Israël

Naim Qassem: The Lebanese State Must End Israeli Violations of the Ceasefire

In a recorded speech, Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, addressed several issues, including the security situation in southern Lebanon, Israeli violations of the ceasefire and the details of the funerals of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. On the security front, Qassem emphasized that "the Lebanese state is ...

Netanyahu Heads to US for Pivotal Trump Talks

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Sunday for the United States, where he will become the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump since the US president returned to office. His visit comes as a fragile truce holds between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both militant groups are backed by ...

Netanyahu appoints Major General Eyal Zamir as Israel's new army chief

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed retired Major General Eyal Zamir as Israel's new Chief of Staff on Saturday, following the resignation of his predecessor last month, who took responsibility for failing to prevent Hamas's October 2023 attack. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have agreed this evening ...

Hamas and Israel Complete Fourth Hostage-Prisoner Swap Under Gaza Ceasefire

Hamas freed three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody, marking the fourth such swap under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Hostages Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were paraded on stage by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in the ...

Gaza: 50 Patients Left Through Rafah Crossing to Egypt

The health ministry in Gaza said 50 Palestinian patients went through the Rafah crossing to Egypt on Saturday, as the key gateway reopened as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel. Egyptian state-linked channel Al-Qahera News showed footage of the first of 50 evacuees and 53 companions, including a child with an autoimmune disease, crossing the ...

Three Buses of Freed Palestinians Arrive in Gaza's Khan Younes

Three buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal arrived in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younes on Saturday, an AFP correspondent reported. The prisoners, many wearing gray prison uniforms, were greeted by hundreds of Gazans who gathered around the buses as they approached the city's European ...

Are We on the Brink of Another Bloody Sunday in the South?

A new call has been issued for Sunday to reclaim villages where Israel maintains a presence. The impulse driving Southerners back to their villages could be seen as undeniably noble—if it were spontaneous. It carries a moral legitimacy, rooted in their deep attachment to the land and the duty to honor civilians whose bodies remain buried beneath ...

Lebanese Army Enters Aitaroun As Israeli Army Retreats

The Lebanese army has entered on Saturday the army unit headquarters which has been isolated for 10 days in Aitaroun, in order to reopen the main road and secure its surroundings after it was blocked by Israeli bulldozers. In a later phase, the army plans to deploy in the town after the Israeli withdrawal. The Lebanese army's entry does ...

Israel to Release 183 Prisoners on Saturday, Doubling Previous Figure

Israel is set to release 183 prisoners on Saturday in the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, a Palestinian advocacy group said, more than doubling the previous reported figure. "The updated number of prisoners to be released tomorrow is 183," said Palestinian Prisoners' Club spokeswoman Amani Sarahneh on Friday, after ...

Explaining the Diplomatic Roller-Coaster in Damascus

The diplomatic roller-coaster in Syria’s capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime suggests that a strategic shift is underway. This is all the more significant as the Prince of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made an official visit to Damascus on Thursday, where he was received by the interim Syrian president, Ahmad ...

Al-Qard al-Hassan Delays Compensation Payments: Is Hezbollah in Trouble?

The recent decision by Al-Qard al-Hassan, Hezbollah’s illegal financial institution, to postpone until February 10 the payment of compensation to victims of the conflict with Israel has sent shockwaves through the Shiite community. The payments were originally scheduled for February 1. To justify this delay, the militia-run ‘bank’ cited ...

Gaza: Rafah Crossing to Reopen on Saturday

Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt is to reopen Saturday following a fourth exchange of hostages and prisoners under a truce agreement, a Hamas official and a source with knowledge of discussions told AFP. The Rafah crossing was a vital entry point for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza before the Israeli military seized the Palestinian side of ...