BREAKING: Lebanese Government Resigns // FAI ONLINE

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab addresses the nation [Credit Mohamed Azakir, Reuters).

After several days of intense public protests which drew thousands in Beirut to the streets and resulted in the occupation of several government ministries, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his resignation today, citing an “earthquake of upheaval.” The resignation includes the dissolution of his cabinet. Lebanese civilians took to the streets once again after the announcement, this time in celebration, congregating in central Beirut’s Martyr’s Square. The resignations come in the wake of the massive explosion in Beirut last Tuesday, which has now claimed the lives of at least 220 people. At least 110 people are still missing and presumed dead under the rubble, while thousands more were injured.

The Lebanese government was widely criticized as corrupt and negligent by it's citizenry for allowing 2,750 metric tones of ammonium nitrate to be stored in Hanger 12 of Beirut Port for over 6 years. The cause of the initial fire which ignited the highly-explosive fertilizer is still unknown. Diab’s government was considered by most in both Lebanon and Israel to be friendly to the Shi’a terrorist group Hezbollah, which has sought to procure ammonium nitrate from different sources in the past for use in terrorist attacks against Israeli embassies abroad, including in Cyprus. Diab admitted the problem of corruption within Lebanese politics, alluding to Hezbollah’s role as a shadow government, stating that the problem is “bigger than the state.”

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New parliamentary elections were already scheduled for later this year, but will now be expedited under Diab’s “caretaker” government, which is limited in it’s authority to maintain status quo and facilitate the transition in power to a new government after the elections. It remains to be seen if there is a Lebanese politician who will arise as a consensus candidate, as in Iraq, who can appease both domestic parties as well as stymie Iranian influence over the country.

We invite our global prayer partners to join us in intercession for a peaceful transition in power that creates a more stable government in Lebanon, a path to economic recovery, the marginalization of Hezbollah, and improved rapport with the State of Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces have already announced a de-escalation of their alert along the “Blue Line” demarcation with Lebanon after a tense standoff with Hezbollah earlier this month.

Maranatha.