Israel

Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders on Gaza Truce During Asia Trip

US President Donald Trump will meet Saturday with the emir and prime minister of Qatar – a key ally in preserving the fragile Gaza peace deal – during a refueling stop on his way to Asia, officials said. The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One late in the day when it lands at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the regional headquarters for ...

Rubio Vows to Recover Bodies of Hostages Still Held in Gaza

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed Saturday to secure the return of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza, as he met with the families of two captives during his visit to Israel. "We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas," Rubio said on X. "Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay ...

Lebanon’s Last Chance: Disarm Hezbollah or Risk Collapse

Lebanon’s long‑simmering debate over Hezbollah’s disarmament has sharpened into a defining confrontation between state sovereignty and a foreign‑backed militia. In Washington, the issue is becoming the centerpiece of US regional policy. For President Trump’s administration, Hezbollah’s disarmament is not merely a security objective but ...

Seven Yemeni UN workers detained in Sanaa: Houthi security source

Several Yemenis working for the United Nations in the rebel-held capital Sanaa have been detained on accusations of spying for Israel, a Houthi security official told AFP Friday, in the latest arrests targeting the world body's staff. Earlier this week, 20 UN staff, including 15 foreigners, were released after being held in their compound since a ...

Clearfield's Mechanism: Remaking Peace, Once Again

Same story, same players. After every lull along the southern border, the same words return, the same statements roll out, the same diplomats spring into action, each convinced that this time, “it’s different.” We hear about a “gradual de-escalation plan,” a “monitoring mechanism,” a “return to the core resolutions.” Earnest ...

US Names Career Diplomat for Gaza Ceasefire Monitor

The United States named a veteran diplomat on Friday as the civilian lead in a body monitoring the Gaza ceasefire, seeking to push forward a durable end to the war. The State Department said that Steve Fagin, a career diplomat, will work alongside US Army Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, the military head already appointed to the hub set up ...

Israeli Raid on Toul Kills Two, Including Hezbollah Member

Two people were killed on Friday in an Israeli air raid on the Toul region in the Nabatieh caza, southern Lebanon. The victims were identified as Hussein al-Abd Hamdan, a Hezbollah member who had survived last year’s Pager explosion, and Abbas Hassan Karaki, who was driving a Honda CR-V at the time of the strike. Karaki’s brother, Radwan ...

Block 8: Lebanon’s Energy Strategy Faces a Credibility Test

On Thursday at the Baabda Presidential Palace, Lebanon’s Council of Ministers took two decisive steps in the country’s energy policy by approving the oil exploration agreement for Block 8 and ratifying the maritime border with Cyprus. These decisions reflect the government’s determination to revive a strategic sector long stalled by ...

Rubio says More Countries Ready to Recognise Israel

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that more countries are ready to normalize relations with Israel, but the decision would await a broader regional agreement. Rubio, who was touring a US-led multinational center in Israel aimed at coordinating a ceasefire in Gaza, said that a sustained end to the war would encourage more countries to ...

Gaza Security: Potential Players in the New Peacekeeping Effort

As the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s proposed plan moves forward, discussions are intensifying over the possible deployment of an international security force in Gaza, intended to take over from Hamas. The initiative’s first step involves disarming the Islamist movement, a highly sensitive task amid a fragile ceasefire and mutual ...

Trump’s Gaza Plan: Is Erdogan the Other Big Winner?

Long sidelined by the United States on Gaza and in wider regional affairs, Turkey is staging a forceful comeback, driven both by the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Gaza agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump. Ankara has played a pivotal role as intermediary between Hamas and Washington, helping to persuade the ...