Israel

Syria’s Sweida on Edge: Clerics’ Deaths Expose Fractures in Druze Heartland

Four months after a ceasefire agreement halted a weeklong wave of clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters in Syria’s southern province of Sweida, insecurity continues to plague the region. The truce, reached on July 19 with U.S. and Jordanian mediation, remains volatile and has been repeatedly violated by renewed outbreaks of violence, ...

Israel Awaits Return of Last Hostage Remains from Gaza

Israel awaited the return of the last hostage remains held by Palestinian militants in Gaza, as the military said on Thursday that those of a Thai national had been identified after they were handed over. Under the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, militants were due to return all 48 hostages they held ...

Israel's Netanyahu Picks Military Secretary as New Mossad Chief

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday picked his military secretary, a general with no background in intelligence, as the next head of the country's foreign intelligence agency Mossad. In a statement, Netanyahu's office announced the decision to appoint Major General Roman Gofman as head of the spy agency, saying he would ...

Iran Guards Warn US Vessels During Drill in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps on Thursday kicked off naval wargames in the Gulf, issuing warnings to US warships in the area, more than five months after the 12-day war with Israel that briefly drew in American forces. State TV said the drill showcases the "sacrifice and spirit of resistance" of the IRGC's naval forces ...

Israel Launches Fresh Strikes on South Lebanon After Warnings

The Israeli army carried out strikes on Thursday against several localities in southern Lebanon it considers used by Hezbollah, after warning residents to evacuate certain areas. Shortly before the first strikes, the army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on X an evacuation notice urging residents of Jbaa and Mahrouna to ...

Ambassador Issa Commends Lebanon’s Progress Toward Peaceful Regional Engagement

The United States’ Ambassador to Lebanon, Michael Issa, issued a statement Thursday praising Lebanon and Israel for opening a channel of dialogue at a sensitive moment, signaling “a sincere willingness to pursue peaceful, responsible solutions grounded in good faith.” Ambassador Issa emphasized that durable progress can only be achieved ...

Lebanon’s Diplomatic Pivot: Understanding Simon Karam’s Role

Wednesday’s meeting of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism in Naqoura carried the weight of history. Lebanon held civilian-led direct talks with Israel for the first time in decades, a development that offered Beirut a rare opportunity to resuscitate the faltering November 27, 2024, ceasefire and begin moving toward substantive political ...

An Opportunity for Lebanon to Join the Abrahams Accords

“We affirm today that the survival of this Lebanon, gathered entirely around you, is a condition for peace, hope, and reconciliation among all the children of Abraham.” With these words to Pope Leo XIV during the pontiff’s visit to Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun signaled a possible willingness to bring his country into the ...

The Next Israel–Hezbollah War Could Be Inevitable — and Crippling for Hezbollah

When Israeli jets struck Beirut’s Haret Hreik on 23 November 2025 and killed Haitham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff and the man responsible for rebuilding its shattered military infrastructure, the message was unmistakable. Israel was not simply targeting a militant; it was signaling that the post-war “ceasefire” is dead, that ...

Israel Accuses Hezbollah of Assassinations in Beirut Port Blast Case

New and highly sensitive allegations emerged on Tuesday after the Israeli army accused a specialized Hezbollah cell—Unit 121—of assassinating four Lebanese figures who allegedly held information implicating the Shiite militia in the August 2020 Beirut port explosion. The claims, made by the army’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee ...

Israel Says Received Presumed Remains of Gaza Hostage

Israel announced Wednesday it had received hostage remains found in Gaza from the Red Cross, which were being transported to the morgue for identification. It comes as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms. Under the first phase of the deal, which came into ...