Israël

Israeli Raid Kills One in Aita al-Shaab

An Israeli airstrike on Friday struck the town of Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district, killing one person, according to the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced that one of its units would safely detonate unexploded ordnance left behind by recent Israeli strikes in the Marjayoun and Tyre regions. On ...

UN Declares Famine in Gaza, First Ever in Middle East

The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first in the Middle East, with its experts saying 500,000 people were facing "catastrophic" hunger. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the famine was entirely preventable, saying food could not get through to the Palestinian territory "because of systematic obstruction by ...

Israel Vows to Destroy Gaza City if Hamas Doesn't Disarm, Free Hostages

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Friday to destroy Gaza City if Hamas did not agree to disarm, release all remaining hostages in the territory and end the war on Israel's terms. "Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas's murderers and rapists in Gaza - until they agree to Israel's conditions for ending the war, ...

US Asks Israel to Limit Lebanon Operations, Pushes for a ‘Trump Economic Zone’

The Trump administration has asked Israel to reduce non-urgent military operations in Lebanon to support a wider disarmament initiative, while planning a “Trump economic zone” in parts of southern Lebanon, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Officials say the limitation could be extended if the Lebanese Armed Forces take ...

Israel PM Orders Start of Immediate Negotiations to Release 'All Our Hostages'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he had ordered the beginning of immediate negotiations to release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. The announcement comes a day after the defence ministry approved a plan authorising the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists to help capture Hamas's last major strongholds in Gaza ...

Palestinian Camps: How Many Divisions?

The Palestinian Authority is beginning a new phase of weapons handover in Lebanon’s Palestinian camps. The operation, ordered by President Mahmoud Abbas, is overseen by the new Palestinian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad al-Assaad, and supervised by Fatah. Palestinian sources cited by Voix du Liban say the handover began Thursday at 3 PM in Burj ...

21 Countries Sign Joint Statement Condemning Israel's West Bank Settlement Project

Britain and France were among 21 countries to sign a joint statement Thursday calling Israel's approval of a major settlement project in the West Bank "unacceptable and a violation of international law". Israel approved the plans for the roughly 12-square-kilometre (five-square-mile) parcel of land known as E1 just east of Jerusalem on ...

Israel Army Calls on Hospitals, Aid Groups in North Gaza to Prepare for Evacuations

The Israeli military on Thursday said it had informed medical personnel and aid groups in northern Gaza to start making evacuation plans ahead of a military offensive to seize the area. Israeli military officials this week informed "medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip... to prepare for the evacuation of ...

UN Experts Denounce Attacks on Syria's Druze

A panel of UN experts denounced Thursday what they described as an outbreak of massacres, sexual violence and kidnappings targeting the Druze minority in southern Syria in the past month. Fighting erupted in the Sweida region on July 13. Clashes between local Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces and ...

UNIFIL Mandate Renewal Underway: Role Assessment and Downsizing

Deliberations are ongoing among the permanent members of the UN Security Council regarding the renewal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate for another year. However, the debates remain centered between the United States and Israel on one hand, and France on the other. According to French diplomatic sources, “the renewal of ...

Israeli Citizen Repatriated from Lebanon After Year in Detention

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday the repatriation of an Israeli citizen who had been held in Lebanon for a year. Saleh Abu Hussein returned to Israel through the Naqoura border crossing, in a transfer coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The handover followed several ...

Zaki Conveys Arab League Support for Lebanese Sovereignty

President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed, on Thursday, to Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki Lebanon’s commitment to implementing the arms control resolution in a way that safeguards the interests of all Lebanese citizens. He emphasized the necessity for Israel to fulfill its obligations to create the conditions required for ...