CONFLICT

Syria Rebels Enter Damascus, Bashar al-Assad Flees Country

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor said that President Bashar al-Assad has left the country, after losing swathes of territory to a lightning offensive led by an Islamist-led rebel coalition that said it entered Damascus on Sunday. Residents in the Syrian capital told AFP heavy gunfire rang out, after a source close to ...

Syrian Rebels Take Control of Key City Daraa

Syrian government forces have lost control of Daraa city, a war monitor said, in another stunning blow for President Bashar al-Assad's rule after rebels wrested other key cities from his grip. Daraa was dubbed "the cradle of the revolution" early in Syria's civil war, after activists accused the government of detaining and ...

Russia Ready to Defend Itself Through "Any Means", Lavrov Says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said he hoped Ukraine's allies took "seriously" Moscow's recent use of a hypersonic missile in the conflict there, and warned that Russia was ready to use "any means" to defend itself. The United States and its allies "must understand that we would be ready to use ...

Syria's Rebels About to Invade Central City Hama

Syrian rebel forces arrived at the gates of the key city of Hama on Tuesday, as their fighting with the military sparked "a large wave of displacement", a war monitor said. The Islamist-led rebels were advancing on Syria's fourth-largest city, buoyed by their lightning capture of swathes of the north in an offensive that ended four ...

Israel Expands Its Offensive Against Lebanon by Air and on the Ground

The surge in violence persisted on Friday with Israeli airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs and south Lebanon, as fierce fighting raged in southern villages between Hezbollah combatants and Israeli troops advancing deeper into Lebanese territory. New evacuation warnings were issued by the Israeli army to residents of Hadath, Ghobeiri ...

World Bank: Damages and Losses in Lebanon Conflict Estimated at $8.5 Billion

The World Bank has published on Thursday an initial assessment report of the impact of conflict on Lebanon’s Economy and Key Sectors. According to a new World Bank report, the cost of physical damages and economic losses due to the conflict in Lebanon is estimated at USD 8.5 billion. The Lebanon Interim Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) finds ...

US Scenario for a Ceasefire

According to informed sources, the outgoing administration of United States President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming one share a similar view regarding the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Both administrations see an opportunity to end the conflict and establish a new reality that would prevent Hezbollah from ...

Israel Ready to Allow Ships for Gaza Aid

Israel is ready to allow ships to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip as part of a proposed sea corridor from Cyprus, announced Israel's Foreign Minister on Sunday, as cited by Reuters. “It can start immediately,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said to Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM, as reported by Reuters. Additionally, Cohen explained that Britain, ...

Israel Replaces Foreign Minister Cohen

The Israeli government approved the appointment of a new foreign minister to replace Eli Cohen on Sunday as part of a pre-arranged reshuffle. Israel Katz, the current energy minister, will exchange positions with Cohen in a ministerial rotation, pending parliamentary approval. Cohen will retain his position as a member of the security cabinet, ...

USA and Israel Discuss 'Different Phase' of War

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met on Tuesday with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to discuss shifting “to a different phase” of the Israel-Hamas war, a White House official said. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss steps to improve the humanitarian situation in war-torn Gaza and minimize harm to ...

Netanyahu: No Peace Until Hamas Destroyed

Israel made it clear that the war against Hamas will not end soon, while intensifying its attacks on the southern part of Gaza. New bombardments targeted the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, while Israel announced that it was stepping up its offensive against Hamas, despite international calls for a cease fire. On Tuesday, thick clouds of smoke rose into ...