This is Beirut

Witkoff: Lebanon and Syria Could Potentially Join Abraham Accords

This is Beirut, 26/02 16:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Israel Middle East Saudi Arabia Washington

Steve Witkoff, appointed by President Donald Trump as the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, has been playing a pivotal role in advancing peace initiatives in the region. His strategic insights and diplomatic skills have solidified his reputation as a key figure in advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives. After voicing optimism at efforts to ...

Syria: Major Israeli Attack in the South of Damascus, At Least Two Killed

This is Beirut, 26/02 00:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Israel

The Israeli army said it carried out air strikes targeting military sites containing weapons in southern Syria on Tuesday, just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for demilitarising the area. At least two people were killed by a strike on one of the sites, the headquarters of a military unit southwest of Damascus, a war monitor ...

Israel Lifts Restrictions for Northern Residents

This is Beirut, 25/02 21:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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On the night of February 23, the Israeli Army’s Home Front Command announced the lifting of restrictions on towns along the border with Lebanon. Starting March 2, displaced residents from this area will be allowed to return to their homes. This measure, approved by Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, follows an evaluation conducted in ...

UN Warns of Last Chance for Two-State Israeli-Palestinian Solution

This is Beirut, 25/02 20:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Nations Sigrid Kaag Two-State Solution Israel

The Middle East is undergoing changes that could represent the last chance for the long-sought goal of a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a UN official said Tuesday. Sigrid Kaag, the UN envoy for the peace process in the region, also warned against calls for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank. "The Middle East ...

Mossad Chief Reveals Details of Pager Attack Against Hezbollah

This is Beirut, 25/02 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Pager Lebanon

Mossad Director David Barnea disclosed on Tuesday, during a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, the details of a “pager operation” that struck Hezbollah last September, calling it a major “turning point” in the war between Israel and the militant group. According to i24 News, Barnea explained that ...

Israeli Opposition Leader: Egypt Should Run Gaza for 8 Years

This is Beirut, 25/02 18:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Yair Lapid Gaza Egypt

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Tuesday that Egypt should run the Gaza Strip for at least eight years once the war is over, in exchange for massive debt relief. "The solution is Egypt will take responsibility for the management of the Gaza Strip for eight years with an option to extend to 15 years," he told the hawkish ...

Positive Atmosphere Marks First Half of Parliamentary Session

Lyne Sammouri , 25/02 15:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces UN Security Council Hezbollah Israel

The first round of the confidence debate has concluded. On Tuesday, Parliament gathered for a two‐day plenary session, with around 75 parliamentarians set to speak and vote on whether to grant confidence to the new government, known as the “rescue and reform government.” For the cabinet to commence work, it must secure the ...

Hezbollah Sends Messages to the State as It Seeks Justifications

Philippe Abi-Akl, 25/02 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Hassan Nasrallah

The funeral of Hezbollah’s leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine was not just about their burial. The party, backed by Iran, mobilized hundreds of thousands to signal to the Lebanese state that despite heavy losses, it remains the strongest force. Any attempt to disarm it will face significant challenges. A well-informed source ...

Sweida's Military Council Announces Its Goals Amid Fears of Israel

This is Beirut, 24/02 22:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The Military Council in Syria’s Sweida announced on Monday that it is coordinating with the spiritual leader of the Druze, Hikmat al-Hijri, and is advocating for a decentralized secular state. This announcement was made in the council’s first official statement during a military parade held at the Kafr Agricultural Airport in the province's ...

Hashem Safieddine Laid to Rest in South Lebanon

This is Beirut, 24/02 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah South Lebanon Hashem Safieddine Israel

Hezbollah held a funeral procession for Hashem Safieddine, former head of the party’s Executive Council, in his hometown of Deir Qanoun al-Naher in southern Lebanon on Monday. Mourners gathered to pay their final respects to the senior Hezbollah figure, killed in an Israeli strike on October 3, 2024. The funeral followed a mass ceremony held ...

Palestinians Have Some Soul-Searching To Do

Pierre Nahas , 24/02 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Palestine Israel USA Gaza

United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” has sparked widespread debate. Whether his plan is feasible remains to be seen. Regardless, Palestinians need a new modus operandi if they are to survive. They must recognize that leaders in the Middle East now ...

Israel Ready to Resume Gaza War, PM Warns after Truce Delay

This is Beirut, 24/02 09:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was prepared to resume fighting against Hamas after the Palestinian group accused it of endangering a five-week-old Gaza truce by suspending prisoner releases. The first phase of the truce, which has largely halted more than 15 months of devastating war in the Gaza Strip, is due to ...

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