Lebanon

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 ...

Caught in Escalation: Lebanon's Displaced Say They Want Peace

Rockets fired from Hezbollah into Israel triggered Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and nearby villages. As the violence escalated, residents from predominantly Shia neighborhoods fled their homes. Many had a common message: they want peace.  By Claudia Groeling and Kaline Antoun

The Moment of Decision: Will Lebanon Choose Peace?

The return of war to Lebanon was neither sudden nor unexpected. On the contrary, it appeared almost inevitable, a consequence of Hezbollah’s rigidity and denial on one hand, and the Lebanese state’s hesitation and accommodation on the other. It followed the trajectory of the political and security developments since the ceasefire that ended ...

Lebanon and Israel See More Strikes Overnight

Israel and Hezbollah continued their attacks overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday morning, including in areas of Lebanon without significant Hezbollah activity. Israel stated that it had struck around 60 targets in Lebanon “belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas organizations.” An Israeli strike hit Aramoun and ...

Israel Army Says Killed Iran Quds Force Officer Responsible for Lebanon

The Israeli military said it killed a senior commander of Iran's elite Quds Force on Tuesday in a strike on Tehran, adding that he was responsible for its operations in Lebanon. "Earlier today, the Israeli Air Force... struck and eliminated the temporary commander of the Lebanon Corps of the Iranian Quds Force, Daoud Ali Zadeh, in ...

Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon: Israel’s Advance Raises Questions About Lasting Presence

As Israel ramps up its military campaign against Hezbollah, Israeli troops advanced into southern Lebanon on Tuesday morning and established a buffer zone described by Tel Aviv as a limited defensive maneuver aimed at protecting northern Israeli communities. However, security sources interviewed by This is Beirut said that the maneuver could be ...

Israel Continues Offensive in Lebanon as IDF Announces ‘Buffer’ Zone

Israel’s offensive against targets of Hezbollah and its allies continued into Tuesday afternoon and evening, while Israeli ground forces entered new sites in southern Lebanon to create a “buffer” zone. On Tuesday afternoon, Arabic spokesperson to the Israeli army Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation call to 112 towns in southern ...

Israel Signals Unwavering Resolve to Eliminate Hezbollah

Lebanon was drawn into the widening Middle East war on Monday after Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel, saying the attack was in support of its backer Iran and in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with intense airstrikes, targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the ...

UNIFIL Reports Israeli Incursion and Hezbollah Violations

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) revealed Tuesday that its peacekeepers observed Israeli troops crossing into Lebanese territory near the southern border towns of Markaba, al-Odaysse, Kfarkila and Ramia before returning to the Blue Line. In a press release, UNIFIL stated that since the last conflict and the cessation of ...