This is Beirut - Nawaf Salam

Syrian Leader Seeks Reset in Russia Relations in Putin Meeting

This is Beirut, 2025-10-15 18:33 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Syria Bashar al-Assad Ahmad al-Sharaa

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Wednesday he wanted to "redefine" relations with Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted him in their first meeting since key Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year. In front of the television cameras, Putin greeted Sharaa warmly at the Kremlin, but behind closed doors the ...

Israel Returns 45 Palestinian Bodies to Gaza

This is Beirut, 2025-10-15 17:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas

Israel returned the bodies of 45 Palestinians on Wednesday, bringing the total number handed over to 90, Gaza's health ministry said. Under a ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned. On Monday, Hamas gave up three Israeli bodies and one ...

Extradition Treaties and the Assad Case

Mario Chartouni, 2025-10-15 14:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Syria Russia Ahmad al-Sharaa Vladimir Putin Bachar el-Assad extradition

This Wednesday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is visiting Moscow to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. According to Reuters, he may request the extradition of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been taking refuge in Russia since fleeing Damascus in December 2024. Behind this politically charged episode lies a longstanding and ...

Israeli Army Confirms Fourth Body Returned by Hamas Is Not an Israeli Hostage

This is Beirut, 2025-10-15 12:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine Hostages remains

The Israeli military said Wednesday that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners was not a former hostage. After overnight forensic tests on four bodies returned on Tuesday, the army said medical officials concluded that one body "does not match any of the hostages". "Hamas is ...

Uncertainty Surrounds Rafah Crossing Reopening Despite Initial Israeli Announcement

This is Beirut, 2025-10-15 09:38 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine United Nations Hamas Rafah Aid

Despite earlier reports indicating that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip would reopen on Wednesday for the delivery of humanitarian aid, its status remains uncertain, with conflicting information emerging from Israeli sources. According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Israeli authorities had approved the reopening of ...

Trump Pressures Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah Following Gaza Agreement

Amal Chmouny, 2025-10-15 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah United States

In the wake of the recent Gaza peace agreement, the United States is sharpening its focus on disarming Hezbollah, the militant group that has long contributed to Lebanon's instability. The aftermath of this agreement is expected to catalyze significant geopolitical shifts, compelling external powers, particularly the US, to take decisive actions ...

Israel Army Says Remains of Four Hostages Handed over to Red Cross in Gaza

This is Beirut, 2025-10-14 22:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas ICRC

The Israeli military said Tuesday the remains of four more hostages were transferred to the Red Cross in Gaza. "According to information provided by the Red Cross, four coffins of deceased hostages have been transferred into their custody and are on their way to [Israeli military] and ISA (security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip," the military ...

Trump Says 'We Will Disarm' Hamas, Urges Return of Gaza Bodies

This is Beirut, 2025-10-14 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam United States Donald Trump Hamas Gaza Israeli Hostages

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that "we will disarm" Hamas if the Palestinian militants refuse to do it themselves, as he called for the group to release the bodies of hostages in Gaza. Trump's comments came the day after he swung through the Middle East to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire deal, with questions swirling about the ...

What Comes Next in Trump’s Gaza Plan?

Élie-Joe Kamel, 2025-10-14 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

As the first phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan nears completion, attention is shifting to the next steps. Significant progress has been made, though the process remains far from finished. On Monday, Hamas announced the release of the 28 Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza, along with four bodies from a total of 28. In exchange, Israel confirmed ...

Global Leaders Welcome Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

Kaline Antoun, 2025-10-14 20:05 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Ceasefire Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron

Leaders around the world have welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, formalized at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025. The initiative was driven by US President Donald Trump and signed jointly by mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. The agreement calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of ...

Civil Defense Says Israeli Forces Kill Six People in Gaza

This is Beirut, 2025-10-14 18:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in separate incidents Tuesday, while the military reported its troops had opened fire on suspects who approached their positions. Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defense agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas, said five people were killed as they ...

Sharm al-Sheikh: A Statement to Turn the Page on War

Mario Chartouni, 2025-10-14 15:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Hamas Middle East Gaza Sharm al-Sheikh

The international summit held on Monday in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, marked a diplomatic turning point regarding the Gaza conflict. This was not just a simple agreement between Israel and Hamas. It was a solemn declaration co-signed by the mediator countries, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, along with the United States. The document, presented as the ...

Nawaf Salam