United Nations

Lebanon Launches First Phase of Syrian Refugee Returns

The Lebanese government officially launched the first phase of its “self-organized voluntary return” program for Syrian refugees on Tuesday, with 71 individuals from 14 families returning to Syria. The group was transported via three buses and two trucks across the Lebanese-Syrian border, under the supervision of Lebanese authorities and in ...

UN Peacekeeper Killed in 2022: Main Suspect Sentenced to Death in Absentia

The military court sentenced a man to death in absentia for killing an Irish United Nations peacekeeper, a judicial official said Tuesday, after Hezbollah members were accused of involvement in the 2022 incident. Private Sean Rooney, 23, was killed and three others were wounded after a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy came under fire ...

Lebanon Launches First Phase of Displaced Syrians Return Plan

The Lebanese government has launched the first phase of its plan for the return of displaced Syrians, in coordination with the General Directorate of General Security and the Syrian authorities. Initially, the return will take place through the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa region. To organize the convoys heading to Syria, a gathering point ...

Forceful Pleas at UN For Two-State Solution for Israel, Palestinians

There is no alternative to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia Monday that was boycotted by Israel and branded a stunt by Washington. "Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace ...

UNIFIL Mandate Shift Could Ignite Region: Will the US Push Back on Israeli Demands?

One month separates Lebanon from a critical juncture, one of the most sensitive in its modern history. At the end of August, the United Nations Security Council will decide whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year. The decision could either reaffirm the mission’s role or mark its ...

US Dismisses UN Israel-Palestinian Conference as 'Publicity Stunt'

The United States on Monday dismissed a French-Saudi-sponsored conference at the United Nations on promoting a two-state solution to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis as a "stunt." The US State Department labeled the three-day event "unproductive and ill-timed," as well as a "publicity stunt" that would ...

Kuwait Sanctions Hezbollah’s Al-Qard Al-Hasan

In a significant move aligning with international counterterrorism frameworks, Kuwait has officially imposed sanctions on Hezbollah, its financial arm Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, and three individuals of Lebanese, Tunisian and Somali nationalities. The decision was announced Monday by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Committee for the ...

New Aid Convoy Enters South Syria Druze-Majority Province

A new humanitarian aid convoy reached southern Syria's Druze heartland on Monday, official media said, as the United Nations warned the humanitarian situation in Sweida province was critical after deadly violence. Clashes in Druze-majority Sweida province, which began on July 13 and ended with a ceasefire a week later, initially involved Druze ...

UN Says 'Worrying Surge' in Iran Executions

The United Nations on Monday urged Iran to stop using the death penalty, citing a "worrying surge in executions" that has included at least 612 people being killed so far this year. "Reports that there have been several hundred executions in Iran so far this year underscore how deeply disturbing the situation has become and the urgent need for an ...

The UN, The Palestinians, Israel and a Stalled Two-State Solution

Ever since the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in 1947, the United Nations has been inextricably linked to the fate of Palestinians, with the organization meeting this week hoping to revive the two-state solution. Here is a timeline on the issue: Partition  In November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 ...

UN to Use 'Humanitarian Pauses' to Try to Reach Gaza's Starving

The United Nations said it would try to reach as many starving people as possible in Gaza after Israel announced it would establish secure land routes for humanitarian convoys. The UN's World Food Program (WFP) said it had enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip for almost three ...