The 2023 Israeli War:

Fates of Residents and Confrontation Paths in Lebanon

Dossier

Map of Israeli Attacks on Lebanon 2023

Examining Displacement Destinations:

New Housing Dynamics in Tyre and Aley

The Scene from the South:

Abandoned Towns and Bumbling Municipalities

Genocide and Media:

Killing Journalism and Distorting the Narrative

 “The Preventive Plan for Dealing with Any upcoming War:

When Will the State Recognize that we are in a State of War?"

The displaced bring life back to a vacant building on Jeanne d’Arc Street

Urgent World Habitat Day Appeal: End Israeli Occupation and Criminalise Domicide

Global Crisis of Housing Rights Violations in Palestine and Lebanon

On the state’s responsibility in facing the effects of war

Call regarding the Use of Public Spaces by Displaced Persons

Gaza: Space as a Fighter in the Colonizer’s Narrative

Dossier

International Conference to Support Lebanon: Prioritizing Transparency

Policy Watch

Unequal Distribution of Shelters: Undermining Shared Social Responsibility

Report

On the state’s responsibility in facing the effects of war

Statement
Investigation

At the Expense of Tyre and Its Environment: The Army’s Investment Project Raises Questions around Exemption, Influence, and Justice

فيما تعمل مدينة صور جاهدةً على التعافي من الحرب وإعادة الإعمار، يقوم متعهد نافذ بتنفيذ مشروع استثماري لصالح وزارة الدفاع – وهو عبارة عن نادٍ للضباط ومجمّع تجاري – على أراضٍ مملوكة للدولة ومحاذية لمحمية صور الطبيعية. يثير هذا المشروع اعتراضات واسعة النطاق وتحديات قانونية بسبب توقيته وموقعه وتأثيراته البيئية المحتملة.

Investigation

Who’s Beirut?

On the Necessity of a Unified Conception of the City that Goes Beyond its Municipal Borders

Over the course of more than a century, Beirut has witnessed a radical transformation and tremendous urban and population growth intertwined with major historical events. Aerial maps show this expansion, but also they raise a basic question: Who is Beirut today, with its urban complexities and interactions?

Field Watch

Displaced Persons and Returnees: Between Rising Rents and the Israeli Targeting of Prefabricated Homes

In the aftermath of the ceasefire, both the displaced and returnees are struggling to access affordable, suitable, and safe housing. Over 90,000 individuals remain displaced, with most relying on rental housing, where landlords have significantly inflated prices. Meanwhile, returnees continue to endure Israeli violations, with repeated attacks on prefabricated homes, further undermining return efforts. This crisis underscores the urgent need for state intervention to guarantee the right to adequate, affordable, and safe housing.

Field Watch

Incitement Before the Crime: Syrians Displaced and Homes Burned in Al-Aaqbiya

Syrian refugees in the Tariq al-Maslakh neighborhood of Al-Aaqbiyeh are facing escalating threats and attacks, leading to the forced displacement of dozens of families. Risks continue to rise amid growing incitement and official inaction.

Policy Watch

 The Reconstruction Process Between the Law, Ownership status, and people’s Return 

Four months after the ceasefire, Internal Security Forces halted reconstruction in several border villages due to permit requirements, raising concerns about the future of destroyed homes—whether licensed, unlicensed, or built on public property. Given the political significance of reconstruction in these areas, the state must facilitate and organize the reconstruction process in a way that protects people’s right to housing, meets their needs, and respects the urban identity of the regions, within the framework of resisting occupation.

Policy Watch

Encroachment on Public Property in Al-Qleileh: Legitimizing Legal and Environmental Violations

Shortly before leaving office, the Mikati government approved Decree No. 14620, dated January 16, 2025, which grants a private company concession rights to 14,560 square meters of public maritime domain adjacent to property …

Article Policy Watch

Evacuation and demolition of shops in Burj al-Barajneh: a struggle between Planning and Social Marginalization

In January 2025, the Burj al-Barajneh municipality, backed by the Lebanese army and security forces, evicted and demolished informal shops, sparking resident protests. While the municipality claimed it was reclaiming public land, its move suggests an attempt to control the area’s informal economy.

Field Watch

 “100 dollars for rent or else…” The Khan Al-Askar project is outside the municipality’s accounts in terms of services, but it is present in the rent collection ledger

تهدد بلدية طرابلس بطرد سكان مشروع «إسكان قاطني وشاغلي خان العسكر»، في حالة عدم تمكنهم من دفع إيجار بقيمة 100 دولاراً، ممّا يعرّض للخطر حقّ السكن ل230 شخصاً يعيشون في مشروع الإسكان الشعبي.

Dossier

Investigating the Religious Land Endowments in Lebanon

Amid Lebanon’s economic collapse, along with other successive crises, “ownership” is raised as a fundamental issue in shaping the system of social and economic relations, framed by the state through laws, making it …

Investigation

Who moved the kitchen to the bedroom?

Today, the use of kitchenettes in low income housing and student accommodation in Beirut, raises a question as to whether this is a victory for housing rights, or a way to jeopardize the tenant’s comfort and raise the profits of landlords.

Field Watch

The need for policies to protect heritage buildings: Buildings threatened with collapse in Basta

Following the evacuation of the inhabitants, two listed buildings are threatened with demolition, apparently as a result of deliberate negligence by the owners, as well as Israeli raids during the last war. This issue is not merely the destruction of unsafe buildings, but a clear example of the complexities of the issue of neglected heritage buildings and the institutional failures in its management. It also opens the door to fundamental questions about how to reconcile the preservation of public safety with the preservation of historical legacy, and how to protect the most vulnerable groups who inhabit these buildings, in the face of owners’ expectations for material gain.

Policy Watch

The website of the Directorate General of Urban Planning: An Incomplete Step Toward Transparency

On January 31, the website of the Directorate General of Urban Planning was launched, with the aim of enhancing transparency and facilitating access to information. While this is seen as a long-awaited move toward transparency and accountability, it is considered incomplete and does not absolve the Directorate of its core responsibilities.