Israel

President Aoun Begins Official Visit to Algeria

President Joseph Aoun began a two-day official visit to Algeria on Tuesday, highlighting the long-standing solidarity between the two countries and expressing Lebanon’s gratitude for Algeria’s consistent support during times of crisis. Speaking upon his arrival at Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers, President Aoun recalled ...

Germany, France, Britain Considering Sending FMs to Israel

Germany, France and Britain are considering sending their foreign ministers to Israel next week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday, as international pressure mounts over Gaza's dire humanitarian crisis. "We will probably ask the three foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom and Germany to travel to Israel together ...

The UN: Gaza Disaster Reminiscent of Ethiopia, Biafra Famines

The UN's World Food Program warned Tuesday that the disaster unfolding in Gaza was reminiscent of last century's famines seen in Ethiopia and Biafra in Nigeria. "This is unlike anything we have seen in this century," WFP emergency director Ross Smith told reporters in Geneva. "It reminds us of previous disasters in Ethiopia or Biafra in the past ...

Who Owns a Sunken Treasure?

As advances in underwater exploration technologies open new horizons for archaeological research, the legal status of submerged heritage in Lebanese waters is becoming increasingly pressing. Who holds rightful ownership of an ancient shipwreck discovered off the coast of Byblos? What legal framework governs treasures found within Lebanon’s ...

The Silent War Over Lebanon’s Underwater Heritage

Geopolitical instability in the region does not end at the water’s edge – it extends below the surface, into Lebanon’s territorial waters. Maritime border disputes, particularly with Israel around Block 9 in the south, involve more than contested gas fields; they also threaten the preservation of invaluable cultural heritage. Any discovery ...

Lebanon’s Hidden Underwater Mysteries

An entire city, named Saidoun, emerged from the depths: monumental walls, sacred chambers, freshwater wells, marble slabs and massive stone blocks dating back to around 1370 BCE, nearly 4,000 years ago. To this day, this excavation remains one of the most significant breakthroughs in the underwater exploration of southern Lebanon. Yet, since then, ...

Israeli FM Rejects International Pressure for Gaza Ceasefire

Israel's foreign minister rejected on Tuesday what he called a "distorted campaign" of international pressure for a ceasefire in the Gaza war and recognition of a Palestinian state. Gideon Saar told reporters that if Israel was to halt the conflict while Hamas is still in power in Gaza and still holding hostages it would be a "tragedy for both ...

UN Peacekeeper Killed in 2022: Main Suspect Sentenced to Death in Absentia

The military court sentenced a man to death in absentia for killing an Irish United Nations peacekeeper, a judicial official said Tuesday, after Hezbollah members were accused of involvement in the 2022 incident. Private Sean Rooney, 23, was killed and three others were wounded after a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy came under fire ...

Netherlands Bars two Hardline Israeli Ministers

The Netherlands has declared two hardline Israeli ministers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as persona non grata, the government said. "They repeatedly incited settler violence against Palestinians, promoted illegal settlement expansion, and called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza," Dutch Foreign ...

Gaza Civil Defense says Israeli Strikes Kill 30

Gaza's civil defense agency said Tuesday that Israeli air strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians, including women and children, in the central Nuseirat district. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the strikes were carried out overnight and into the morning and "targeted a number of citizens' homes" in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The ...

Forceful Pleas at UN For Two-State Solution for Israel, Palestinians

There is no alternative to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia Monday that was boycotted by Israel and branded a stunt by Washington. "Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace ...

Thomas Barrack: When Diplomacy Moves in Circles and Lebanon Follows

Listening to Thomas Barrack, one might think Lebanon is close to redemption or on the edge of a cliff, perhaps both at once. For months now, the American special envoy has issued statements that are sometimes hopeful, sometimes threatening, often confusing, and always repetitive. With every tweet and announcement, the same message comes through: ...