Nawaf Salam

Gaza Peace Plan: Key Reactions to Hamas's Response

International reactions have been pouring in following Hamas's positive response on Friday to US President Donald Trump's plan to free Israeli hostages in Gaza and end the nearly two-year conflict. Here are some of the main reactions from around the world: United States "Based on the statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for ...

Israeli Army Still Operating in Gaza Despite Calls for Ceasefire

Israel said Saturday its troops were still operating in Gaza and warned residents not to return, despite calls from the families of Israeli hostages and US President Donald Trump for an immediate halt to the fighting. Trump issued the appeal to the key US ally after Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was ready to release all hostages and ...

Sean 'Diddy' Combs gets 50-month prison sentence

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was sentenced to more than four years in prison on Friday for his conviction on prostitution-related charges. Prosecutors had sought 11 years behind bars for Combs, but Judge Arun Subramanian handed down a 50-month sentence after an emotional daylong court hearing. Combs's lawyers had urged the judge to sentence the ...

Hamas Says Ready for Peace Talks, Trump Urges Israel to Halt Bombing

Hamas said on Friday it was ready to start immediate talks on freeing the Israeli hostages it holds and the end of the Gaza war, welcoming US President Donald Trump's call for Israel to stop bombing the Palestinian territory. Trump's peace proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a halt to hostilities in ...

Hamas Says Ready to Free Gaza Hostages Under Trump Ceasefire Proposal

Hamas Says Ready to Free Gaza Hostages Under Trump Ceasefire Proposal Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said Friday it was willing to release all hostages held in Gaza under the framework laid out in US President Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal. "The movement announces its approval for the release of all hostages—living and ...

UNIFIL Condemns Israeli Strikes Near Peacekeepers in Maroun al-Ras

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated on Friday that the Israeli army dropped grenades earlier in the morning, “in close proximity to peacekeeping forces working alongside the Lebanese army to protect civilian workers” in the southern border town of Maroun al-Ras. The civilians had been clearing rubble from homes ...

Are Things Looking Brighter for the Middle East?

A year after Israel defanged Hezbollah, and in the wake of the annual opening of the UN General Assembly and several developments related to the Middle East, it may be a good time to take stock. In my 38-year career of diplomacy in the Middle East, anytime someone expressed optimism, I would suggest a head examination might be in order. However, ...

Lebanon under Scrutiny: Weapons and Army Moves!

Countries concerned with the Lebanese situation are awaiting the army’s first report, expected in the coming days, on the implementation of the plan to ensure weapons are exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state. The focus is both on timing: whether the report will be released before the 5th of this month or be delayed; and on content, ...

France FM Says Hamas Must Accept 'Surrender' Under Trump Gaza Plan

France's top diplomat said Thursday that Hamas had lost its fight in Gaza and must accept "surrender" under a plan put forward by US President Donald Trump. The Palestinian militant group is currently weighing its response to the Trump plan, which has been publicly endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Hamas bears a very heavy ...

Moscow Talks: Syria and Russia Confront Sensitive Issues

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will visit Moscow on October 15 to attend the Russia-Arab League summit, according to al-Hadath. This marks the first high-level meeting between Syria’s new leadership in Damascus and the Kremlin. The visit comes as several sensitive issues remain unresolved, including the future of Russian military bases in ...

Gaza Civil Defence Says 13 Killed in Israeli Strikes

Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people across Gaza on Thursday, the territory's civil defence agency said, including an employee of the French charity Doctors Without Borders. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal, whose rescue agency operates under Hamas authority, said 10 people were killed in several air raids in central Gaza, while two ...