Israël

Trump Expresses “Discontent” Over Plans To Recognize a Palestinian State

Donald Trump “expressed his discontent and disagreement with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada” over their plans to recognize a Palestinian state, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. The U.S. president has thus somewhat hardened his stance on the matter. While he had already sharply criticized ...

Syria Forms Committee to Investigate Violence in Druze Heartland

Syria's justice ministry announced on Thursday the formation of a committee to investigate deadly violence in the southern Druze-majority province of Sweida. The week-long clashes which began on July 13 killed more than 1,400 people, many of them Druze civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. In a decree issued ...

Series of Israeli Strikes on the Beqaa and South Lebanon

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on Thursday evening targeting the Beqaa and South Lebanon. The consecutive raids struck the areas of Brital, Nabi Sreij, Nabi Chit and Nasiriyeh (Baalbeck), as well as parts of Northern Beqaa. Several strikes also hit Aichiyeh, Mahmoudiya (Jezzine), Dimachkiyeh, Borghoz and Jormok (Tyre), as well as ...

Azerbaijan: The Triumph of Pragmatism over Religious Identity

In the heart of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan stands out for its unconventional geopolitical alignments. Though predominantly Shia in religious composition, this secular post-Soviet republic has positioned itself as one of Israel’s closest allies and a strategic partner to the West, all while maintaining a strained relationship with neighboring ...

Aoun on Army Day: Disarmament of All Militias Including Hezbollah

On the occasion of Lebanese Army Day, President Joseph Aoun delivered on Thursday a speech of rare resolve, calling for a national awakening around the military institution and demanding that all weapons – without exception – be placed under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese Army. In an address clearly directed at all Lebanese, including ...

Trump's Envoy in Israel as Gaza Criticism Mounts

US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff held talks in Israel on Thursday on ways to end the crisis in Gaza, where nearly 22 months of grinding war and dire shortages of food have drawn mounting international criticism. Witkoff, who has been involved in months of stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, met Prime ...

Germany Says Israel 'Increasingly in The Minority' on Palestinian Issue

Germany's foreign minister said Thursday that Israel was increasingly isolated diplomatically over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the push by some countries to recognize a Palestinian state. Johann Wadephul said in a statement before heading to Israel that the recent UN conference on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ...

Canada Intends To Recognize Palestinian State at UN General Assembly

Canada plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday, a major policy shift that drew an angry response from US President Donald Trump and was rejected by Israel. Carney said the move was necessary to preserve hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian ...

Qassem Prioritizes Resistance Over Lebanon’s Stability

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned Wednesday that any withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from south of the Litani River would constitute “a gain for Israel,” insisting that the group’s weapons remain a “Lebanese internal matter.” Speaking at a memorial marking one year since the death of senior ...

Syrian, Israeli Ministers to Hold Meeting in Baku on Thursday: Diplomat

A Syrian-Israeli ministerial meeting is set to take place Thursday in Baku to discuss security matters in southern Syria, a diplomat told AFP. The meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer follows a similar meeting between the two ministers in Paris last week. It will take ...

Farmer Survives Israeli Sound Bomb Blast

A Lebanese farmer narrowly escaped injury on Wednesday after an Israeli sound bomb was launched toward him while he was harvesting tobacco on his land in the border town of Aita al-Shaab, located in the Bint Jbeil district. The field is situated opposite the Israeli military post of Rahib. Earlier on Wednesday, an Israeli drone dropped a bomb ...

UAE Begins Pipeline Project to Ease Gaza Water Shortage

The United Arab Emirates has begun construction on a major pipeline to carry desalinated water from Egypt to southern Gaza, according to multiple sources. Technical teams sent by the UAE have started transporting equipment needed for the project, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday. The nearly seven-kilometer (4.5-mile) ...