This is Beirut - Israël

The Druze of Syria: A Minority Seeking Stability in the Post-Assad Transition

Natasha Metni Torbey, 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Since July 13, deadly clashes in Syria’s southern province of Sweida have left more than 1,300 people dead, including at least 630 local residents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence erupted after the abduction of a merchant from the Druze community, triggering a wave of bloodshed that underscores the region’s ...

Hamas Replies to Israeli Truce Offer Amid Ongoing Mediation in Doha

This is Beirut, 24/07 11:43 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gaza Hamas Israel Ceasefire

Hamas said on Thursday that it had responded to an Israeli proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, as pressure mounted for a breakthrough to end almost two years of devastating conflict that has triggered a humanitarian crisis for civilians. Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas negotiators in the Qatari capital Doha for ...

Suspected Car-Ramming Attack Injures 8 in Central Israel

This is Beirut, 24/07 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Car ramming

Eight people were taken to the hospital after a car plowed into a bus stop in central Israel on Thursday in a suspected car-ramming attack, emergency services said. Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) first responders said they received a report at 9:25 am (0625 GMT) that a vehicle crashed into a bus stop near Kfar Yona. A man and woman in their ...

The Middle East: Recalibrations, Fractures and a Coming Storm

Salam El Zaatari, 24/07 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Israel

By now, we should know that when the Middle East falls silent, it’s rarely a good sign. As if history itself were pausing for breath, the region today is locked in what I call a “violent pause”—not peace, not war, but something infinitely more dangerous: indecision. The past six months have redrawn the map of alliances and threats, but ...

Israeli Lawmakers Pass Symbolic Motion on West Bank Annexation

This is Beirut, 23/07 21:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

West Bank Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Palestine

More than 70 Israeli lawmakers passed a motion on Wednesday urging the government to impose sovereignty over the West Bank, though the symbolic move does not affect the Palestinian territory's legal status. The non-binding vote in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, was backed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, ...

Turkey: A Global Power Broker

This is Beirut, 23/07 21:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Turkey Volodymyr Zelensky Damascus Europe Israel

From Ukraine to Syria, including Iran, Turkey has emerged in recent years as a pivotal diplomatic force, multiplying its mediation efforts across a spectrum of regional crises. This active, multi-front diplomacy serves both to safeguard its national security and to solidify its position as a key player on the global stage. Turkey’s strategic ...

Israel Denies Gaza 'Mass Starvation' Accusations

This is Beirut, 23/07 19:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Palestine United Nations Hamas

Israel on Wednesday hit back at growing international criticism that it was behind chronic food shortages in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas of deliberately creating a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. More than 100 aid and human rights groups said earlier Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in the Gaza Strip, and France ...

WHO Chief Says 'Large Proportion' of Gaza's People 'Starving'

This is Beirut, 23/07 18:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Palestine United Nations WHO Gaza

The World Health Organization's chief warned Wednesday of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying food deliveries into the war-ravaged Palestinian territory were "far below what is needed for the survival of the population". "A large proportion of the population of Gaza is starving. I don't know what you would call it other than mass ...

Palestinian Sources Say Hamas Responds to Latest Gaza Truce Proposal

This is Beirut, 23/07 18:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Palestine Israel Truce

The Palestinian militant group Hamas submitted its response to an Israeli proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire on Wednesday, according to two Palestinian sources familiar with ongoing talks in Doha. The response included proposed amendments to clauses on the entry of aid, maps of areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw, and guarantees ...

Israel, Ukraine Announce 'Dialogue' on Countering Iran

This is Beirut, 23/07 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Ukraine Iran

Israel and Ukraine said Wednesday they had agreed to start talks on countering the "threat" posed by Iran, in a sign of deepening ties between the two countries. Both see Iran, a close ally of Russia, as a malign actor on the world stage. Israel has long accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons, an allegation it denies, while Ukraine is ...

Iran Says Confronted US Destroyer in Gulf of Oman

This is Beirut, 23/07 17:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA Israel Tehran United States Destroyer

Iranian forces confronted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, warning it to stay out of waters claimed by Tehran, state television reported. The latest reported confrontation between the two rivals comes a month after the United States struck the Islamic republic on June 22, hitting key Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war with ...

More Than 100 NGOs Warn 'Mass Starvation' Spreading Across Gaza

This is Beirut, 23/07 16:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Palestine Hamas Israel Gaza Food UN

More than 100 aid organizations and human rights groups warned on Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza, as the United States said its top envoy was heading to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and aid corridor. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where ...

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