Lebanon from August 4, 2020 to Today: Memory, Wound, and Future of the Land of the Cedars

Nino Kalos for August 4 in Beirut

1. August 4, 2020: the moment that broke Beirut

At 18:08 on August 4, 2020, a massive explosion tore through the port of Beirut. A roar, a cloud, a shockwave that swept across the city like a hurricane. More than 200 lives lost, thousands injured, entire neighborhoods erased, 300,000 people left without a home.

But the tragedy was not only physical: it was moral. Lebanon discovered that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been abandoned for years in a warehouse, ignored by those who should have protected the population. The explosion became the symbol of institutional failure — the point of no return in a crisis already underway.

This is why not forgetting is essential: because that wound is the key to understanding everything that came after.

2. A country already fragile before the tragedy

Lebanon reached August 4 already exhausted:

• The 2019 protests against corruption, the banking system, and the political class.

• The financial default, with the Lebanese pound collapsing and citizens’ savings frozen.

• The COVID-19 pandemic, which had brought hospitals and essential services to their knees — and for me, the loss of some fraternal friends.

The explosion was not the beginning of the collapse: it was the final blow to a structure already cracked. The breaking of an equilibrium that had, until then, somehow managed to exist.

3. After the explosion: immediate aid, but a long decline

Italy, the Rotary Club Dubai, international NGOs, volunteers from all over the world — solidarity arrived immediately.

But the country could not rise again. The economic crisis worsened, politics became paralyzed, institutions lost credibility. The reconstruction of the port became a symbol of slowness and political interference, which unfortunately has always prevailed in Lebanon.

The wound of August 4 remained open, and Lebanese society entered a phase of suspended hope.

4. Lebanon today: a complex geopolitics, a fragile balance

4.1 Negotiations with Israel

Since 2026, direct Lebanon–Israel talks have been underway, mediated by the United States and often hosted in Italy. A historic event, unimaginable just a few years earlier.

The objectives include:

• defining security zones in the South,

• the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army,

• deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),

• discussion on the role and weapons of Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government tries to present a united front, but reality is complex — just like the Lebanese people. I often say that being Lebanese is a “profession”, not a nationality… an affectionate irony born from my love for that country.

4.2 Hezbollah

Hezbollah rejects direct negotiations and considers disarmament a “red line.” This creates an internal fracture between:

• the State, which seeks to regain sovereignty,

• Hezbollah, which maintains military capabilities and political influence.

4.3 Regional pressures

Lebanon stands at the center of a larger geopolitical game:

• Iran supports Hezbollah and uses Lebanon as a strategic lever. It reminds me of Italy in ancient times — a battleground for foreign armies.

• The United States pushes for stability and border security.

• Italy has taken on an important diplomatic role. For us, Lebanon is truly a brotherly nation.

• Saudi Arabia is considering new investments and commercial openings, once again viewing Lebanon as a hub for international business.

• Turkey observes and supports European mediation, showing admirable balancing skills.

Lebanon is fragile, but not irrelevant: it is a key node in Middle Eastern geopolitics. Without peace in Lebanon, there will be no stability in the region.

5. Lebanon today: wounded, but not defeated

Despite everything, Lebanon continues to surprise:

• The Lebanese army is trying to reassert its presence in the South.

• International diplomacy is more active than in previous years.

• Civil society is vibrant, creative, tireless.

• Lebanese culture remains a bridge between East and West, a protagonist of the Mediterranean.

The Land of the Cedars is wounded, but it has never been a country that gives up.

6. The Lebanese diaspora: in my view, the force that keeps Lebanon alive

Today, the diaspora is the true backbone of Lebanon:

• It supports families and communities economically.

• It keeps culture, language, and memory alive.

• It acts as Lebanon’s ambassador to the world.

• It keeps international attention focused on the need for stability and reconstruction.

• It is often more united and clearer in vision than internal politics.

• And it cannot be accused of corruption… living outside the country.

My affection for Lebanon fits into this dimension: the diaspora is not just a memory of Lebanon — it is an active part of its rebirth.

7. Why start from the explosion?

Because August 4, 2020 is the moment when Lebanon lost so much, but also showed its resilience. It is the moment that united the diaspora, that made the world understand how fragile the country was, and how necessary it was — and still is — to support it. This must be the message.

To remember means:

• demanding justice,

• preventing the truth from being buried,

• supporting those who fight for a Lebanon free from corruption, which destroys any economy,

• ensuring the tragedy does not become just a page in history.

This is why not forgetting is essential: because that wound is the key to understanding everything that came after.

The Land of the Cedars is wounded, but it has never been a country that surrenders. I believe the diaspora is today the true backbone of Lebanon. Not forgetting August 4 means continuing the rebirth of this splendid people — always true Messengers of Peace.

Lebanon and Italy: two countries, one sea.

---