This is Beirut

Abi al-Muna Urges Arab Action to Stop Violations Against Druze in Syria

This is Beirut, 01/05 18:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Druze community, spoke over the phone with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari on Thursday. Abi al-Muna briefed him on the alarming developments in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and surrounding areas near Damascus, Syria, where clashes are still ongoing between Druze and Sunni ...

Could Syria Break Again? The Ghost of Civil War and Israel’s Strategic Calculus

Salam El Zaatari, 01/05 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Israel Turkey

In the swirling dust of a broken Syria, the ghosts of war aren’t just whispering, they’re knocking loudly on the door. Just months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria appears to be at a crossroads: Will it finally stumble its way into fragile unity, or will it fracture further into sectarian enclaves and foreign ...

16 Killed as Sectarian Clashes Near Damascus Spread: Authorities, Monitor

This is Beirut, 30/04 15:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Sectarian clashes between forces linked to Syria's new authorities and Druze fighters spread overnight near Damascus, leaving 16 people dead, state media and a monitor said Wednesday. The expanding violence is a major challenge to the Islamist authorities who overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December and comes after sectarian massacres ...

Joumblatt Steps In to End Deadly Clashes Near Damascus as Israel Strikes Syria

This is Beirut, 30/04 15:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Druze Walid Joumblatt Syria Islamists

A ceasefire between gunmen linked to Syrian authorities and Druze fighters was reportedly reached on Wednesday, following intensive mediation by former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Joumblatt. The effort involved contacts with the new Syrian administration, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan, according to al-Markazia news ...

Syria’s Path to Recovery: Can It Outpace Lebanon?

Christiane Tager, 29/04 21:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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As the Lebanese endure rolling blackouts, relentless crises and a daily reality that often borders on the absurd, a piece of unexpected news has prompted a collective raised eyebrow – or two: Syria might well be rebuilt before Lebanon. Yes, you read that correctly. On Sunday, April 27, in a move as symbolic as it was strategic, Saudi Arabia ...

From Homs to Damascus: An Alarming Escalation of Tensions Between Sunnis and Druze

This is Beirut, 29/04 16:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Syria Druze Islamists HTS fighting

Sectarian tensions between the Sunni and Druze communities are alarmingly resurging in Syria. From Homs to the outskirts of Damascus, to Sweida, a Druze heartland south of Syria, several violent incidents have reignited sectarian divisions in a country still deeply scarred by more than a decade of war. Clashes in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana ...

Akkar Under Pressure: Over 24,000 Syrian Refugees in One Month

This is Beirut, 29/04 13:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon displacement Syrians Alawites Akkar

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8 did not defuse the Syrian displacement crisis in Lebanon. Since March 10, 24,975 Syrians (or 5,188 families) have fled Syria’s coastal areas to seek refuge in northern Lebanon. These displaced people are spread across about thirty border towns and villages, particularly in Akkar, along the ...

Syria Group Says Military Chief Arrested in UAE

This is Beirut, 28/04 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Gulf United Arab Emirates Jaish al-Islam Syria

Two sources from Jaish al-Islam, a military faction now part of Syria's transitional authorities, told AFP on Monday that its leader had been arrested at Dubai airport several days ago. Since 2015, Issam Buwaydani has been head of Jaish al-Islam, a group that fought against now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and once controlled the Eastern Ghouta ...

Aoun Stresses Need for Israeli Withdrawal to Boost Border Security

This is Beirut, 28/04 12:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Lebanese Army Israël Syria France

President Joseph Aoun underscored the urgent need for Israeli forces to withdraw from five strategic points in southern Lebanon to facilitate the full deployment of the Lebanese Army (LAF) along the border. “This withdrawal is essential to enable the state to assume full responsibility for border security,” Aoun stated. Following the ...

US Roadmap for Lifting Sanctions on Syria Takes Center Stage

Amal Chmouny, 26/04 11:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Washington Sanctions Saudi Arabia Qatar World Bank

As Syria stands at a pivotal crossroads, the urgent question of lifting US and international sanctions takes center stage. These sanctions have profoundly impacted the nation's economy and governance since the outbreak of the civil war. With the Syrian interim government, now led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, striving to stabilize the country and ...

Syria: 11 Alawite Civilians Killed in Homs

This is Beirut, 25/04 17:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Alawites Syria Homs

A monitor of Syria's conflict said Friday that 11 civilians from the Alawite minority had been killed in security raids in the center of the country over the past 24 hours. The killings follow a wave of sectarian bloodshed last month, the worst since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime president Bashar al-Assad, with massacres taking place ...

Lebanon Resumes Repatriation of Syrian Refugees After Years-Long Pause

This is Beirut, 25/04 16:45 - Reading : less than a minute

General Security Syria lebanon Syrian refugees repatriation

General Security (GS) has resumed the repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, marking a significant shift after years of suspension, Al-Jadeed TV reported on Friday. According to the report, the renewed efforts came after a prolonged halt in the implementation of the so-called “voluntary return” process, which was previously organized ...

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