Israël

Pope Says Escalation in Lebanon is "Unacceptable"

Pope Francis on Wednesday denounced the “terrible escalation” in Lebanon, calling it “unacceptable” and calling on the international community to do all it can to put an end to it. “I am saddened by the news coming from Lebanon, where intense bombardments in recent days have caused numerous victims and destruction, and I hope that the ...

"Israel Pushing Region to Open War", Say Egypt, Iraq and Jordan

“Israel is pushing the region towards open war,” said the heads of diplomacy of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan in a joint statement issued on Wednesday, condemning ‘the Israeli aggression on Lebanon’. The three foreign ministers also discussed the organization of a “tripartite summit” of the leaders of the three countries, to be held in ...

Israeli Raid on Ftouh: Hezbollah Chief for the North and Mount Lebanon Targeted

Israeli warplanes attacked the village of Maaysrah, resulting in the death of three people and leaving nine wounded, according to the Health Emergency Operations Center. Sheikh Mohammad Amr, a local Hezbollah official for the North and Mount Lebanon, was the intended target of the raid. The Israeli army had already announced plans for extensive ...

Editorial – Lebanon and Regional Powers: A History of Alienation

  To summarize and provide the proper context for recent developments: On October 8, 2023, following Hamas' deadly attack on Israel, Hezbollah reignited the southern Lebanon front, which had been perfectly calm since August 2006. The stated reason for this unilateral move, taken against the will of a vast majority of the Lebanese people, was ...

Le Drian’s Visit to Beirut: No New Initiatives in Sight

  The French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, did not introduce any new initiatives regarding the presidential election during his current visit to Beirut. There was no proposal or roadmap to move the electoral dossier forward. Those who met with him noted that he merely urged them to elect a president as soon as possible, stressing ...

Is a Diplomatic Solution Still an Option to Stop the Spiraling Conflict?

  As Lebanon and Israel teeter on the brink of a full-fledged conflict, a diplomatic solution for almost a year-long of spiraling confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which took an unprecedented violent turn last week, appears far-fetched. Walid Joumblatt, the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), ...

UN General Assembly Calls on Israel to Avoid Full-Scale War

World leaders lined up at the United Nations on Tuesday to call on Israel to refrain from a full-scale war in Lebanon, with the organization's chief warning the situation was on the "brink." The UN General Assembly, the high point of the international diplomatic calendar, comes after Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes had killed 558 people ...

September 23: Deadliest Israeli Operation Since Civil War

Code-named "Northern Arrows" by Israel, the September 23 aerial military operation against Lebanon was the deadliest since the end of the Civil War. In a single day, Israeli airstrikes claimed 558 lives, including 35 children and 58 women, and left 1,835 wounded, according to the Ministry of Health's latest report, released on Tuesday. The ...

Strikes Against Lebanon: Israel Determined to Achieve Its Goal

Israeli leaders stepped up their threats against Hezbollah on Tuesday, asserting that the strikes launched on Monday will continue until displaced northern populations return home. “We will continue to strike Hezbollah. I say to the Lebanese people: our war is not against you, our war is against Hezbollah,” said Israeli Prime Minister ...

The Weakening of Hezbollah: Israel’s Tactical Goal Against Iran

Diplomatic avenues are – at least for the time being – blocked. The objectives of the war have evolved, especially since the announcement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 17 regarding the expansion of the conflict to allow the 68,000 residents of northern Israel to safely return home. To achieve this, the Lebanese ...

US in Talks with Allies to Ease Hezbollah-Israel Tensions

White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer says that United States officials were in talks with allies to help ease the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, according to a report by the Associated Press. "We’re working on that in real time right here in New York and in capitals around the world," Finer said in an ...

UN Chief Warns Lebanon Is on the 'Brink' as World Leaders Gather

The UN chief warned world leaders on Tuesday that Lebanon was on "the brink" as clashes escalated between Israel and Hezbollah ahead of US President Joe Biden's final appearance at the global body's signature annual event. "We should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is at the brink," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. As the ...