📰 3 sources 9 articles · 15 Oct 2026, 14:59 → 2 days ago

Lebanese Cabinet session: Lebanese Forces ministers withdraw over the electricity file

The Lebanese Cabinet held a session at the Grand Serail that was expected to discuss appointing a governor for Nabatieh outside the agenda, before ministers of the Lebanese Forces party withdrew after the electricity file was raised. During the session, Justice Minister Adel Nassar warned that storing and transporting explosives outside the state framework threatens national security, while the Presidency affirmed that negotiations have not stopped. The following day, an official source in the Lebanese Forces spoke of an escalating path and linked the withdrawal to an attempt to "dilute" the electricity crisis.

📍 Where things stand: According to what An-Nahar reported from an official source in the Lebanese Forces party, the party will follow an escalating path and will deal with each ministerial session according to its circumstances.

⏱️ Timeline

15 Oct 2026, 14:59 The Lebanese Cabinet session began at the Grand Serail as ministers arrived at the headquarters. The Cabinet is expected to appoint a governor for Nabatieh outside the agenda, with the names proposed being Mohammad Shukr, Mustafa Deirani and Mohammad Hazim. Ahead of the session, Justice Minister Adel Nassar warned that storing and transporting explosives outside the state framework threatens national security. This coincided with Israeli artillery shelling targeting the al-Jarmaq area and an Israeli raid on the town of Kafr Tebnit.
15 Oct 2026, 15:37 Ministers of the Lebanese Forces party withdrew from the Cabinet session held at the Grand Serail after the electricity file was raised, considering that responsibility does not fall on the minister alone but on the Cabinet as a whole. The Cabinet also discussed the explosives issue, with Justice Minister Adel Nassar to re-raise the file with a number of ministers next week. In a related context, the Presidency affirmed that President Joseph Aoun stressed that negotiations have not stopped.
15 Oct 2026, 15:45 On the sidelines of the Cabinet session, Justice Minister Adel Nassar affirmed that investigations into the explosives file are continuing seriously, stressing that a request to refer the file to the Judicial Council must not lead to delaying or obstructing the investigations. He rejected using the country's division as a pretext, considering that the priority is to apply the law to everyone regardless of political affiliations, and that transporting and storing explosives constitute a threat to national security.
15 Oct 2026, 16:03 Industry Minister Joe Issa El Khoury revealed the reason for the withdrawal of the "Lebanese Forces" ministers from the Cabinet session, noting that a large number of ministers support their position calling for securing more electricity feed hours for the Lebanese, and stressing their insistence that Electricité du Liban obtain the necessary funding to increase feed hours.
15 Oct 2026, 17:32 MP Fadi Karam, a member of the "Strong Republic" bloc, criticized the Lebanese government's failure to respond to the demands of the Lebanese Forces ministers in the energy sector. He asked whether reducing the electricity bill for citizens could tolerate procrastination, warning that the "deep state" is hitting citizens in their livelihood to make the Lebanese Forces fail at the Energy Ministry.
16 Oct 2026, 08:58 An official source in the "Lebanese Forces" party told "An-Nahar" that the withdrawal of the ministers backed by the party from the ministerial session came because of an attempt to "dilute" the electricity crisis. It considered that the withdrawal is an escalatory option and that matters cannot be allowed to pass in this manner, noting that the party will follow an escalating path and deal with each ministerial session according to its circumstances. The source explained that Energy Minister Joe El Sade is requesting funds owed by state institutions, and that scheduling is necessary.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

"Lebanon Debate" coverage focused on the opening of the session and the anticipated appointment of a Nabatieh governor, alongside the Justice Minister's warning on explosives and the Israeli shelling and raid, while "MTV Lebanon" focused on the withdrawal of the Lebanese Forces ministers, the reasons given by the Industry Minister and MP Fadi Karam's criticism. "An-Nahar" was alone in carrying the explanation of an official source in the Lebanese Forces linking the withdrawal to an attempt to "dilute" the electricity crisis and speaking of an escalating path.

Lebanon Debate It opened its coverage with the start of the Cabinet session and the anticipated appointment of a Nabatieh governor outside the agenda, cited Justice Minister Adel Nassar's warning about storing and transporting explosives, noted Israeli artillery shelling on al-Jarmaq and a raid on Kafr Tebnit, then reported the withdrawal of the Lebanese Forces ministers and the Presidency's affirmation that negotiations have not stopped.
MTV Lebanon Its coverage centered on the withdrawal of the "Lebanese Forces" ministers from the session, quoting Industry Minister Joe Issa El Khoury that the reason relates to securing more electricity feed hours and funding for Electricité du Liban and that a large number of ministers support this position, and it also reported MP Fadi Karam's criticism of the government's failure to respond to the Lebanese Forces ministers' demands in the energy sector.
annahar.com It quoted an official source in the "Lebanese Forces" party that the withdrawal came because of an attempt to "dilute" the electricity crisis and is an escalatory option, that the party will follow an escalating path and deal with each ministerial session according to its circumstances, noting that Energy Minister Joe El Sade is requesting funds owed by state institutions and the need for scheduling.

AI comparison of what each outlet emphasized. It describes emphasis, not accuracy.

Lebanon DebateMTV Lebanonannahar.com