Israël

The Aftermath of the War: Hezbollah’s Role and Responsibility

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah have yet to come to terms with the end of Hezbollah’s military and security role as the armed wing of the Islamic Revolution. Therefore, they are attempting by all means to maintain a foothold that would allow Hezbollah to reassert itself. However, the prevailing ...

The Regalian Function and the Poor Exercise of Power

The new government of Lebanon was welcomed as symptomatic of a new era. Nonetheless, its shortcomings are obvious, and its inaugural performance is not a good omen. The political subtext is plainly contradictory, and its steering committee doesn’t seem to realize that its multiple inconsistencies are self-defeating. Surfing on the false idea of ...

US, Israel Present United Front on Gaza, Iran

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front Sunday against their common enemies, threatening to "open the gates of hell" on Hamas and "finish the job" against Iran. The pledges came during a joint address to reporters in Jerusalem, where Rubio began his first Middle East trip as secretary of ...

One Killed, Several Injured in Israeli Gunfire in Southern Lebanon

Israeli forces opened fire toward the town of Hula on Sunday, killing one person and injuring several others, according to the National News Agency (NNA). The escalation followed an incident in which residents of the southern Lebanese town bypassed a barrier erected by the Israeli army and entered the area despite Israeli military ...

Shipment of 'Heavy' US Bombs Arrives in Israel

Israel's defense ministry said Sunday that a shipment of "heavy" US-made bombs arrived overnight in Israel, as Marco Rubio began his first visit to the country as Washington's top diplomat. "A shipment of heavy aerial bombs recently released by the US government was received and unloaded overnight in Israel," the ministry said in a statement, ...

Iran: All Flights to Lebanon Have Been Canceled Until the 18th of February

The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, Hossein Pourfarzaneh, has announced that due to ongoing security problems at Beirut airport, all flights to Lebanon have been canceled until the 18th of this month at the earliest. In a statement to journalists, Mr. Pourfarzaneh Pourfarzaneh commented on the news of Israel's threat to “target ...

Marco Rubio in Israel on First Leg of Mideast Tour

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israel's prime minister in Jerusalem on Sunday for talks on the Gaza ceasefire, launching a Middle East tour a day after the latest hostage-prisoner exchange. On his first visit to the region as Washington's top diplomat, Rubio is expected to push US President Donald Trump's widely condemned ...

Bus Carrying Freed Palestinian Prisoners Arrives in Ramallah

A bus carrying a group of Palestinian prisoners released Saturday by Israel under the Gaza ceasefire deal arrived to a cheering crowd in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, according to an AFP journalist. Wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves, the freed prisoners were hoisted onto the crowd's shoulders. They hugged relatives before heading to ...

Hamas and Israel Exchange Hostages for Prisoners in Latest Gaza Swap

Palestinian militants handed three Israeli hostages over to the Red Cross on Saturday, while buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners rolled out of two Israeli jails in the latest exchange under an ongoing Gaza truce deal. An AFP journalist saw masked Hamas militants parade the hostages onto a stage in Gaza's southern city of Khan Yunis, where ...

Gaza: The Second Phase of Truce Negotiations Expected Next Week // Gaza Truce: Indirect Negotiations Could Resume in Doha

A Hamas official said on Friday that he expects the second phase of indirect negotiations on the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel to begin "early next week." "We expect the second phase of ceasefire negotiations to begin early next week, and mediators are continuing discussions on the matter," said the ...

Israeli Army Signals Readiness to Withdraw, But Doubts Remain

The Israeli army expressed on Friday its preparedness to withdraw from Lebanese territory by February 18, per the ceasefire agreement brokered by France and the United States. A senior Israeli security official, quoted by AFP, stated that Israel remains committed to the agreement and is coordinating closely with the US to ensure a smooth handover ...

Arab Summit in Riyadh on February 20 to Discuss Trump’s Plan for Gaza

Riyadh is set to host a summit on February 20, bringing together five Arab countries to develop a common response to Donald Trump’s plan, which envisions emptying Gaza of its inhabitants and rebuilding the territory under U.S. control, a Saudi source told AFP on Friday. This summit, which will gather the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the ...