Qassem accused the Lebanese government of following U.S.-Israeli directives to dismantle Hezbollah's armed resistance, in a televised speech, where he said disarming the resistance would deprive the Lebanese people of crucial defenses during attacks.

Economy suffers first contraction since outbreak of war in Oct. 2023, as private consumption, investments, and exports fall, given massive reservist call-up and business closures The post Israel’s economy slumps 3.

Israel’s economy shrank sharply in the second quarter as the brief but intense conflict with Iran brought large parts of the country to a standstill. Gross domestic product fell 3.5% on an annualized,