Israël

Israel and Hezbollah Tighten the Noose Around the Lebanese Government

President Joseph Aoun’s statement that he is holding talks with Hezbollah over its weapons and that negotiations are progressing slowly was especially noteworthy. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt’s remarks were equally notable, as he called on Hezbollah to give up its heavy weaponry, deeming it ineffective in confronting ...

Israel Declares Gaza Fighting Pause Amid Deepening Hunger Crisis

Israel declared a "tactical pause" in fighting in parts of Gaza on Sunday and said it would allow the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The military also said it had begun air-dropping food into the territory and angrily rejected allegations it was using starvation as a weapon against Palestinian ...

Hezbollah Commander and Two Others Killed in Israeli Strikes

A Hezbollah commander and two others were killed on Saturday in two separate Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon.  Israeli drones struck late in the afternoon a house with two missiles in the town of Debaal, killing Ali Gharib and Mohammad Abboud. The strike occurred in the town square, prompting immediate response from emergency ...

Syria Says Meeting with Israeli Officials Sought to 'Contain Escalation'

A Syrian diplomatic source said Saturday that a US-mediated meeting with Israeli officials in Paris this week sought to "contain the escalation" after recent sectarian violence in southern Syria prompted Israeli intervention. Israel launched strikes this month on Damascus and the Druze-majority Sweida province, saying it was acting both ...

Hamas Rejects Trump Remarks on Gaza Talks Breakdown

Hamas officials expressed surprise on Saturday at US President Donald Trump's accusation that the group "didn't really want" a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza. Trump made the allegation on Friday, a day after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar that had lasted nearly three weeks. "Trump's ...

One Killed in Israeli Drone Strike on Vehicle in Srifa

An Israeli drone strike killed Ali Abdel Kader Ismail after targeting a vehicle on the Tuwairi-Srifa road in Lebanon’s Tyre District. The Public Health Emergency Operations Center confirmed the fatality caused by the Israeli drone attack. Alongside the strike, several Israeli drones were reported flying across southern Lebanese towns. A ...

At Least 28 Killed in Israeli Strikes Across Gaza, Civil Defense Says

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli military operations killed at least 23 people on Friday across the Palestinian territory, with another five killed in an overnight air strike. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five people were killed in a strike on Gaza City that hit a school building sheltering Palestinians ...

Trump and Netanyahu Vow “Alternative Options” After Talks with Hamas Break Down

US President Donald Trump accused Hamas on Friday of not wanting to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza as Israel said it would explore "alternative options" to rescue hostages after negotiations had collapsed. An Israeli official, meanwhile, told AFP air drops of aid would resume soon over the Gaza Strip, where aid groups warned of surging numbers of ...

One in Three Gazans “Not Eating for Days,” Warns WFP

Almost a third of people in Gaza are "not eating for days," the United Nations food aid agency told AFP on Friday, saying the crisis has reached "new and astonishing levels of desperation." The Rome-based World Food Programme had previously warned of a "critical risk of famine" in war-raged Gaza, over which international condemnation of Israel's ...

Guterres Denounces Gaza Starvation as a “Moral Crisis” and Urges Immediate Ceasefire

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday slammed the international community for turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians starving in the Gaza Strip, calling it a "moral crisis that challenges the global conscience." "I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community – ...

Reluctant Settlements with No Preconditions

Lebanon is in a position few would envy in the current round of settlements. This situation does not stem from a government crisis, but from the dominance of a single party. Had the state itself been responsible for the decisions that brought us here, the outcome—though difficult—might have been more acceptable. Unfortunately, Lebanon is now ...