This is Beirut

Netanyahu Authorises Israel Negotiators to Continue Doha Hostage Talks

This is Beirut, 02/01 22:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized Israeli negotiators to continue talks in Doha on a hostage release, his office said Thursday, after Israel and Hamas traded blame for their slow progress. Indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have taken place in Doha in recent weeks, rekindling hope for a ceasefire and ...

Magro Hopes January 9 Will Be the Start of a New Era for Lebanon

This is Beirut, 02/01 21:44 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Israel Saudi Arabia UN Security Council United Nations

Hervé Magro, the French Ambassador to Lebanon, reiterated that France would “not relax its efforts to work together (with the Lebanese) so that Lebanon and its people regain the future they deserve” during his New Year’s greetings for 2025. After two years and two months of presidential vacancy, Magro said in a press release from the ...

Serious Moves to Implement Ceasefire Required by Jan. 27

This is Beirut, 02/01 21:28 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ceasefire Hezbollah Israel United States

With the January 27 deadline for the application of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel drawing closer, apprehension is growing about a possible resumption of hostilities that wreaked havoc in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburb. According to informed sources, Lebanon should take serious steps to start implementing the ...

Israel Raids Iqlim al-Tuffah for First Time Since Ceasefire Agreement

This is Beirut, 02/01 20:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ceasefire Hezbollah Israel

For the first time since the ceasefire, Israeli fighter jets launched two successive attacks on Thursday, targeting the heights of Iqlim al-Tuffah and Rihan–Jabal al-Zaghreen. Shortly thereafter, the Israeli army took responsibility for targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers, claiming that the Lebanese army “did not respond” to its request to ...

Israeli Military Confirms Destruction of Iranian-funded Missile Factory in Syria

This is Beirut, 02/01 20:24 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria raid Israel Iran

The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday that dozens of its troops were flown into Syria in September to destroy an underground missile factory funded by Iran. The military, which rarely comments on its activities inside Syria, said in a statement that the September 8 raid involved more than 100 Israeli commando soldiers who dismantled the ...

The State, a Lifeline for Hezbollah’s Political Survival

Bassam Abou Zeid, 02/01 17:59 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Lebanese State

Hezbollah, which unconditionally agreed to the terms of the ceasefire with Israel, is now leveraging certain Israeli actions in southern Lebanon as a pretext to disengage from the agreement and keep its arsenal. Simultaneously, it seeks to convince the Shiite community that their security hinges solely on their military strength, claiming that ...

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Police Chief, Two Dozen Others

This is Beirut, 02/01 16:57 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gaza Israel Hamas

Israel struck a declared humanitarian zone in southern Gaza overnight, which rescuers on Thursday said killed the head of the Palestinian territory's Hamas-run police force, his deputy and nine others. Gaza's civil defense agency said two other Israeli strikes elsewhere in the territory later on Thursday killed 14 Palestinians. The ...

Israel Retreats from Naqoura

This is Beirut, 02/01 10:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel

Israeli forces retreated on Thursday from Naqoura toward Ras Al-Naqoura and Alma Al-Shaab, accompanied by sweeping operations using machine guns. Meanwhile, an Israeli drone has been flying at a low altitude over Beirut and its southern suburbs since Thursday morning. According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the Israeli army reportedly ...

Israel's Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Resigns From Knesset

This is Beirut, 02/01 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Yoav Gallant Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza

Israel's former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who was dismissed in November after spearheading the military campaign in Gaza for more than a year, announced Wednesday that he would resign from parliament. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sacked Gallant, saying there was a "breakdown in trust" amid disagreements between the two on several ...

Yemen's Houthis a "Nuisance" and "Menace" for Israel Despite Weakened Iran

This is Beirut, 01/01 10:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Yemen Houthis Israel Iran

Israel's devastating campaigns against Iran's regional allies have severely weakened its arch-enemy's ability to project its power, but Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthis remain a stubborn thorn in its side, analysts say. With the ranks of Hamas and Hezbollah decimated after more than a year of war, and with the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria ...

Israel Attacks Hezb Vehicle and Arms Depot

This is Beirut, 01/01 09:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel

The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, began 2025 by announcing that it had targeted a vehicle and an arms depot belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, without specifying the location. “On Tuesday, the Israeli army spotted Hezbollah members transferring combat equipment from an arms depot in southern Lebanon to a ...

Lebanese Predictions for 2025: Uncertainty and Shy Hope

Marilyne Jallad, 2024-12-31 18:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army New Year

As we wander through the bustling streets of Basta al-Tahta, lined with small shops, it is easy to forget that this neighborhood paid a heavy price before the ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27. Yet, the harsh reality quickly reasserts itself. Illegal Weapons: A Persistent Wound That Dims Hope With graying hair and ...