This is Beirut

Uncertainty Surrounds Rafah Crossing Reopening Despite Initial Israeli Announcement

This is Beirut, 09:38 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Palestine United Nations Hamas Rafah Aid

Despite earlier reports indicating that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip would reopen on Wednesday for the delivery of humanitarian aid, its status remains uncertain, with conflicting information emerging from Israeli sources. According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Israeli authorities had approved the reopening of ...

Hamas Launches Gaza Crackdown as Trump Vows to Disarm Group

This is Beirut, 09:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hamas Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu

Hamas tightened its grip on Gaza's ruined cities Tuesday, launching a crackdown and executing alleged collaborators, even as US President Donald Trump vowed to disarm the group. The Israeli military said the remains of four more hostages held in Gaza had been brought into Israel, a day after Hamas handed over the bodies of four other captives and ...

Families of Three Israeli Hostages Announce Return of Remains

This is Beirut, 09:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Hamas Israel Palestine Hostages remains

Three of the four bodies of Israeli hostages in Gaza returned by Hamas late Tuesday have been identified, their families said on Wednesday, following forensic confirmation of their identities. "It is with immense sadness and pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Ouriel Baruch from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of ...

Israel Army Says Remains of Four Hostages Handed over to Red Cross in Gaza

This is Beirut, 14/10 22:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Gaza Hamas Israel ICRC

The Israeli military said Tuesday the remains of four more hostages were transferred to the Red Cross in Gaza. "According to information provided by the Red Cross, four coffins of deceased hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to [Israeli military] and ISA (security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip," the military ...

Trump Says 'We Will Disarm' Hamas, Urges Return of Gaza Bodies

This is Beirut, 14/10 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Israel Donald Trump Hamas Gaza Israeli Hostages

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that "we will disarm" Hamas if the Palestinian militants refuse to do it themselves, as he called for the group to release the bodies of hostages in Gaza. Trump's comments came the day after he swung through the Middle East to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire deal, with questions swirling about the ...

What Comes Next in Trump’s Gaza Plan?

Élie-Joe Kamel, 14/10 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Israel

As the first phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan nears completion, attention is shifting to the next steps. Significant progress has been made, though the process remains far from finished. On Monday, Hamas announced the release of the 28 Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza, along with four bodies from a total of 28. In exchange, Israel confirmed ...

Global Leaders Welcome Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

Kaline Antoun, 14/10 20:05 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Ceasefire Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron

Leaders around the world have welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, formalized at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025. The initiative was driven by US President Donald Trump and signed jointly by mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. The agreement calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of ...

Civil Defense Says Israeli Forces Kill Six People in Gaza

This is Beirut, 14/10 18:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gaza Hamas Israel

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in separate incidents Tuesday, while the military reported its troops had opened fire on suspects who approached their positions. Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defense agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas, said five people were killed as they ...

Sharm al-Sheikh: A Statement to Turn the Page on War

Mario Chartouni, 14/10 15:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hamas Israel Middle East Gaza Sharm al-Sheikh

The international summit held on Monday in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, marked a diplomatic turning point regarding the Gaza conflict. This was not just a simple agreement between Israel and Hamas. It was a solemn declaration co-signed by the mediator countries, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, along with the United States. The document, presented as the ...

Saluting Those Who Stand for Peace

Johnny Kortbawi, 14/10 14:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hamas Hezbollah Israel Camp David Donald Trump Gaza Lebanon Sharm al-Sheikh

The latest events in Sharm al-Sheikh echo the spirit of the Camp David Accords nearly 50 years ago, a historic turning point that reshaped the trajectory of the Arab world. In the aftermath of the 1967 Naksa (the defeat) and amid shifting regional realities, Egypt and Jordan would later move toward peace with Israel. At that time, Egypt commanded ...

Israel Army says Four Returned Hostage Bodies Identified

This is Beirut, 14/10 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump Hamas Palestine USA

The Israeli military said Tuesday that the bodies of four hostages returned by Hamas have been identified, including that of a Nepalese student. In a statement, the military named two of the victims as Guy Iluz, an Israeli national, and Bipin Joshi, an agriculture student from Nepal. The names of the other two hostages have not yet been released ...

Joseph Aoun: Dialogue with Israel Is Possible

Marc Saikali, 14/10 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Joseph Aoun Donald Trump Hamas Hezbollah

President Joseph Aoun delivered two sentences that may well mark a turning point for Lebanon. First, he stated that “our country cannot remain on the sidelines of efforts undertaken to resolve the crises unfolding in the region.” Then he added that “a dialogue with Israel is possible.” These two brief remarks echoed those of Donald Trump ...

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