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Church architecture in Lebanon, as in other regions of the Eastern Mediterranean, follows a structured and recognizable liturgical layout. Typically, churches comprise three main sections: the sanctuary, the naves, and the narthex, with occasional local variations. Attached to these spaces are several liturgical annexes serving the needs of clergy and worshippers, often located to the south and/or north of the main body, and sometimes behind the apse. This organization responds to the region's distinctive topography, characterized by a narrow coastal strip and terraced mountain slopes upon which many churches were erected. During the 5th century, several churches were constructed within or adjacent to former pagan sanctuaries that had previously been avoided, while others, positioned along major routes, attracted travelers and contributed to the development of small towns and new centers of worship. In Lebanon, as in other Eastern regions, the churches broadly conform to a predetermined liturgical scheme, even when constrained by function, available resources, local development, and topography. Externally, their facades express the spiritual organization of the interior through the orientation of the sanctuary, the arrangement of doors, the height and placement of windows, and the use of selected decorative motifs. Even when façades reflect site conditions or financial limitations, they still embody the fundamental purpose of the sacred space through coherent spatial organization. The mosaic floors of Lebanese churches during the Byzantine period (4-7 centuries CE) constitute crucial archaeological evidence that allows a precise description of their architectural layout. This is particularly evident in the Church of Zahrani, where a mosaic pavement was discovered in 1950 during the construction of the Zahrani refinery on the Tapline installation and later transferred to the Jesuit Park in Ashrafieh. The history of this church dates back to the 5\" and 6\" centuries. It was built in three main phases and underwent significant modifications in its internal divisions and construction techniques. Based on the preserved inscriptions, the first phase of the church dates to 389-390 CE, while a later major phase is attested in 541 CE. The church com-prises a main nave with two side aisles to the north and south, and a baptistery located on the southern side. The roof is a wooden vault covered with tiles and supported by sandstone walls and marble columns (third phase). The floor is paved with rich and diverse mosaics representing animals, plants, and geometric patterns, comparable to those in other Lebanese coastal churches. Through the re-examination of previous studies, historical descriptions, the preserved mosaics, and the overall layout, it has been possible to attempt a challenging architectural reconstruction that aims to approximate the original appearance of the church with its main spaces and dimensions.

Abstract This article revisits the 1983 Israel-Lebanon Agreement using new archival material, mainly from the Israel State Archives, with three main goals. First, it demonstrates the centrality of the agreement for Israeli schemes in Lebanon and argues that Israeli demands during the negotiations shed new light on its decision to stay in Lebanon in June 1985, despite the government decision of January 1985 to withdraw to the international border. Second, it reconsiders Syria's ‘veto power’ over the agreement given Israel's objectives to establish a security zone in south Lebanon. Finally, by using new archival evidence, it completes our historical knowledge about the road to the agreement and its aftermath.

Background: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive auto-inflammatory disease characterized by pathogenic variants in the MEFV gene, with allele frequencies greatly varying between countries, populations and ethnic groups. Materials and methods: In order to analyze the spectrum of MEFV variants and genotypes among clinically diagnosed FMF patients from South Lebanon, data were collected from 332 participants and 23 MEFV variants were screened using a Real-Time PCR Kit. Results: The mean age at symptom onset was 17.31 ± 13.82 years. The most prevalent symptoms were abdominal pain, fever and myalgia. MEFV molecular analysis showed that 111 patients (63.79%) were heterozygous, 16 (9.20%) were homozygous, and 47 (27.01%) carried two variants or more. E148Q was the most encountered variant among heterozygous subjects. E148Q/M694V was the most frequent in the compound heterozygous/complex genotype group, while M694I was the most common among homozygous patients. Regarding allele frequencies, M694V was the most common variant (20.7%), followed by E148Q (17.1%), V726A (15.7%) and M694I (13.2%). Conclusion: The high percentage of heterozygous patients clinically diagnosed as FMF highlights the pseudo-dominant transmission of the disease in Lebanon and emphasizes the importance of molecular testing for a more accurate diagnosis and better management and treatment of FMF.

The female-male ratio in the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is approximately 2:1. Gender differences in experienced trauma types, PTSD symptom clusters, and PTSD risk factors are unclear. We aimed to address this gap using a cross-sectional design. A sample of 991 civilians (522 women, 469 men) from South Lebanon was randomly selected in 2007, after the 2006 war. Trauma types were grouped into disaster and accident, loss, chronic disease, non-malignant disease, and violence. PTSD symptom clusters involved re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, and arousal. These were assessed using parts I and IV of the Arabic version of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). Risk factors were assessed using data from a social support and life events questionnaire in multiple regression models. Females were twice as likely as males to score above PTSD threshold (24.3 vs. 10.4%, p ˂ 0.001). Total scores on all trauma types were similar across genders. Females scored higher on all symptom clusters (p < 0.001). Social support, social life events, witnessed traumas, and domestic violence significantly were associated with PTSD in both genders. Social support, social life events, witnessed traumas and domestic violence were significantly associated with PTSD in both genders. Conversely, gender difference in experienced traumas was not statistically significant. These findings accentuate the need to re-consider the role of gender in the assessment and treatment of PTSD.

Executive Summary This article examines the legal and identity implications of forced evacuations in South Lebanon amid the 2023–2025 escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork with 80 displaced families from Aita al-Shaab, Khiam, and Odaisseh, it interrogates how prolonged displacement — absent state-led return, restitution, or recognition — transforms internal displacement into a condition of de facto exile. Using the lens of international refugee, human rights, and humanitarian law, including the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the Pinheiro Principles, the study reveals how Lebanon’s lack of a formal framework for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and its selective reconstruction efforts undermine displaced individuals’ rights and legal belonging. It further explores how displacement intersects with class, political affiliation, and sectarian dynamics, deepening inequalities in access to aid, return, and recognition. The article challenges the assumption that humanitarian assistance can substitute for legal protection, emphasizing that the failure to translate international obligations into domestic enforcement mechanisms leaves IDPs in a state of legal and political limbo. Conceptually, it engages with theories of “displacement in place,” “involuntary immobility,” and “stuckness” to show how legal ambiguity, psychological toll, and administrative erasure reconfigure internal displacement as a state of exclusion and abandonment. Ultimately, the article calls for a rights-based and enforceable approach to internal displacement in Lebanon, arguing that without legal accountability and state action, humanitarianism alone cannot address the structural dimensions of exile.

Executive Summary This paper sheds light on the often-overlooked intersectionality of armed conflict, displacement, and sexual and gender identity, with a focus on the experiences of LGBTIQ+ internally displaced persons (IDPs) from South Lebanon amidst the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study conducted 18 in-depth interviews with members of the displaced LGBTIQ+ community to capture the nuances of their lived experiences. Through thematic and narrative analysis, the research aims to uncover the multifaceted challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ individuals who have been internally displaced due to the protracted conflict. The findings highlight the intricate interplay between the external conflict dynamics and the internal struggles of sexual and gender minorities navigating displacement. Themes such as resilience, identity negotiation, discrimination, and community building emerge from the narratives, providing a rich and textured understanding of the intricate fabric of their lives. The paper not only contributes to the growing body of literature on conflict-induced displacement but also foregrounds the unique challenges and coping mechanisms employed by LGBTIQ+ individuals in the face of adversity. By amplifying the voices of those often silenced, this research seeks to inform policies and interventions that are more inclusive and responsive to the specific needs of internally displaced LGBTIQ+ populations in conflict settings, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in their journeys of survival, resilience, and identity reconstruction.

This essay considers the place of the Gaza Strip in the broader Palestinian context. Israel's determination to separate Gaza from the West Bank since the signing of the Oslo Accords and its subsequent withdrawal from the territory in 2005 resulted in a process that culminated in the buildup of a Palestinian military front reminiscent of that established by the Palestine Liberation Organization in south Lebanon in 1975-82. In both instances, the military front appears to serve as a Palestinian counterstrategy to achieve linkage. Palestinians demonstrated their determination to break the isolation of Gaza in the war of May 2021 that was accompanied by mass mobilization across and outside Mandate Palestine. The essay probes the question of whether we are witnessing the consolidation of a Gazan military front and points to the minimal political conditions necessary for such a development to advance the liberation struggle.

Objective To determine the prevalence and predictors of psychiatric disorders in a general population from South Lebanon, an area that was under military occupation for more than 20 years. Method This study assessed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression thresholds along with general health (GHQ) among 625 citizens in six villages in South Lebanon using a cross-sectional design through random sampling. Results The prevalence ranged from 17.6 to 33.3% for PTSD and from 9.2 to 19.7% for depression. GHQ total score was found to be 6.7 significantly greater than the internationally established mean score of 5.0. Social support, financial resources, gender, and war exposure were significantly related to PTSD and depression thresholds. Conclusion The results strongly suggest that the general population in South Lebanon suffer from mental health disorders calling for appropriate psychiatric interventions and development planning.

In lebanon, traditional customs and practices of water use evolved into lore still prevailing today. In south lebanon, rural communities adapted to the characteristic scarcity in water resources of the region by harvesting and storing rainwater in birket. These open-air reservoirs constitute one of the many ancestral water practices that are the most appropriate for adaptation to uncertain changes and future water management. Despite the potential for more frequent and severe droughts in the future, and current sporadic formal access to water, birket-s are actually declining in numbers. In this paper I ask: what can be done to strengthen traditional social water arrangements and how can we reclaim them to better face the current and future water management problems? I first examine the set of laws, written and unwritten, at play. Then I analyse two cases of reclaimed birket-s to better understand the social and economic aspects of their functions in the community. I argue that this forms a palimpsest of legislative and administrative water competence that is better able to address uncertainty and water insecurity.

This study reviews the detection of pesticides in different surface and groundwater samples collected from South Litani region in South Lebanon during 2012. These have been analyzed using an optimized and validated solid phase extraction method followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides were mostly noted at levels below the recommended value for individual pesticide in water except pirimiphos-methyl that was recorded at 300.87 ng L−1 in groundwater sample, designated for drinking water and collected in February. DDE concentration exceeded 100 ng L−1 in both surface and groundwater in October. The reported results represent the first Lebanese statistical data illustrating the quantification of pesticides in water over a period of time. More importantly, it draws attention to the need of pesticides’ monitoring programs in the Lebanese water resources.