Most Hezbollah military sites in south Lebanon under army control
Around 190 out of 265 Hezbollah sites located in southern Lebanon have been ceded to the Lebanese army.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
13 April, 2025
The Lebanese army was requested to be deployed in south Lebanon as per the ceasefire's agreement between Hezbollah and Israel [Getty/file photo]
Most military sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have been placed under Lebanese army control, a source close to the group said on Saturday.
A 27 November ceasefire that ended more than a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, including two months of full-blown war which killed over 4,000 Lebanese, stipulated that only United Nations peacekeepers and Lebanon's army should be deployed in the south.
The deal required the Iran-backed group to dismantle its remaining military infrastructure in the south and move its fighters north of the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the Israeli border.
"Out of 265 Hezbollah military positions identified south of the Litani, the movement has ceded about 190 to the army," the source said on condition of anonymity.
Under the ceasefire, Israel was ordered to complete its troop withdrawal from Lebanon by 18 February after missing a January deadline, but it has insisted to keep troops in five places it deems strategic, despite requests from the Lebanese to leave.
Israel has continued to attack several sites in Lebanon killing scores, in violation of the ceasefire.
In a speech on Saturday marking the anniversary of the outbreak of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, President Joseph Aoun renewed his appeal for Hezbollah to lay down its weapons.
"Because we all unanimously believe that any bearing of weapons outside of state authority... would jeopardise the interests of Lebanon... it is time for us all to say: 'Lebanon can only be protected by the state, the army and the security forces,'" he said.
The United States deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, discussed disarming Hezbollah with senior Lebanese figures during a visit to Beirut last weekend, a Lebanese official said.
In an interview with Lebanese television channel LBCI, Ortagus said that "we continue to press on this government to fully fulfil the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias".
She said it should happen "as soon as possible".
The United States chairs a committee, which also includes France, tasked with overseeing the ceasefire.
Following the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, cross-border fire flared between Israel and Hezbollah one day after.
Months of cross-border exchanges with Israeli forces escalated into full-blown war last September, with Israel bombing several parts of Lebanon, killing over 4,000. Several high-profile members of Hezbollah were killed in such strikes.
13 April, 2025
The Lebanese army was requested to be deployed in south Lebanon as per the ceasefire's agreement between Hezbollah and Israel [Getty/file photo]
Most military sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have been placed under Lebanese army control, a source close to the group said on Saturday.
A 27 November ceasefire that ended more than a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, including two months of full-blown war which killed over 4,000 Lebanese, stipulated that only United Nations peacekeepers and Lebanon's army should be deployed in the south.
The deal required the Iran-backed group to dismantle its remaining military infrastructure in the south and move its fighters north of the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the Israeli border.
"Out of 265 Hezbollah military positions identified south of the Litani, the movement has ceded about 190 to the army," the source said on condition of anonymity.
Under the ceasefire, Israel was ordered to complete its troop withdrawal from Lebanon by 18 February after missing a January deadline, but it has insisted to keep troops in five places it deems strategic, despite requests from the Lebanese to leave.
Israel has continued to attack several sites in Lebanon killing scores, in violation of the ceasefire.
In a speech on Saturday marking the anniversary of the outbreak of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, President Joseph Aoun renewed his appeal for Hezbollah to lay down its weapons.
"Because we all unanimously believe that any bearing of weapons outside of state authority... would jeopardise the interests of Lebanon... it is time for us all to say: 'Lebanon can only be protected by the state, the army and the security forces,'" he said.
The United States deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, discussed disarming Hezbollah with senior Lebanese figures during a visit to Beirut last weekend, a Lebanese official said.
In an interview with Lebanese television channel LBCI, Ortagus said that "we continue to press on this government to fully fulfil the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias".
She said it should happen "as soon as possible".
The United States chairs a committee, which also includes France, tasked with overseeing the ceasefire.
Following the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, cross-border fire flared between Israel and Hezbollah one day after.
Months of cross-border exchanges with Israeli forces escalated into full-blown war last September, with Israel bombing several parts of Lebanon, killing over 4,000. Several high-profile members of Hezbollah were killed in such strikes.
As Israel escalates strikes in Lebanon, residents say it ‘will not keep us from the path of resistance’
The failure of the Lebanese government to protect against Israeli attacks is leading Lebanon down two roads: either Hezbollah will re-enter the war in defense of the Lebanese people, or the government will prevail and content itself to sit back.
The failure of the Lebanese government to protect against Israeli attacks is leading Lebanon down two roads: either Hezbollah will re-enter the war in defense of the Lebanese people, or the government will prevail and content itself to sit back.
April 11, 2025
MONDOWEISS
Aftermath of Israel’s bombing of Beirut’s southern Dahiya suburb.
(Photo: Roqaya Chamseddine)
On March 28, Beirut’s southern Dahiya suburb was targeted with four Israeli airstrikes on the neighborhood of Hadath — the first attack on Beirut since the truce in November 2024. A residential building, which housed a number of Lebanese families, was left completely flattened by the airstrikes.
“The entire building is gone. The only thing left is cement and glass,” a local business owner told Mondoweiss. “We were sitting with our grandchildren when we heard the airstrikes and saw people running and screaming.” Hours later, smoke still billowed from the ash and rubble as recovery efforts continued.
Residents of Hadath communicated a sense of unease that existed among residents of Dahiya, even before the airstrikes. One woman explained that Israel’s ongoing attacks against South Lebanon were never far from people’s minds. “Many of us felt as though this attack was inevitable, and that Israel wouldn’t spare Dahiya. The ceasefire doesn’t exist for South Lebanon, and it doesn’t exist for the people of the suburb. Where any of our people exist, Israel sees a target.”
Before dawn on April 1, these words seemed almost prophetic as Dahiya was once again rocked by an Israeli airstrike, this time targeting the neighborhood of Moawad. The attack on Moawad leveled three floors of a residential building, killing four and wounding seven. Among the rubble were children’s toys, backpacks, clothing, and shoes.
“We want Israel to know one thing: that this will not keep us from the path of resistance,” a young man told Mondoweiss. “Do not think that we are afraid, no. We have put our faith in God and in our resistance.”
It is this sharpened confidence that has moved the people of Dahiya forward on what they describe as the “path of resistance” — one that has no shortcuts and has forced them to confront the brutality of the United States’ foremost vassal state in the region. To many, the battle is an unfinished one, and those loyal to Hezbollah remain posed in a state of preparedness for whatever comes next.
Frustration with government stance
As Lebanese citizens across South Lebanon and the Dahiya suburb continue to face targeted assassination campaigns, aerial bombardment, and the destruction of their historic villages, the Lebanese government has done little in the way of responding to Israel’s ongoing attacks — which also include clear violations of Lebanese sovereignty by way of drone surveillance — beyond weak condemnations. The local population considers some elements of the Lebanese government as being wholly complicit at worst and weak-willed at best, and instead have put their faith squarely in one another and the Lebanese resistance.
After the airstrikes in Hadath, a group of women standing next to a clothing store just feet from the airstrike expressed their anger and disgust with the Lebanese government, describing them as no better than the United States and Israel. “What is [the government’s] plan for us? To endure these attacks in the South and also here? Are we to feel comforted by their condemnations? Why doesn’t the puppet President Joseph Aoun come back from his trip to France and send his army to defend his people? Where is the Prime Minister? Is he still asleep?” one woman said. “All in all, we’re once again left to defend ourselves. We have no one but God and our Resistance, and that is enough for us.”
This steely conviction is not a rare, poetic expression conveyed by a handful of Lebanese residents but it is an undeniable cool-headedness that is part of the fabric of what comprises the culture of resistance found throughout the Dahiya and South Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s calculations
The Israeli attacks on Dahiya come as international political and economic pressure continues to mount on the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah to disarm.
Despite enduring a campaign of devastating assassinations — which included the killing of Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in September and the two waves of exploding electronics attacks — Hezbollah has shouldered a majority of the nation’s reconstruction and shelter costs amounting to $650 million, according to a report from Al-Akhbar, a pro-resistance outlet. To put this in context, the World Bank has only offered Lebanon a loan of $250 million for reconstruction, which many have described simply as a means to exert pressure on the Lebanese government in order to disarm Hezbollah.
The IMF and World Bank are conditioning reconstruction funds on Lebanon’s normalization with Israel and disarming Hezbollah. The people of Dahiya and Southern Lebanon remain opposed to this form of blackmail, as reported recently by Mondoweiss.
Lebanese writer and analyst Mohammad Hasan Sweidan characterized the current political atmosphere facing the resistance community as “the most violent cognitive war in the history of the conflict with Israel.” In this war, Sweidan argues, Israel is using the latest strategies “in the field of psychological and media warfare that target the awareness of anyone who believes in the option of resisting Israel’s arrogance.”
Among these tactics, arguably, are unconfirmed media reports that allege the Lebanese resistance has entertained the possibility of disarming in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon and ending its aggression on Lebanese villages.
There has been no official statement released by the party or from its new Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassim. In fact, in February, during the funeral of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Qassim emphasized that “the resistance is not over” and that it is “present and ready” to face Israel. “We open fire when we see it appropriate, and we practice patience when we see it appropriate, and the resistance will continue.”
Hezbollah has not responded to the Israeli attacks, as they have left this up to the state.
This time has also given the Lebanese resistance the necessary ability to restore their capabilities, but the failure of the Lebanese government to do more than issue weak denunciations is leading Lebanon down two roads: either Hezbollah will have no choice but to re-enter the war in defense of the Lebanese people, or Lebanon will be left to endure further attacks while local politicians continue to sit back.
Time will tell what the future holds for Lebanon, but one thing is clear: those with the Lebanese resistance remain steadfast on this path, and no amount of Israeli violence will deter them from the battle that lies ahead.
On March 28, Beirut’s southern Dahiya suburb was targeted with four Israeli airstrikes on the neighborhood of Hadath — the first attack on Beirut since the truce in November 2024. A residential building, which housed a number of Lebanese families, was left completely flattened by the airstrikes.
“The entire building is gone. The only thing left is cement and glass,” a local business owner told Mondoweiss. “We were sitting with our grandchildren when we heard the airstrikes and saw people running and screaming.” Hours later, smoke still billowed from the ash and rubble as recovery efforts continued.
Residents of Hadath communicated a sense of unease that existed among residents of Dahiya, even before the airstrikes. One woman explained that Israel’s ongoing attacks against South Lebanon were never far from people’s minds. “Many of us felt as though this attack was inevitable, and that Israel wouldn’t spare Dahiya. The ceasefire doesn’t exist for South Lebanon, and it doesn’t exist for the people of the suburb. Where any of our people exist, Israel sees a target.”
Before dawn on April 1, these words seemed almost prophetic as Dahiya was once again rocked by an Israeli airstrike, this time targeting the neighborhood of Moawad. The attack on Moawad leveled three floors of a residential building, killing four and wounding seven. Among the rubble were children’s toys, backpacks, clothing, and shoes.
“We want Israel to know one thing: that this will not keep us from the path of resistance,” a young man told Mondoweiss. “Do not think that we are afraid, no. We have put our faith in God and in our resistance.”
It is this sharpened confidence that has moved the people of Dahiya forward on what they describe as the “path of resistance” — one that has no shortcuts and has forced them to confront the brutality of the United States’ foremost vassal state in the region. To many, the battle is an unfinished one, and those loyal to Hezbollah remain posed in a state of preparedness for whatever comes next.
Frustration with government stance
As Lebanese citizens across South Lebanon and the Dahiya suburb continue to face targeted assassination campaigns, aerial bombardment, and the destruction of their historic villages, the Lebanese government has done little in the way of responding to Israel’s ongoing attacks — which also include clear violations of Lebanese sovereignty by way of drone surveillance — beyond weak condemnations. The local population considers some elements of the Lebanese government as being wholly complicit at worst and weak-willed at best, and instead have put their faith squarely in one another and the Lebanese resistance.
After the airstrikes in Hadath, a group of women standing next to a clothing store just feet from the airstrike expressed their anger and disgust with the Lebanese government, describing them as no better than the United States and Israel. “What is [the government’s] plan for us? To endure these attacks in the South and also here? Are we to feel comforted by their condemnations? Why doesn’t the puppet President Joseph Aoun come back from his trip to France and send his army to defend his people? Where is the Prime Minister? Is he still asleep?” one woman said. “All in all, we’re once again left to defend ourselves. We have no one but God and our Resistance, and that is enough for us.”
This steely conviction is not a rare, poetic expression conveyed by a handful of Lebanese residents but it is an undeniable cool-headedness that is part of the fabric of what comprises the culture of resistance found throughout the Dahiya and South Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s calculations
The Israeli attacks on Dahiya come as international political and economic pressure continues to mount on the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah to disarm.
Despite enduring a campaign of devastating assassinations — which included the killing of Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in September and the two waves of exploding electronics attacks — Hezbollah has shouldered a majority of the nation’s reconstruction and shelter costs amounting to $650 million, according to a report from Al-Akhbar, a pro-resistance outlet. To put this in context, the World Bank has only offered Lebanon a loan of $250 million for reconstruction, which many have described simply as a means to exert pressure on the Lebanese government in order to disarm Hezbollah.
The IMF and World Bank are conditioning reconstruction funds on Lebanon’s normalization with Israel and disarming Hezbollah. The people of Dahiya and Southern Lebanon remain opposed to this form of blackmail, as reported recently by Mondoweiss.
Lebanese writer and analyst Mohammad Hasan Sweidan characterized the current political atmosphere facing the resistance community as “the most violent cognitive war in the history of the conflict with Israel.” In this war, Sweidan argues, Israel is using the latest strategies “in the field of psychological and media warfare that target the awareness of anyone who believes in the option of resisting Israel’s arrogance.”
Among these tactics, arguably, are unconfirmed media reports that allege the Lebanese resistance has entertained the possibility of disarming in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon and ending its aggression on Lebanese villages.
There has been no official statement released by the party or from its new Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassim. In fact, in February, during the funeral of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Qassim emphasized that “the resistance is not over” and that it is “present and ready” to face Israel. “We open fire when we see it appropriate, and we practice patience when we see it appropriate, and the resistance will continue.”
Hezbollah has not responded to the Israeli attacks, as they have left this up to the state.
This time has also given the Lebanese resistance the necessary ability to restore their capabilities, but the failure of the Lebanese government to do more than issue weak denunciations is leading Lebanon down two roads: either Hezbollah will have no choice but to re-enter the war in defense of the Lebanese people, or Lebanon will be left to endure further attacks while local politicians continue to sit back.
Time will tell what the future holds for Lebanon, but one thing is clear: those with the Lebanese resistance remain steadfast on this path, and no amount of Israeli violence will deter them from the battle that lies ahead.
A Lebanese flag hung on a car is seen among the destroyed roads and collapsed buildings in Tyre, Lebanon on November 29, 2024. [Murat Şengül – Anadolu Agency]
OPINION
April 3, 2025
by Naima Morelli
naimamorelli
MEMO
There are some cities that are impossible to grasp fully. No matter how much you try to explore them, to understand them, it’s impossible to make sense of it all. Beirut is one of these cities, continually morphing, changing and rising from the ashes despite the hardships, wars and seemingly endless other crises.
We find all of these aspects and more in “Beyrouth Ya Beyrouth”, a comic book collection in the form of a newspaper created last year by the comic book festival “Rencontres du 9e Art, Festival BD d’Aix” at Aix-en-Provence in the South of France. The collection sees a group of Lebanese artists sharing different sides of Beirut that are less known to the media. Rather than focusing on the crises and turmoil, they aim to capture the city’s everyday life, emotions and experiences through the medium of comics.
Michelle Standjovski, a comic book author, illustrator and professor at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), played a central role in the creation of the collaborative project based on capturing Beirut’s different districts and their residents. The idea for this came after Standjovski was contacted by Serge Darpex, director of the Festival BD d’Aix, in which she had participated before. “Serge contacted me and suggested the idea of creating a newspaper to be distributed,” she told me.
The festival, managed by the tourism office of Aix-en-Provence, has a unique structure that offers distinct advantages. Maxime Arnaud, the spokesperson for the festival, explained that having access to the city’s communication resources is what helped boost the festival’s reach and open it up to a wider audience, rather than comic book lovers only. The idea for the journal format was also intended to let the French public get to know Beirut through the popular medium of comics.
Initially, the proposal was for a more general focus on Lebanon, but Standjovski immediately saw an opportunity to focus on Beirut. “I visualised something around the capital, rather than Lebanon in general,” she said. “I thought that it could be a choral project with several voices, several participants, resembling the kind of mosaic that is Beirut.”
Her vision was to capture Beirut as a living, breathing city through the eyes of the people who know it best and are sensitive to the changes and small details: resident artists. She reached out to a group of colleagues and students at ALBA, inviting them to participate in the project.
“We wanted to map out the city, visually and emotionally.”
The contributors were tasked with depicting different neighbourhoods, each one presenting their own personal view of the area chosen. Standjovski emphasised that the goal was not to provide a comprehensive, factual account of Beirut, but to capture emotions and lived experiences. “We haven’t tried to be exhaustive at all. We didn’t really try to tell the whole story. It’s more about emotions, sensations, personal experiences.”
READ: Lebanese artist Nadia Saikali and Beirut as the centre of abstract art
The overarching goal of the newspaper project was to avoid the stereotypical representations of Beirut often seen in foreign media. When international journalists cover Lebanon, they usually focus on the same well-worn narratives and locations. Standjovski wanted this project to break away from this and present the city in its diversity. “Our main objective was to avoid clichés. Foreign journalists often highlight the same neighbourhoods and the same narratives. We wanted to showcase Beirut in ways that aren’t typically seen.”
Each contributor focused on a neighbourhood or aspect of Beirut that had personal significance to them. Standjovski herself depicted the path of protestors during the 2019-2020 revolution, capturing the routes they took through the city and the significance of mobile phones in documenting the events. “I wanted to show the diversity of people, their different lifestyles, different mentalities,” she said.
The project allowed each artist to share a piece of Beirut that resonated with their own experiences.
The final form of “Beyrouth Ya Beyrouth” is a 24-page journal to be distributed for free during the Festival des Rencontres du 9e Art in April and May, and will continue to be available to be distributed upon request by the Festival.
A significant aspect of the project was the involvement of Standjovski’s students from ALBA. As part of the Master’s programme in Illustration and Comics, several second-year students were invited to contribute to the newspaper and attend the festival in France.
“More than others I felt that my students need to breathe, to get out of this war in which we were not yet directly involved, but we were still affected,” said Standjovski. When the students asked if all five of them could attend, she reached out to Darpex for support. “The next day, I sent a message to Serge. He called me on the phone and said, ‘Listen, Michelle, I don’t have any money, but we’re going to find some. The five of them are going to come.’”
The students’ excitement was evident when their teacher shared the news. “They were so happy. Beside the publication of the journal, we had an exhibition and a concert dessiné, a live drawing performance set to music.” This unique format allowed artists to bring their work to life in real time, creating a dynamic and engaging experience for the audience.
“The concert dessiné is a way to make the artwork come alive, to give it movement and voice,” added Arnaud.
Lebanon’s comic book scene has faced numerous challenges, particularly in terms of language and market limitations. While many Lebanese people speak Arabic, French and English, literary Arabic, the language typically used in literature, doesn’t adapt well in a comic book format. “In Lebanon, there aren’t really any comic book publishers for adults, the market is more focused on illustrated books for children,” noted Standjovski.
Despite these difficulties, ALBA has been a significant force in supporting comic artists.
Until the financial crisis of 2019, the academy regularly published students’ work as part of their academic projects. “The good thing about ALBA publications is that they are distributed in bookshops, but they are not for profit. They’re academic. So, in a way, they are published to encourage publication, to encourage students, to serve as a springboard.”
Several of her former students have used ALBA’s publications to launch their careers abroad. “It’s easier to get published in Europe or the United States,” she said. “Most of our former students either work in illustration or not in comics.” Standjovski herself has been published in France and for years she created a weekly comic strip for L’Orient-Le Jour.
Working as an artist in Lebanon is never easy, and that was especially so last year when the journal came out in the context of the country’s political and economic instability. With frequent power outages, internet disruptions and unreliable infrastructure, the logistics of creating art can be challenging. Yet, as Michelle Standjovski pointed out, these technical difficulties pale in comparison to the psychological toll that the crises take on people. “People are exhausted. Sometimes contributors would promise work and never deliver, not out of neglect, but sheer burnout,” she explained. The country’s ongoing crises make it difficult to maintain momentum in creative projects.
Despite these obstacles, Standjovski and her students found strength in their collaboration. “We weren’t doing well. But working on this, collaborating, creating; it gave us a sense of purpose. It was our compass, our flotation device. We don’t sink when we do things that interest us.”
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
by Naima Morelli
naimamorelli
MEMO
There are some cities that are impossible to grasp fully. No matter how much you try to explore them, to understand them, it’s impossible to make sense of it all. Beirut is one of these cities, continually morphing, changing and rising from the ashes despite the hardships, wars and seemingly endless other crises.
We find all of these aspects and more in “Beyrouth Ya Beyrouth”, a comic book collection in the form of a newspaper created last year by the comic book festival “Rencontres du 9e Art, Festival BD d’Aix” at Aix-en-Provence in the South of France. The collection sees a group of Lebanese artists sharing different sides of Beirut that are less known to the media. Rather than focusing on the crises and turmoil, they aim to capture the city’s everyday life, emotions and experiences through the medium of comics.
Michelle Standjovski, a comic book author, illustrator and professor at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), played a central role in the creation of the collaborative project based on capturing Beirut’s different districts and their residents. The idea for this came after Standjovski was contacted by Serge Darpex, director of the Festival BD d’Aix, in which she had participated before. “Serge contacted me and suggested the idea of creating a newspaper to be distributed,” she told me.
The festival, managed by the tourism office of Aix-en-Provence, has a unique structure that offers distinct advantages. Maxime Arnaud, the spokesperson for the festival, explained that having access to the city’s communication resources is what helped boost the festival’s reach and open it up to a wider audience, rather than comic book lovers only. The idea for the journal format was also intended to let the French public get to know Beirut through the popular medium of comics.
Initially, the proposal was for a more general focus on Lebanon, but Standjovski immediately saw an opportunity to focus on Beirut. “I visualised something around the capital, rather than Lebanon in general,” she said. “I thought that it could be a choral project with several voices, several participants, resembling the kind of mosaic that is Beirut.”
Her vision was to capture Beirut as a living, breathing city through the eyes of the people who know it best and are sensitive to the changes and small details: resident artists. She reached out to a group of colleagues and students at ALBA, inviting them to participate in the project.
“We wanted to map out the city, visually and emotionally.”
The contributors were tasked with depicting different neighbourhoods, each one presenting their own personal view of the area chosen. Standjovski emphasised that the goal was not to provide a comprehensive, factual account of Beirut, but to capture emotions and lived experiences. “We haven’t tried to be exhaustive at all. We didn’t really try to tell the whole story. It’s more about emotions, sensations, personal experiences.”
READ: Lebanese artist Nadia Saikali and Beirut as the centre of abstract art
The overarching goal of the newspaper project was to avoid the stereotypical representations of Beirut often seen in foreign media. When international journalists cover Lebanon, they usually focus on the same well-worn narratives and locations. Standjovski wanted this project to break away from this and present the city in its diversity. “Our main objective was to avoid clichés. Foreign journalists often highlight the same neighbourhoods and the same narratives. We wanted to showcase Beirut in ways that aren’t typically seen.”
Each contributor focused on a neighbourhood or aspect of Beirut that had personal significance to them. Standjovski herself depicted the path of protestors during the 2019-2020 revolution, capturing the routes they took through the city and the significance of mobile phones in documenting the events. “I wanted to show the diversity of people, their different lifestyles, different mentalities,” she said.
The project allowed each artist to share a piece of Beirut that resonated with their own experiences.
The final form of “Beyrouth Ya Beyrouth” is a 24-page journal to be distributed for free during the Festival des Rencontres du 9e Art in April and May, and will continue to be available to be distributed upon request by the Festival.
A significant aspect of the project was the involvement of Standjovski’s students from ALBA. As part of the Master’s programme in Illustration and Comics, several second-year students were invited to contribute to the newspaper and attend the festival in France.
“More than others I felt that my students need to breathe, to get out of this war in which we were not yet directly involved, but we were still affected,” said Standjovski. When the students asked if all five of them could attend, she reached out to Darpex for support. “The next day, I sent a message to Serge. He called me on the phone and said, ‘Listen, Michelle, I don’t have any money, but we’re going to find some. The five of them are going to come.’”
The students’ excitement was evident when their teacher shared the news. “They were so happy. Beside the publication of the journal, we had an exhibition and a concert dessiné, a live drawing performance set to music.” This unique format allowed artists to bring their work to life in real time, creating a dynamic and engaging experience for the audience.
“The concert dessiné is a way to make the artwork come alive, to give it movement and voice,” added Arnaud.
Lebanon’s comic book scene has faced numerous challenges, particularly in terms of language and market limitations. While many Lebanese people speak Arabic, French and English, literary Arabic, the language typically used in literature, doesn’t adapt well in a comic book format. “In Lebanon, there aren’t really any comic book publishers for adults, the market is more focused on illustrated books for children,” noted Standjovski.
Despite these difficulties, ALBA has been a significant force in supporting comic artists.
Until the financial crisis of 2019, the academy regularly published students’ work as part of their academic projects. “The good thing about ALBA publications is that they are distributed in bookshops, but they are not for profit. They’re academic. So, in a way, they are published to encourage publication, to encourage students, to serve as a springboard.”
Several of her former students have used ALBA’s publications to launch their careers abroad. “It’s easier to get published in Europe or the United States,” she said. “Most of our former students either work in illustration or not in comics.” Standjovski herself has been published in France and for years she created a weekly comic strip for L’Orient-Le Jour.
Working as an artist in Lebanon is never easy, and that was especially so last year when the journal came out in the context of the country’s political and economic instability. With frequent power outages, internet disruptions and unreliable infrastructure, the logistics of creating art can be challenging. Yet, as Michelle Standjovski pointed out, these technical difficulties pale in comparison to the psychological toll that the crises take on people. “People are exhausted. Sometimes contributors would promise work and never deliver, not out of neglect, but sheer burnout,” she explained. The country’s ongoing crises make it difficult to maintain momentum in creative projects.
Despite these obstacles, Standjovski and her students found strength in their collaboration. “We weren’t doing well. But working on this, collaborating, creating; it gave us a sense of purpose. It was our compass, our flotation device. We don’t sink when we do things that interest us.”
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
