United Nations

Rights Group Says Israel Deporting Six Gaza Aid Boat Activists

An Israeli NGO representing activists detained aboard a boat attempting to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza said Thursday that six were being deported, including two who were already on planes. "After more than 72 hours in Israeli custody following the unlawful interception of the Madleen Freedom Flotilla in international waters... six volunteers ...

Global Forced Displacement Dips Slightly but Remains at Record Levels

The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains "untenably high," the United Nations said Thursday. A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024, said UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. But that figure dropped to 122.1 million ...

Salam Engages with UN Officials, Eyes Airport Revival

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam led a series of high-level meetings on Wednesday at the Grand Serail, addressing regional tensions, bilateral ties and infrastructure proposals. In a closed-door meeting with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, discussions focused on rising security tensions in southern Lebanon. While no ...

UNIFIL and the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemn Attacks on Peacekeepers

The Lebanese government expressed strong concern on Tuesday following two separate incidents in southern Lebanon, where civilians believed to be affiliated with Hezbollah targeted patrols from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The attacks have reignited debate over the freedom of movement granted to UN forces under UN Security ...

Don't Let Deep sea Become 'Wild West', Guterres tells World Leaders

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday the world could not let the deepest oceans "become the wild west", at the start in France of a global summit on the seas. World leaders are attending the UN Ocean Conference in Nice as nations tussle over contentious rules on mining the seabed for critical minerals and the terms of ...

UN Welcomes New Libya Safety and Rights Committees

The United Nations mission in Libya on Saturday welcomed the formation of two committees by the Libyan presidential council to address safety and human rights after recent deadly clashes in Tripoli. UNSMIL said the committees were "composed of key parties", with one aimed at "strengthening security arrangements to prevent the outbreak of fighting ...

South Lebanon: a Shepherd Kidnapped by Israel and Two Injured

An Israeli patrol abducted a shepherd (Maher H.) on Saturday from the Ain al-Khokh area on the outskirts of Shebaa and transported him into the occupied territories, according to local sources. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that two civilians were injured when an Israeli army drone dropped an explosive device near a group of ...

The UN at 80: Navigating Crisis and Hope in a Divided World

On June 26, 1945, just months after World War II ended, 51 nations gathered in San Francisco to sign the UN Charter. By October 24, the organization officially came into force, born from a simple but profound purpose: to prevent another global catastrophe. Envisioned as the cornerstone of a new world order grounded in peace, justice and ...

France Opens 'Complicity in Genocide' Probe over Blocked Gaza Aid

French anti-terror prosecutors have opened a probe into "complicity in genocide" and "incitement to genocide" over French-Israelis suspected of having blocked aid intended for war-torn Gaza, a source close to the case said Friday. The investigation comes after the Jewish French Union for Peace (UFJP) and a French-Palestinian victim filed a legal ...

In Gaza, the Shadow of a Hamas Rival Gains Ground

As Hamas’s uncompromising stance continues to cost dozens of Palestinian lives daily, public anger is mounting. In this climate of deepening disillusionment and insecurity, Yasser Abu Shabab is emerging as a powerful new actor challenging the status quo. A Leader from a Powerful Bedouin Clan Yasser Abu Shabab comes from the Tarabin, a powerful ...

Lebanon Elected to UN Economic and Social Council for 2026–2028 Term

Lebanon has been elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2026–2028 term, following a vote held Thursday at UN headquarters in New York. The announcement comes on the heels of Lebanon’s recent appointment as one of the Vice Presidents of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, which is currently presided ...

UN Appoints Italian General Diodato Abagnara as New UNIFIL Commander

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Major General Diodato Abagnara of Italy as the new Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the UN announced on Wednesday. Major General Abagnara succeeds Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain, who led the mission ...