Israel Hamas War

UNRWA Fund Cutting: A Blow to Refugees and Host Countries
UNRWA Fund Cutting: A Blow to Refugees and Host Countries

The decision by six European countries to discontinue funding for the United Nations refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) stirred deep concern among Palestinian refugees as well as their host countries, especially Lebanon, which is already reeling under severe economic, financial and political crises. For Palestinians, the move is being ...

The Patriarch Once Again in Hezb's Crosshairs
The Patriarch Once Again in Hezb's Crosshairs

Social media flared up on Sunday and Monday with a smear campaign against the Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rai, accusing him of "betrayal" and of being the "Arabic-speaking spokesperson" for Israel. In his Sunday sermon, Patriarch Rai denounced Hezbollah’s military operations against Israel on the southern border. He shared a letter, received ...

Bou Habib Calls for Border Demarcation with Israel
Bou Habib Calls for Border Demarcation with Israel

Abdallah Bou Habib, Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, called on Monday for the initiation of "indirect negotiations with Israel to resolve points of disagreement," intending to initiate the demarcation of the Israeli-Lebanese border. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Bou Habib stressed that "Israeli aggression against Lebanon must stop, ...

What Criticism Does Israel Have Against UNRWA?
What Criticism Does Israel Have Against UNRWA?

According to a report published on Monday by The New York Times, Israel has submitted a dossier to the US government containing accusations against 12 UNRWA employees. Ten of them were labeled as “Hamas members,” and one was allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Jihad. The six-page dossier alleges that roughly 190 UNRWA employees, including ...

Air Strikes on Damascus Against Iran-Affiliated Positions
Air Strikes on Damascus Against Iran-Affiliated Positions

Violent explosions were heard on Monday, January 29, in the vicinity of the Syrian capital Damascus, following a probable Israeli strike, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Pro-Tehran fighters were among seven dead, with Iranian media reporting the attack targeted an "Iranian advisory centre". "Israeli strikes targeted a ...

Israel’s Far Right Calls for Return of Settlements to Gaza
Israel’s Far Right Calls for Return of Settlements to Gaza

Thousands of Israelis, including several far-right ministers, gathered in Jerusalem on Sunday, January 28, to call for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. Part of Israeli society is calling for the settlements to be repopulated, despite Benjamin Netanyahu's apparent refusal to do so. A few thousand Israelis in favor of relocating ...

Editorial- Is the US Base Attack a Turning Point?
Editorial- Is the US Base Attack a Turning Point?

Undoubtedly, this marks a crucial juncture in the escalating events across various “fronts” in the Middle East following the Gaza War. Following the deadly attack on October 7, tension hotspots have been progressively unfolding, one after another, across different locations on the regional chessboard, each time with a heightened level of ...

Iran Denies Links to Jordan-Syria Strike That Killed US Troops
Iran Denies Links to Jordan-Syria Strike That Killed US Troops

On Monday, January 29, Tehran denied any involvement in the drone attack that killed three American soldiers on the Syria-Jordan border the previous day. The attack had been claimed by Iranian-affiliated groups. Iran denied US and British accusations that it supported militant groups behind a drone strike in Jordan that killed three US military ...

Southern Lebanon: Hezb-Israel Clashes Intensify
Southern Lebanon: Hezb-Israel Clashes Intensify

After a night marked by heightened tensions, the southern front remains on edge as Hezbollah and Israel continue their attacks. On Monday morning, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted the Branit barracks with Burkan missiles. They also declared they had targeted the Hadb Yarin and Birkat Risha sites just after midnight on Sunday. Late Sunday ...

The Dilemmas of Open-Ended Conflicts
The Dilemmas of Open-Ended Conflicts

The most intriguing feature of this war is its mutating complexion and overlapping dynamics drawing on the open-ended conflicts of an imploded Middle East. The strategic overstretch of Iranian power politics seems boundless and puts at stake the future of peace in the region. Far from being circumscribed to Gaza, this conflict questions the future ...

'Intense Fighting' in Khan Younes, 'Constructive' Meeting in Paris
'Intense Fighting' in Khan Younes, 'Constructive' Meeting in Paris

The war between Israel and Hamas entered its 114th day on Sunday, January 28. While fighting rages in Khan Younes, a new round of negotiations was held in Paris. Deadly fighting on Sunday pitted the Israeli army against Palestinian Hamas in Khan Younes, the epicenter in the southern Gaza Strip of the war ravaging the small Palestinian territory, ...

War Diary: Day 114
War Diary: Day 114

This Is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the situation in southern Lebanon and Gaza. Here are the main highlights for January 28, 2024.