Israël

Syrian President Considers Negotiations With Israel Over Golan Heights

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Friday he is considering “long-term negotiations” with Israel over the Golan Heights, provided the two countries reach a security agreement guaranteeing Israel’s withdrawal from recently occupied Syrian territories. “Israel is violating the 1974 disengagement agreement, and today we are working to ...

Lebanese Voices Optimistic About Direct Talks With Israel

Following the direct negotiations that took place on April 14, the first high-level, U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives since 1993, This Is Beirut spoke to residents on the ground to understand their views on the discussions and what they hope comes next. Many expressed support for direct negotiations, saying they ...

Turkey Hosts Latest Diplomatic Push on Middle East War

Turkey hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan's powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fresh round of talks to end the six-week ...

10-Day Ceasefire on Lebanon-Israel Front Takes Effect

At 5pm EST on Thursday, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the United States, went into effect. Immediately following its start, intense gunfire has been reported in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanese media. Earlier on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth ...

Trump Signals Push for Broader Middle East Deal After Announcing 10-Day Israel–Hezbollah Ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in a series of Truth Social posts set to take effect at 5 p.m. EST, following what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump presented the deal as an initial step ...

Lebanon Reclaims its Diplomacy from Hezbollah

The April 14 diplomatic meeting between Lebanon and Israel in Washington signals, however partially, a reassertion of Lebanese state authority over its own decision-making, while challenging Iranian influence in the country. Most significant is the fact that the meeting took place at all, a historic step given the ongoing war between Hezbollah and ...

Unified Message from Beirut MPs: Exclusive State Control and "weapons-Free" City

  In a show of cross-sectarian unity, Beirut MPs on Wednesday called for the capital to be placed fully under state control and declared a “weapons-free city” under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces and security agencies. “Beirut must be free of weapons, and we want to see the Lebanese army deployed in all the streets ...

White House: U.S. Ready to Sustain Indefinite Naval Blockade on Iran

The White House said Thursday that the United States is prepared to maintain its naval blockade on Iran indefinitely, signaling a sharp escalation in economic pressure despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a broader agreement. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller confirmed that all options remain on the table in dealing with ...

Iran Arrests 4 Alleged Israeli Spies

Iran arrested four suspected Israeli spies, state media reported on Thursday. It came as U.S. officials discuss possible peace talks with Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 engulfed the Middle East in war. "The four agents linked to the Mossad were apprehended in Gilan governorate" in northern Iran, IRNA reported, ...