Israel

US Voices Opposition to Rafah Offensive to Israeli Defense Chief

US top diplomat Antony Blinken once again warned Israel against the risks of an offensive in Rafah, reiterating US opposition to such an operation, in a meeting on Monday with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised US opposition to a major ground operation in Rafah with Israel's Defense Minister on Monday ...

Israeli Tanks Surround Gaza’s Nasser Hospital

Dozens of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles surrounded the Nasser Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, where thousands of displaced people have sought refuge from the fighting, witnesses said. Witnesses told AFP that shots were being fired at the sprawling complex in the southern city of Khan Younes, but no raid was yet taking place. The Gaza Health ...

Qatar Says Negotiations Still ‘Ongoing’ for Gaza Truce

Qatar said on Tuesday that negotiations for a truce in Gaza were continuing, although the warring parties were blaming each other for the lack of progress. Qatar said on Tuesday that talks between Hamas and Israel on a Gaza truce and hostage exchange are resuming, despite the warring parties trading blame over the lack of headway. Foreign ...

Israeli Army Confirms Killing of Marwan Issa

The Israeli army's spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, officially confirmed in a press conference that Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike carried out in the central Gaza Strip earlier this month. “We have checked all the intelligence,” Hagari said in a televised ...

Israeli Negotiators Leave Doha Blaming Hamas for Talks Failure

Israel recalled its negotiators from Qatar on Tuesday, after considering mediated talks on a Gaza truce "at a dead end" due to demands by Hamas, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday. The official, who is close to the chief of the Mossad who is heading up the talks, accused Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar of sabotaging the diplomatic efforts "as ...

US to Continue Aid Drops into Gaza

The United States will continue dropping essential aid from the air into the Gaza Strip, the White House said Tuesday, after Palestinian militant group Hamas called for them to end following fatal drownings and stampedes. "Air drops are one of the many ways that we are helping to provide desperately needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and we will ...

Brussels Bans Israeli-Made Products

The Municipal Council of the City of Brussels unanimously voted, on Monday evening, in favor of a motion aimed at prohibiting the purchase of products from Israeli settlements through public procurement, according to Belgian media. The council unanimously adopted the proposal, introduced by member Benoit Hellings, which calls on the local ...

War Diary: Day 172

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Here are the main highlights for March 26, 2024.

Intense Israeli Bombing Hits Gaza, Notwithstanding UN Cease-Fire Resolution

Israel bombed the southern Gaza Strip intensively on Tuesday night, while international pressure for an "immediate ceasefire" is growing on Netanyahu's government. The southern Gaza Strip came under intense Israeli bombardment overnight, despite international pressure for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory where famine is ...

Rmeish Mayor: Keep War Away From Our Families and Homes

Amidst escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the pro-Iranian party attempted to implicate the village of Rmeish in its “resistance efforts,” as if the damage inflicted on the South since October 8 was not enough. Rmeish residents, who have only recently started to return to their homes and lives after more than ...

Israel Aims to Enhance Its War Readiness on the Northern Border

Israel continues to reinforce its military capabilities ahead of a potential conflict with Lebanon. Following the deployment of the "Mountain Brigade," known as Heharim, to the regions of Mount Hermon and Mount Dov along the southeastern border with Lebanon, Tel Aviv has resumed its military training activities in the northern sector. This ...

Israel Backtracks on Canceled Rafah Talks

Israel wants to reschedule talks in Washington to discuss a possible offensive in the Gaza city of Rafah, days after it canceled the trip in protest at a UN ceasefire resolution, a US official said Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily scrapped the visit on Monday after Israel's closest ally, the United States, abstained on the UN ...