This is Beirut - Israël

Syria: The Province of Sweida Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

This is Beirut, 17/09 16:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

In southern Syria, since the summer, the Druze province of Sweida has become the scene of bloody clashes and geopolitical rivalries. The violence that took place in July, which pitted Druze militias against Bedouin clans and government forces, deeply shook the region, leaving behind thousands of dead and accusations of massacres. As autumn ...

The Incredible Pagers Affair: The Shadow Behind the Explosion

Natasha Metni Torbey, 17/09 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah Beirut

September 17, 2024, 3:30 p.m. Like so many other dates, this one once again thrust Lebanon into the unexpected. In an almost everyday silence, thousands of small devices, pagers, and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah forces exploded almost simultaneously. A deafening roar, flames erupting from offices, vehicles, and command centers. Dozens killed, ...

Israel Says Struck More than 150 Targets in Gaza City Since Tuesday

This is Beirut, 17/09 12:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Hamas Israel Palestine Gaza

The Israeli army said it has struck more than 150 targets in Gaza City since launching a major ground offensive on the Gaza Strip's main urban hub early on Tuesday. "Over the past two days, the (Israeli air force) and artillery corps troops struck over 150 terror targets throughout Gaza City in support of the maneuvering troops in the area," the ...

Same Script, Same Backdrop, Same Secretary-General

Marc Saikali, 17/09 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Politics Naim Kassem

Every single week, like clockwork, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General graces us with yet another appearance. And somehow, even those Turkish soap operas dubbed in the Syrian dialect manage to look like Hollywood blockbusters by comparison. Naturally, the speeches are always prerecorded. Spontaneity is risky business when you’d rather not let the ...

Israel to Open New Route for Gazans Fleeing Besieged City

This is Beirut, 17/09 10:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel United Nations Gaza Hamas

Israel's army said Wednesday it had opened a temporary new route to allow people to flee Gaza City, a day after launching a major ground assault aimed at crushing Hamas. The Israeli military unleashed a massive bombardment of Gaza City before dawn on Tuesday and pushed its troops deeper into the Gaza Strip's largest urban hub. It came as a ...

Israel's Netanyahu Says Qatar Funds Hamas, Strike 'Justified'

This is Beirut, 16/09 22:19 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Donald Trump Israel United States Qatar Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that a strike against Hamas officials in Qatar last week was "justified" by the Gulf state's ties to the group. "Qatar is connected to Hamas; it harbors Hamas; it funds Hamas. It has strong levers (that it could pull), but it chose not to," he said during a press ...

Syria Working with US on 'Security Understandings' with Israel

This is Beirut, 16/09 21:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Israel Druzes United States Jordan

Syria said on Tuesday that it was working with the United States to reach mutual "security understandings" with Israel, which has demanded the demilitarization of the country's south. The announcement was part of a US- and Jordan-backed roadmap for restoring stability in the south following sectarian violence that drew Israeli intervention, and a ...

Ankara, Another Tehran?

Mario Chartouni, 16/09 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Tehran Damascus Hamas Israel Middle East

The Middle East is going through a major realignment. Iran, long at the center of regional tensions, is losing influence after years of proxy wars and direct confrontations with Israel. This decline does not mean the situation is easing. On the contrary, it creates a strategic opening that another player – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey – ...

Netanyahu Says Nasrallah’s Death Brought Down the Pro-Iranian Axis

This is Beirut, 16/09 19:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah Lebanon Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the death of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27, 2024, in a violent Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, triggered the collapse of the pro-Iranian axis. “On October 7, we were attacked by the monsters of Hamas. The next day, Hezbollah joined the fight ...

Israel Launches Ground Assault on Gaza City

This is Beirut, 16/09 19:23 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu United Nations US Secretary of State

Israel launched its long-anticipated ground assault on Gaza City at dawn Tuesday, a day after winning backing from its top ally, the United States, despite mounting international alarm. A United Nations probe charged Israel with committing "genocide" in the Palestinian territory and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior ...

Trump Warns Hamas of 'Big Trouble' If They Use Hostages as Human Shields

This is Beirut, 16/09 16:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Donald Trump United States Israel Gaza

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Hamas would be in "big trouble" if they use hostages in Gaza as human shields during a new offensive launched by Israel. "We'll wait to hear what happens, because I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield deal, and if they do that, they're going to be in big trouble," Trump told reporters when ...

U.S. and Qatar Close to Strengthening Defense Ties Following Israeli Strike

This is Beirut, 16/09 16:31 - Reading : less than a minute

US Secretary of State Hamas Israel Marco Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington and Doha are close to finalizing an enhanced defense cooperation agreement, following last week’s Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar. Qatari officials confirmed that Emir Sheikh Tamim met with Rubio, with spokesman Majed Al Ansari stating the attack “sped up the need for a ...

Israël