The killing this week of Lebanese television cameraman Ali Shaaban by Syrian forces sent a chilling message to Lebanon and caused a national uproar. While he was on an assignment in the northern town of Wadi Abu Khaled, Shaaban was gunned down and his car was struck by more than 40 bullets.
A year into the Syrian uprising, Lebanon has arguably managed to avoid a major spurt of violence many feared would spread in the region. With violence devolving into a protracted bloody fight between the Assad regime and Syrian rebels, Lebanon fears that its own political divisions may be fed by conflict in Syria.
Lebanese militant Shiite group Hezbollah's policy towards the Syrian uprising has been clear: a steadfast commitment to the Syrian regime and a dismissal of the recent protests as an Israeli-American conspiracy. Its stance has been so disappointing for the group's Syrian fans that many protestors carried banners criticizing the Shiite group.
Refugees continue to pour into Lebanon seven months into the Syrian uprising. Since March, approximately 3,800 Syrian refugees have crossed into Wadi Khaled, northern Lebanon's mountainous region.
Six months into the Syrian uprising, more and more countries have distanced themselves from the Syrian regime - but most have yet to call on President Bashar Assad to step down.
Lebanon will assume the presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) at the end of August, for a period lasting one month. This will prove to be an intricate phase as critical resolutions on Syria may be hotly debated.
The advent of the Muslim month of Ramadan brought massacres to the Syrian city of Hama and bloody clashes to the streets of Beirut. As the Syrian regime continues to crack down on civilians, pro-regime supporters clashed with protestors in Beirut on Tuesday.
The Syrian regime is struggling to contain the ongoing protests in various towns across the country, but none are as challenging to it as Hama, a city of almost a million people that is now out of government control.
