This is Beirut

Investigation Conclusion: Israeli Army Acknowledges its "Complete Failure" on October 7

This is Beirut, 27/02 22:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

An internal Israeli army investigation into Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack released on Thursday acknowledged the military's "complete failure" to prevent the deadly assault, saying that for years it had underestimated the group's capabilities. The attack, which left hundreds of Israelis dead, sparked a devastating war in Gaza, which killed tens ...

Israel Frees Hundreds of Palestinian Prisoners after Body Handover

This is Beirut, 27/02 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hamas Gaza Palestine Israel

Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, shortly after saying Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over coffins believed to contain the bodies of four hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had received the coffins of "four fallen hostages", and a process to formally identify them had ...

Hamas Announces the Handover of the Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages Tonight

This is Beirut, 26/02 17:17 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gaza Israel Palestine Hostages

Hamas's armed wing said Wednesday that it would hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages "tonight" as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. "Within the framework of the deal, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades has decided to hand over the bodies of four hostages tonight," the group said, providing the names of the captives. ...

Israel Lifts Restrictions for Northern Residents

This is Beirut, 25/02 21:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israël Gaza lebanon Hezbollah

On the night of February 23, the Israeli Army’s Home Front Command announced the lifting of restrictions on towns along the border with Lebanon. Starting March 2, displaced residents from this area will be allowed to return to their homes. This measure, approved by Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, follows an evaluation conducted in ...

Israeli Opposition Leader: Egypt Should Run Gaza for 8 Years

This is Beirut, 25/02 18:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Yair Lapid Gaza Egypt

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Tuesday that Egypt should run the Gaza Strip for at least eight years once the war is over, in exchange for massive debt relief. "The solution is Egypt will take responsibility for the management of the Gaza Strip for eight years with an option to extend to 15 years," he told the hawkish ...

Palestinians Have Some Soul-Searching To Do

Pierre Nahas , 24/02 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Palestine Israel USA Gaza

United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” has sparked widespread debate. Whether his plan is feasible remains to be seen. Regardless, Palestinians need a new modus operandi if they are to survive. They must recognize that leaders in the Middle East now ...

Hamas Frees 6 Israeli Hostages in Latest Transfer Under Truce

This is Beirut, 22/02 15:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hamas Gaza Israel

Palestinian militants on Saturday freed six Israeli hostages, the last living captives to be released under the first phase of a fragile truce that is also expected to see Palestinian prisoners released. Freedom for the captives caps an emotional two days in Israel, where the family of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, earlier on Saturday confirmed ...

Gaza: Riyadh Arab Summit Concluded, No Final Statement Expected

This is Beirut, 21/02 23:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gaza Riyadh Donald Trump Israel

Arab leaders met in Riyadh on Friday to craft a plan for Gaza's post-war reconstruction to counter Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take over the territory without its Palestinian inhabitants. Trump's plan has united Arab states in opposition to it, but disagreements remain over who should govern Gaza and how its reconstruction ...

Israel to Release 602 Prisoners in Exchange for 6 Israeli Hostages Under Gaza Truce Deal

This is Beirut, 21/02 20:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel Hamas Gaza Hostages

Israel will free 602 inmates from jails on Saturday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap with Hamas under an ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group. Among those released, 445 are people from Gaza who were arrested after Hamas' October 7 attack that sparked the war, 60 are serving long ...

What Should America Do About Syria?

David Hale , 21/02 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria USA America Gaza Lebanon

While Lebanese are focused intently on developments in Syria, the topic is absent in Washington. Yet what is happening there is one of the landmark geo-strategic developments of the Middle East of our times, the demise of a long-standing problematic regime for America and its friends and part and parcel of the reversal of fortunes of a major ...

UAE President tells Rubio Rejects Displacement of Palestinians

This is Beirut, 19/02 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Rubio Gaza

United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi opposes the displacement of Palestinians, official media reported. Sheikh Mohammed "affirmed the UAE's firm position rejecting any attempts aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their land", the Gulf ...

Hamas to Free 6 Israeli Hostages, Hand Over 4 Bodies this Week

This is Beirut, 18/02 17:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza Israeli Hostages

Hamas said Tuesday that it would hand over all six living Israeli hostages due for release under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire this week, as well as the bodies of four dead captives. The fragile Gaza truce took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group's ...