Nawaf Salam

Hamas Says Gaza Aid Block Impacts Israeli Hostages

Hamas accused Israel Saturday of "committing the war crime of collective punishment" by halting aid to Gaza for a seventh day, saying it also impacted Israeli hostages still held there. On Sunday, Israel announced it was blocking aid deliveries to Gaza until Palestinian militants accepted its terms for an extension of the ceasefire which had ...

Israeli Airstrike on Khirbet Selm Results in Casualties

The Israeli Army carried out a drone strike on a car in South Lebanon’s town of Khirbet Selm on Saturday, resulting in one dead and one injured. In a statement, the Israeli Army said it “targeted a Hezbollah member involved in rebuilding infrastructure to support the group’s activities in southern Lebanon.” Additionally, ...

Syria: Sharaa Warns Former Regime Loyalists and Calls for Stability

Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa declared on Friday that Syria “will not move backward” and warned against any violations of the state's established rules during a speech to the nation. “Syria has moved forward and will not take a single step back,” the president stated, emphasizing that security forces must avoid excessive ...

Israel Launches Surprise Strikes Against Hezbollah's Sites in Southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes launched a series of surprise airstrikes on multiple locations in the South on Friday evening.   Around 20 airstrikes targeted several valleys and wooded areas on the outskirts of Zibqin, Beit Yahoun, al-Ayshiyya, al-Rihan, Ansar and al-Baysariyya.   The strikes also hit Zaghrin Hill in Jabal al-Rihan, in the Jezzine area, ...

Houthis Threaten to Resume Sea Attacks if Aid to Gaza Remains Blocked

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis will resume attacks on Israeli shipping if aid supplies to Gaza do not resume in four days, the movement’s leader said on Friday. "If the Israeli enemy continues after the first four days to prevent the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip... then we will resume our naval operations against the Israeli enemy," Abdulmalik ...

Syria: A New Phase of Conflict Between Pro-Assad Forces and the Authorities?

The Pandora’s box that opened in Syria in 2011 is far from closed. After the civil war that broke out 14 years ago, a new phase of tensions has begun in the wake of former President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster and his exile in Russia. On Thursday, fighting intensified across the country, particularly in the west, as supporters of the former ...

Hamas Officials Say Delegation in Cairo for Gaza Truce Talks

A high-level Hamas delegation was in Cairo Friday to advance efforts to prolong a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which has largely paused hostilities with Israel, two senior Hamas officials said. "The delegation will meet with Egyptian officials on Saturday to discuss the latest developments, assess progress in implementing the ceasefire agreement ...

World Bank says Lebanon needs $11 bn for post-war reconstruction

The World Bank on Friday estimated Lebanon's recovery and reconstruction costs at $11 billion following the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a ceasefire last November. "Reconstruction and recovery needs following the conflict that affected Lebanon are estimated at US$11 billion," the World Bank said in a report assessing damage ...

Hundreds of Haredi Jews Enter Lebanese Territory for Religious Visit

In a new breach of Lebanese sovereignty, a group of Haredi Jews entered Qabr al-Abbad, a site within Lebanese territory near the border town of Hula, on Friday morning. The visit, organized by the Israeli army under the pretext of a religious pilgrimage, saw hundreds of Haredim performing rituals at the tomb of Rabbi Rav Ashi. According to ...

Roy Ayers, godfather of neo-soul, dead at 84

Roy Ayers, the trailblazer of jazz, funk and neo-soul whose "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" proved a hugely popular hip-hop sample, has died. He was 84 years old. The artist's family shared the news in a Facebook post, saying the vibraphonist, composer and producer died in New York on March 4 following a long illness. "He lived a beautiful 84 ...

New Government in Action: Nawaf Salam’s First Cabinet Meeting

The first Cabinet meeting since Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government won Parliament’s confidence is being held today at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, chaired by President Joseph Aoun. This crucial session will address several key issues, including the implementation of reforms, the 2025 budget proposal and tax exemptions for war ...

The Council of Ministers Endorses the 2025 Budget

The Council of Ministers on Thursday approved the promulgation of the 2025 budget by decree, as well as the temporary extension of the mandates of ambassadors from outside the cadre. At its first session after gaining the parliament’s vote of confidence held at the Baabda Palace, the Cabinet went through twenty-two items on its ...