This is Beirut

Hamas and Israel Complete Fourth Hostage-Prisoner Swap Under Gaza Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 01/02 19:59 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Hamas freed three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody, marking the fourth such swap under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Hostages Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were paraded on stage by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in the ...

Gaza: 50 Patients Left Through Rafah Crossing to Egypt

This is Beirut, 01/02 14:42 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gaza Israel Hamas Rafah Crossing Rafah

The health ministry in Gaza said 50 Palestinian patients went through the Rafah crossing to Egypt on Saturday, as the key gateway reopened as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel. Egyptian state-linked channel Al-Qahera News showed footage of the first of 50 evacuees and 53 companions, including a child with an autoimmune disease, crossing the ...

Three Buses of Freed Palestinians Arrive in Gaza's Khan Younes

This is Beirut, 01/02 14:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gaza Israel Hamas

Three buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal arrived in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younes on Saturday, an AFP correspondent reported. The prisoners, many wearing gray prison uniforms, were greeted by hundreds of Gazans who gathered around the buses as they approached the city's European ...

Are We on the Brink of Another Bloody Sunday in the South?

Fady Noun, 01/02 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel South Lebanon

A new call has been issued for Sunday to reclaim villages where Israel maintains a presence. The impulse driving Southerners back to their villages could be seen as undeniably noble—if it were spontaneous. It carries a moral legitimacy, rooted in their deep attachment to the land and the duty to honor civilians whose bodies remain buried beneath ...

Lebanese Army Enters Aitaroun As Israeli Army Retreats

This is Beirut, 01/02 11:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Israel Ceasefire Aitaroun War

The Lebanese army has entered on Saturday the army unit headquarters which has been isolated for 10 days in Aitaroun, in order to reopen the main road and secure its surroundings after it was blocked by Israeli bulldozers. In a later phase, the army plans to deploy in the town after the Israeli withdrawal. The Lebanese army's entry does ...

Israel to Release 183 Prisoners on Saturday, Doubling Previous Figure

This is Beirut, 31/01 22:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Gaza Hamas Hostages

Israel is set to release 183 prisoners on Saturday in the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, a Palestinian advocacy group said, more than doubling the previous reported figure. "The updated number of prisoners to be released tomorrow is 183," said Palestinian Prisoners' Club spokeswoman Amani Sarahneh on Friday, after ...

Explaining the Diplomatic Roller-Coaster in Damascus

Élie-Joe Kamel, 31/01 22:10 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

European Union Gulf Israel Syria Turkey Kurds

The diplomatic roller-coaster in Syria’s capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime suggests that a strategic shift is underway. This is all the more significant as the Prince of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made an official visit to Damascus on Thursday, where he was received by the interim Syrian president, Ahmad ...

Al-Qard al-Hassan Delays Compensation Payments: Is Hezbollah in Trouble?

This is Beirut, 31/01 16:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Banks Israel Al-Qard al-Hassan

The recent decision by Al-Qard al-Hassan, Hezbollah’s illegal financial institution, to postpone until February 10 the payment of compensation to victims of the conflict with Israel has sent shockwaves through the Shiite community. The payments were originally scheduled for February 1. To justify this delay, the militia-run ‘bank’ cited ...

Gaza: Rafah Crossing to Reopen on Saturday

This is Beirut, 31/01 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gaza Rafah Hamas Israel

Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt is to reopen Saturday following a fourth exchange of hostages and prisoners under a truce agreement, a Hamas official and a source with knowledge of discussions told AFP. The Rafah crossing was a vital entry point for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza before the Israeli military seized the Palestinian side of ...

Hamas Names Three Israeli Hostages to be Freed Saturday

This is Beirut, 31/01 12:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Palestine

Hamas's armed wing released the names of three Israeli captives to be freed on Saturday in the fourth hostage-prisoner swap of the Gaza ceasefire. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed it had received the names of the captives to be freed on Saturday. It has yet to officially release their names. "All ...

Hamas Confirms Death of its Military Chief Mohammed Deif

This is Beirut, 31/01 11:41 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine USA

Hamas confirmed on Thursday the death of its military chief Mohammed Deif, accused by Israel of being one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack and whose killing it announced last year. "The Al-Qassam Brigades announce to our great people the martyrdom of a group of distinguished fighters and heroic commanders," Abu Obeida, spokesman for ...

Israeli Strikes on Lebanese-Syrian Border Kill Two

This is Beirut, 31/01 11:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel

For the first time since the November 27 ceasefire, the Israeli Air Force launched air raids on illegal sites and crossings along the Lebanon-Syria border at dawn on Friday, targeting the Janta region in the eastern mountain range. The strikes triggered powerful explosions and shock waves, escalating regional tensions. According to Lebanon’s ...

Israel