Lebanon
The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continues and the Shiite movement, “in support of their Palestinian brothers”, strikes Israeli communities and outposts daily; the IDF’s counterattacks are always timely. To date, the skirmishes on the border have caused the deaths of 10 civilians and 15 Israeli soldiers, as well as the displacement of thousands of people. About 340 Hezbollah militants, 62 from other terrorist groups, and dozens of Lebanese civilians have been killed. In this dangerous scenario of possible escalation, on June 11, the Israeli armed forces launched an airstrike in southern Lebanon, killing Taleb Abdullah, a senior Hezbollah commander. He is the most important member of the group eliminated by Israel in these eight months of hostilities. In response to the Israeli raid, the Shiite movement launched more than 200 rockets and numerous missiles across the border, the most massive attack launched during this period against Israel, promising to intensify the offensive. Abdullah’s killing has only exacerbated the already tense relations between the two parties. Several times, the Israeli government and the IDF have stated they are ready to intervene forcefully in Lebanon. The danger of the conflict spreading to the Land of the Cedars from Gaza is one of the main causes of concern for the countries of the region and the entire international community. During his recent trip to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Blinken stated that “no one is looking to start a war and that many believe that following the path of diplomacy is the best way to resolve the issue”. Nonetheless, mutual threats between Israel and Hezbollah continued throughout the month. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah warned the Jewish state that, in case of war, its entire territory would be hit. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during a visit to the United States, stated that his country could bring Lebanon back to the Stone Age, although it does not want to. And no one wants a total war between the Jewish state and the Land of the Cedars, although the tones between the contenders suggest otherwise. The international community does not want it, so concerned that Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada have advised their citizens to leave Lebanon. The UN does not want it, declaring that the conflict would be an apocalypse. The USA certainly does not want it, fearing more direct involvement from Iran and the failure of Israel’s Iron Dome if there were to be a high-intensity attack from Lebanon. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Gallant that another war with Hezbollah could have terrible consequences for the Middle East and reiterated the importance of a diplomatic solution. Lebanese politicians are also concerned. Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces Party, the largest in parliament, stated that the Shiite movement, backed by Iran, is leading the country into dangerous territory and that the government has abandoned the nation. He also added that the conflict in southern Lebanon is not only connected to the war in Gaza because, due to Hezbollah’s ties, the country is now “entangled” in the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, the Arab League declares it no longer considers Hezbollah a terrorist group and is preparing to resume contacts with the Shiite group.
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| Head of state | Najīb Mīqātī (ad interim) |
| Head of Government | Najīb Mīqātī |
| Institutional Form | Unitary confessionalist parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Beirut |
| Legislative Power | Unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Nuwab, 128 members) |
| Judicial Power | Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organised in 4 Houses, each one with a President and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consisting of 10 members) |
| Ambassador to Italy | Mira Daher |
| Total Area kmq | 10,452 km2 |
| Land | 10.230 km2 |
| Weather | Moderate and Mediterranean climate in coastal areas; cool and rainy winters and humid and hot summer |
| Natural resources | Oil, natural gas, limestone, gypsum and salt |
| Economic summary | The economic system is free and ensures private initiative and the right to private property. Most of the economy is dollarized, and the country has no restrictions on the movement of capital across its borders. The Lebanese government's intervention in foreign trade is minimal. |
| GDP | $18.08 billion (Dec. 2021) |
| Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $4577 (Dec. 2021) |
| Exports | $4.24 billion (2020) |
| Export partner | Switzerland 26%, UAE 13.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, United States 4.29%, Qatar 3.81% (2020) |
| Imports | $12.9 billion (2020) |
| Import partner | Turkey 7.3%, China 7.1%, Germany 6.93%, United States 6.62%, Greece 6.16%, Italy 4.78%, Russia 4.61%, France 3.57% (2020) |
| Trade With Italy | $ 639,61 million (2021) |
| Population | 5.296.814 (2022 est.) |
| Population Growth | +0,66% (2022 est.) |
| Ethnicities | Arabic 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% |
| Languages | Arabic (official language), French, English, Armenian |
| Religions | Islam 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailites), Christians 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, a very small number of Jews, Baha'i, Buddhists and Hindus (2020) |
| Urbanization | 89,3% (2022 est.) |
| Literacy | 95.1% |
Independent since 1943, Lebanon was born from a partitioning of the former League of Nations’ French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon. Located on the easternmost shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon borders with Syria to the north and east, and with Israel to the south. The country has a population of 5 million and its official language is Arabic.
From an institutional point of view, Lebanon is based on a sectarian power-sharing agreement between the various religious communities in the country (Sunni and Shia Muslims, and Maronite Christians). The presence and activities, both political and military, of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah have had destabilising effects both at the international and domestic level. Since 1982, Italy has been present in southern Lebanon with the UNIFIL mission, of which it has held the command four times, and has developed important humanitarian initiatives for the stabilisation of the country.
On 4 August 2020, a powerful blast completely destroyed the port of Beirut and part of the city centre, killing over 200 people, injuring 7,000 and displacing 300,000. Immediately after the blast, Italy was one of the most active countries in providing help to the local population and sent two Air Force planes with eight tons of medical equipment and a team of experts. A few weeks later, this was followed by the arrival at Beirut’s port of a logistic naval unit carrying a fully equipped field hospital with specialized personnel and other assets.
Diplomatic relations between Italy and Lebanon have always been positive. From a commercial point of view, in 2021 the trade between the two countries reached $ 639 million.
