Дата публикации: 12-08-2026 12:17:59

Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty
Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.This is Ezgi Akin, filling in for Gabrielle. In today’s edition:Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penaltyHormuz shipping traffic falls to one-week low amid hostilitiesNetanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing itWhat Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemmaThanks for reading,Ezgi (ezgi_akin)Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penaltyMembers of the Lebanese security forces stand guard on the perimeter of the parliament a day ahead of a parliamentary session to elect a president in Beirut on Jan. 8, 2025. — ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty ImagesLebanon’s parliament voted Tuesday to abolish the death penalty, putting the country on course to become the first Arab state to formally eliminate capital punishment.Under the new arrangement, death sentences will be replaced by life imprisonment with hard labor. Existing death sentences for crimes committed before the law takes effect would be commuted. The legislation abolishes capital punishment wherever it appears in Lebanese law, including the Penal Code, but still requires cabinet approval and the president’s signature.The vote formalizes a de facto moratorium that has been in place for more than two decades. Lebanon last carried out executions in 2004, although courts have continued to issue death sentences. Rights groups say 84 people are currently on death row.Amnesty International called the vote a major human rights milestone, while Justice Minister Adel Nassar described it as a historic step. Beatrice Farhat reports from Beirut. Listen to a breakdown of the top headlines on today’s episode of the Middle East Minute podcast with Adam Lucente.Hormuz shipping traffic falls to one-week low amid hostilitiesVessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — StringerHormuz shipping traffic fell to a one-week low on Tuesday as continued hostilities and uncertainty over the Iran war kept vessel owners away from the strategic waterway.Only eight vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, down from a 10-day average of about 12 and the lowest daily tally since Aug. 5, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing Kpler data.Only one vessel exited the strait, while seven entered using the Iranian route.Traffic remains a fraction of prewar levels. Around 130 to 140 ships typically crossed Hormuz each day before Iran effectively closed the waterway following the start of US-Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing itIsraeli soldiers drive on the border with the Gaza Strip as right-wing activists gather in an attempt to cross over into the embattled territory on July 19, 2026. — Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP via Getty ImagesIsrael is continuing to implement key elements of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public rejection of the 15-point framework, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic source.Sources told Al-Monitor that Netanyahu is seeking to balance Washington’s demands with pressure from his right-wing political base ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election. Israel has halted targeted killings of Hamas militants, approved the deployment of a multinational stabilization force and reportedly authorized limited military withdrawals near Rafah.Trump’s 15-point road map builds on the Gaza ceasefire deal agreed last year, tying a phased Israeli military withdrawal to the verified disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups. It also calls for Gaza to be administered by Palestinian technocrats under an international stabilization force deployed alongside a new Palestinian police force to provide security during the transition.The first foreign troops are expected to deploy to Rafah, which connects Egypt to Gaza, where they will help restore basic services and eventually work alongside a new Palestinian police force as Hamas disarms and Israeli forces withdraw. Read Ben Caspit’s analysis.What Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemmaCommander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Esmail Qaani, speaks during a commemoration ceremony in Tehran on Jan. 3, 2024. — Photo by Atta Kenare/ AFP via Getty ImagesIranian Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani has urged Tehran-aligned Iraqi factions to resist surrendering their weapons while avoiding an armed confrontation with Baghdad as Iraq moves to bring weapons under state control.According to Shafaq News, Qaani told militia and political leaders during a visit to Baghdad this week to seek a political settlement rather than challenge the government militarily.Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has set Sept. 30 as the deadline for armed groups to surrender weapons held outside the state framework, amid mounting US and regional pressure on Baghdad.Qaani’s reported message highlights Tehran’s dilemma: preserving the armed networks central to its influence in Iraq without provoking a confrontation that could weaken those same allies and strengthen demands for tighter state control. Our correspondent in Tehran has details. 
eakin@al-monitor.com
Wed, 08/12/2026 - 08:17



Ezgi Akin



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