Lebanese President's Surprise Visit to Hezbollah Stronghold
Joseph Aoun calls for state sovereignty in Nabatieh, an area long controlled by Hezbollah.
Lebanese President's Surprise Visit to Hezbollah Stronghold — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made a surprise visit to the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, an area known as a Hezbollah stronghold.[^1] During the visit, Aoun called for the restoration of state sovereignty in the region, a direct challenge to the militant group's long-standing dominance there. Aoun sharply criticized Israel, claiming that the repeated attacks, killing of civilians, and destruction of homes are "obscene, unacceptable, and unjustifiable crimes."[^1] His language, while directed at Israel, also serves to bolster his domestic standing as he attempts to reassert the Lebanese state's authority over territory where Hezbollah has long operated with impunity. The visit highlights the central dilemma facing Aoun's presidency: restoring state sovereignty while navigating Hezbollah's entrenched military and political power in the south. His move signals a willingness to confront this tension head-on, though the practical outcome remains uncertain. Aliyah, resilience, and Rosh Hashanah rituals across Israel's society — Sarah Dahan, 28, from Sderot, hid with her children in bushes for six hours on October 7, 2023. "I fight tooth and nail for my children," she said, describing a life shaped by that day and the struggle to rebuild normalcy. Her story, shared in the past 12 hours, is one of several that together paint a portrait of Israeli society at a moment of simultaneous trauma and renewal.[^1] On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, five sea turtles — rehabilitated at the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center — were released back into the sea at Beit Yanai Beach. About 2,050 people, mostly families and children, came to watch.[^7] Meanwhile, about 50,000 hikers visited nature reserves and parks during the holiday, and some 2,600 guests stayed overnight at camping sites. The numbers suggest a public determined to observe the new year with ritual and outdoor leisure, even as the shadow of October 7 persists. Aliyah, too, continues. Morton and Carole Pancer, a couple from Maryland, arrived on an El Al flight on August 25 with Nefesh B'Nefesh, joining two daughters who had already immigrated. David Par