israel

South Lebanon: Israel to Remain Temporarily in Five Locations

Tel Aviv announced on Friday that its army will not withdraw completely from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon when the 60-day ceasefire agreement expires on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the phased withdrawal process would continue after January 27, “in agreement with the United States.” According ...

New Exchange Expected On Saturday Between Israeli Hostages In Gaza And Palestinian Detainees

On Saturday, Hamas is due to free four Israeli soldiers, held hostage in Gaza since 7 October 2023, in exchange for several dozen Palestinians detained in Israel, in the second exchange of this type under the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip. Nearly a week after the ceasefire came into force, which was generally respected, the Palestinian ...

Israel Asks Unrwa To Leave Jerusalem by 30 January (Letter To The UN)

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) must cease its operations in Jerusalem and vacate all the buildings it uses by 30 January, the Israeli ambassador to the UN wrote in a letter to the Secretary-General on Friday. ‘In accordance with applicable Israeli law (...), Unrwa must cease its operations in Jerusalem and evacuate all the ...

Egypt And Israel Exempt From a Near-Total Freeze On US Foreign Aid

The United States has frozen its foreign aid, with the exception of that provided to Egypt and Israel, as well as emergency food aid, while it carries out a complete review to see whether it is in line with the policy that Donald Trump intends to pursue. ‘No new funds will be committed (...) until every proposed new allocation or extension has ...

UAE Announces Reopening of Embassy in Beirut

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Friday that it has reopened its embassy in Lebanon, years after it was closed in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. According to state news agency WAM, the Emirati embassy in Beirut "has officially resumed diplomatic activities." Omar Obaid al-Shamsi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ...

Hamas to Free Four Israeli Female Soldiers on Saturday

Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, has confirmed plans to release four Israeli female soldiers on Saturday, as part of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement. The announcement came on Friday, with Israel quickly acknowledging the names of the hostages, all of whom are aged 19 to 20. The four women are identified as Karina Ariev, ...

Netanyahu: Israel Will not Fully Withdraw Troops From Lebanon Before Sunday

Israel announced on Friday that the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon would continue beyond the 60-day period stipulated in a November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the ceasefire agreement had been drafted "with the understanding that the withdrawal process might extend ...

Mine Clearance in Lebanon: When Will Displaced Families Return South?

Haunted by thousands of landmines and unexploded ammunition, Lebanon faces a significant challenge: clearing a territory scarred by decades of conflict, the most recent being the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel. Triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Tel Aviv, the conflict spilled over into Lebanon under the banner of ...

Return or Remain ? The Dilemma of Syrian Refugees in Turkey

More than 50,000 Syrian refugees have left Turkey to return home since Bashar al-Assad's ouster. But for many others living in the country, the thought raises a host of worrying questions. After the civil war began in 2011, Syria's second city, Aleppo, was badly scarred by fighting between the rebels and Russian-backed regime forces. Even so, ...

Israeli Incursions and Hezbollah's Retaliation: Is a New Escalation Looming?

As the ceasefire draws to a close, Israeli transgressions persist in southern Lebanon, casting doubt on the imminent complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Having completely withdrawn from nine localities, it nevertheless continues to impose restrictions on the inhabitants of border areas, and to carry out incursions into several border ...

Israel Voices Concerns over Ceasefire Implementation with Hezbollah as Deadline Approaches

The Israeli government expressed concerns on Thursday about the slow implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Iran-backed Hezbollah, just days before Israel is scheduled to complete its troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as outlined in the deal. The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, was agreed upon in November, ...

Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire: Possible Extension

The ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, announced on November 27, 2024, is set to expire in four days. However, with the lack of enforcement thus far and the sluggish pace of implementation, an extension of the truce seems likely. Israeli forces continue to occupy dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, conducting raids and bombings, ...