Israël

Majd Harb: 1955 Israel Boycott Law Should Be Repealed Immediately

Attorney and Legal Activist Majd Harb told This is Beirut in an exclusive interview that the 1955 Israel Boycott Law should be abolished immediately, arguing it has been misused as a political tool. He said the law is hindering economic development while exposing individuals, including journalists and business professionals, to disproportionate ...

President Aoun Says He Seeks Washington Visit

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday expressed hope of traveling to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump as Beirut intensifies diplomatic efforts to extend the fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel and launch formal negotiations to end hostilities with Israel. The statement came at the close of a Lebanese cabinet session ...

Iran Executes Another 'Political Prisoner,' NGO Says

Iran on Thursday hanged a man convicted of membership in a banned opposition group, the judiciary said, with an NGO describing him as the latest "political prisoner" to be executed in an unprecedented trend. Sultan Ali Shirzadi Fakhr was hanged on charges of membership of the People's Mujahedin (MEK) and "collaboration with the Israeli regime's ...

Lebanese PM: Israeli Pullout Key to Peace Agreement

Hours before a second meeting between Israeli and Lebanese Ambassadors is scheduled to take place in Washington, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized that “the state's monopoly on weapons is in Lebanon's interest, regardless of Israeli demands.” Speaking to the Washington Post, the Prime Minister said Lebanon ...

Israel Expands Precision Strike Capability, $200 Million Deal Awarded to Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems announced on Thursday that it has been awarded a series of contracts worth approximately $200 million by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for the supply of advanced airborne munitions.  The contracts, disclosed in an official company statement, cover the delivery of air-launched weapon systems, reinforcing Elbit’s role as a ...

Lebanese President Pushes to Extend Ceasefire Ahead of Washington Talks

On the eve of talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day, U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday. The talks, set to continue on Thursday at the U.S. State Department, represent a diplomatic track that has so far paused strikes in ...

Al-Akhbar Journalist Killed in Airstrike in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese journalist working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar News was killed in an Israeli airstrike and another was wounded on Wednesday while they were working near the border with Israel, according to their employer and rescuers. The civil defence agency's press office said rescuers were "able to recover the body of martyred journalist ...

Beyond Mediation: How Washington Is Recasting Lebanon–Israel Negotiations

The U.S. is set to mediate a second round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials on Thursday as part of the first such series of direct negotiations between the two sides since 1993. These diplomatic engagements come nearly a year and a half after the previous Lebanon-Israel ceasefire framework. In November 2024 under the Biden ...

Iran Hangs Former Nuclear Employee on Spying Charges: NGOs

Iran hanged a man on Wednesday convicted of links to Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said, with two NGOs based outside the country saying he worked for the Iranian atomic energy organization. The execution of Mehdi Farid was the latest in a number of hangings of high-profile convicts in an accelerating trend that has alarmed rights ...

Israel President Says He Dreams of ‘Driving Straight to Beirut’

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday he hopes Israelis will one day be able to travel freely to Beirut, speaking to foreign diplomats in Jerusalem ahead of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon. Speaking to a gathering that included envoys from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Herzog said Israel was “eager” to help shape a ...

Israel FM Calls on Lebanon to 'Work Together' with Israel Against Hezbollah

Israel's foreign minister on Wednesday urged Beirut to make joint efforts with Israel to counter Hezbollah on the eve of talks between the two countries set to resume in Washington. It will be the second preparatory meeting paving the way for direct negotiations. "Tomorrow the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington, DC. ...

Syrian Hezbollah Fighter Surrenders to Israeli Army

A Syrian Hezbollah fighter surrendered himself to the Israeli Defense Forces on Wednesday following an attempt to seek refuge in the Christian village of Rmaych, a Lebanese border town currently inside Israel’s 5-10-kilometer forward defense zone, a local official told This Is Beirut.  The fighter, Syrian-national Abdullah Ahmad ...