On December 21, Lebanese editors transitioned from tracking the Litani security plan to a broader military expansion. Morning headlines focused on Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s announcement that the Lebanese Army would move into a second phase of disarmament, extending its operations between the Litani and Awali rivers. This was framed as a response to international pressure and a strategy to preempt Israeli territorial mapping, which several outlets reported as a three-zone plan (blue, red, and green lines) for the south. By midday, the focus shifted to a direct clash between the government and the financial sector. The Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) issued sharp rebukes of the draft financial recovery law, threatening strikes and accusing the state of evading its obligations to depositors. Concurrently, news of a lethal Israeli drone strike in Yater, targeting a vehicle and a motorcycle, dominated pro-Hezbollah media, providing a violent counterpoint to the state's diplomatic and security expansion narratives.
