first time Israel has directly struck a university in the current war. The Lebanese government condemned it as a war crime.
• Ceasefire clock is ticking: Lebanon is racing to assemble a negotiating delegation before Israel widens its ground operation, with proposed members including diplomats and border demarcation specialists—but the Shia seat remains contested, and Israel has yet to give a positive response to any proposal.
• Detroit's Lebanon connection: Lebanese-born naturalized U.S. citizen Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, rammed an explosive-laden truck into a Michigan synagogue Thursday after reportedly losing several family members—including a niece, nephew, and two brothers—in an Israeli strike on Lebanon roughly 10 days prior. He was shot dead by security guards.
• 270 million reasons to pay up: Électricité du Liban says government institutions and public agencies owe it $270 million in unpaid bills, and Palestinian refugee camps add another $30 million annually—if they all paid, EDL says it could add two more hours of power daily.
• Weekend forecast: stay inside: A deep low-pressure system is bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, and winds up to 85 km/h to Lebanon this weekend, with snow dropping to 1,800 meters Saturday night. Mountain roads above 1,300 meters face serious ice risk through Monday.

INTERNATIONAL

Iran's Former Top Diplomat in Australia Defects — and More Are Following

• Mohammad Pournajaf, Tehran's charge d'affaires in Canberra until at least 2023, defected and was granted asylum in Australia after applying for protection in 2023—a disclosure that only became public this week alongside news that six members of Iran's women's football squad had also been granted humanitarian visas.
• A separate Iranian diplomat applied for asylum in Denmark, according to Iran International, while Australia's previous Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi was expelled in August last year after Canberra accused Tehran of being behind two antisemitic arson attacks in 2024.
• Pournajaf had been in Australia since 2018 and had even hosted the 44th anniversary celebration of Iran's Islamic Revolution before quietly seeking protection—a government source confirmed his defection is not related to the current conflict.

The bigger picture: As Iran faces military pressure and internal strain, the quiet exodus of its own diplomats signals a deepening crisis of confidence within the regime's own ranks.

Iceland and Netherlands Join ICJ Genocide Case Against Israel — Now 18 Countries

• Iceland and the Netherlands filed declarations to intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice on Thursday, bringing the total number of countries seeking to participate in the proceedings to 18.
• Both states invoked Article 63 of the ICJ statute, which allows parties to a treaty to present their interpretation of it; their filings focused on how genocidal intent can be inferred from patterns of conduct, and whether deprivation of food, shelter, and medical care could constitute prohibited acts under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
• Israel was scheduled to submit its counter-memorial on Thursday after several deadline extensions, but the court had not yet confirmed receipt; a final ruling on whether Israel breached the Convention could take until 2028, legal experts previously told Middle East Eye.

What to watch: With intervention requests now arriving from across Europe and Latin America, the ICJ proceedings are evolving into a broad multilateral examination of how international humanitarian law applies to the Gaza conflict.

UK Axes Africa Health Programme as Aid Budget Shrinks to Record Low

• The UK's Global Health Workforce Programme, which trained healthcare staff in six African countries—Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Somaliland—will close at the end of March after the Labour government reduced overseas aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP to fund increased military spending.
• The programme had run in various forms since 2008 and was previously renewed under multiple governments; its closure was revealed through a written parliamentary answer, with ministers citing the need to "make choices" given reduced budgets.
• Global Health Partnerships, which ran the scheme, warned that gains in reducing HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence in counties like Kenya's Homa Bay would reverse without sustained funding, and that "once that thread is cut, it is very difficult to pick it back up."

Zooming out: Britain's retreat from global health investment reflects a broader Western trend of redirecting development budgets toward defense, a reallocation that public health experts warn will cost far more in pandemic preparedness down the line.

GHER HEK

• Tommy Shelby's last ride: Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan are bringing Peaky Blinders to the big screen—set in 1940 with Nazi bombs falling on Birmingham, the film reunites Murphy with Keoghan as his wayward son Duke, after a Father's Day text turned into a casting offer. The franchise spans 190 countries.
• Lebanon's restaurants say: khalas, we're eating: Restaurants across the Metn and northern Lebanon are packed—cars lined up, tables full—as families refuse to let the news ruin a good meal, with Easter and Eid preparations adding to a defiant, festive mood that is very, very Lebanese.
• History, broken: Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's 63-year-old record by scoring at least 20 points in 127 consecutive NBA games—a streak so statistically improbable that the odds of an All-Star reaching it are roughly 1 in 3.2 quintillion.
• Gibran's words, still alive: Lebanese child psychologist Martina Nehme, citing Kahlil Gibran's famous line about children belonging to life itself, offers parents a guide to nurturing kids through hard times—drawing, Legos, honest conversations, and above all, a hug.

Yalla, go make it a good Friday—see you tomorrow.