Lebanon

Strike on Beirut Southern Suburb after Evacuation Warning

An Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut late Thursday, according to Lebanese state media, following an Israeli evacuation warning. AFPTV footage showed a plume of smoke rising from the site in Lebanon, which was drawn into the Middle East war on Monday when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to ...

Israel Minister Warns Gaza-Like Destruction as Army Widens Lebanon Evacuation Calls

Minister of the Israeli Finance Ministry Bezalel Smotrich warned that Beirut’s southern suburbs will be like Khan Younis, Gaza, a city that has faced great destruction since the Gaza war began. ”Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Yunis,” Smotrich said during a visit to the Lebanese-Israeli border.  “Hezbollah made ...

Lebanese Cabinet to Index IRGC Members Ahead of Deportation

Following a session held Thursday, the Council of Ministers committed to verifying the presence of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members in Lebanon, with a view to their ultimate expulsion, according to the Information Minister Dr. Paul Morcos. The step, the Cabinet said, aims to safeguard national security, assert state ...

Israel Strikes Palestinian Camp and Southern Beirut Suburbs

An Israeli strike on Thursday targeting a car on the Zahle–Karak highway in the central Bekaa killed two people and wounded two others, Lebanon’s Public Health Ministry said in a statement. Beirut’s southern suburbs An Israeli drone strike targeted two cars late Wednesday at the southern entrance of the city along the Ziad ...

Qassem: ‘As Long as Occupation Exists, Resistance and its Weapons Retain a Legitimate Right’

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered televised remarks amid Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Qassem’s speech marked his first appearance since Hezbollah opened fire on Israel on Monday morning. He spoke on issues including the ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes in the region, the internal displacement of ...

Lebanon Bans Hezbollah’s Military Activities, But Stops Short of Terrorism Label

In an unprecedented move, Lebanon’s government on March 2 banned all Hezbollah’s military and security activities and instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to immediately move forward with its plan to disarm the militia. The decision came hours after a Hezbollah rocket barrage into Israel, which triggered a widescale military ...

Hezbollah and Iran Strike Israel as Israel Continues Attacks

Hezbollah and Iran carry out further strikes in Israel as Israel continues to expand its operations in Lebanon. Hezbollah struck two Israeli military vehicles in the town of Houla in southern Lebanon, saying that it hit with “appropriate weapons, achieving a direct hit.” The organization also stated that it hit an Israeli Merkava ...

Israel Is Preparing a Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon

The President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam informed the ambassadors of the Quintet that the government’s decision banning all military and security activities of Hezbollah will be fully implemented. According to diplomatic sources, including U.S. ambassador Michel Issa, there will be no cessation of Israeli ...

Syria Strengthens Military Presence on Borders with Lebanon, Iraq

The Syrian army reinforced its presence along the borders with Lebanon and Iraq on Wednesday, both of which have been dragged into the regional war with Iran. A Syrian government source told AFP that the Syrian army had sent reinforcements to the border with Lebanon. "Syrian military forces are heading toward the Lebanese-Syrian border near Homs ...

Cyprus Closes Larnaca Airspace After Suspicious Object Detected from Lebanon

Cyprus declared Wednesday the closure of its airspace above Larnaca International Airport after a suspicious object was detected coming from Lebanon. The Cypriot government’s spokesperson said that “a suspicious object” was spotted in the airspace near Lebanon and that authorities had “taken the appropriate measures,” without providing ...

Crackdown on Unlicensed Weapons Amid Displacement Wave

A decision issued Wednesday following coordination between Adel Nassar and Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal Hajjar warned that any Lebanese citizen found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, regardless of its type, will be immediately arrested, referred to the military court, and have the weapon confiscated. The Public Prosecutor at the Court of ...