This is Beirut

Two Days Before the Municipal Elections, Voters Weigh Civic Duty Against Deep Mistrust

Marilyne Jallad, 02/05 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Achrafieh Baalbeck Hezbollah Israel South Lebanon

The excitement of first-time voters stands in stark contrast with the deep-seated skepticism of older generations, many of whom have lost faith in the promise of democratic renewal. Yet, across this generational divide, a common refrain emerges: a yearning for an electoral system that is more inclusive, transparent and more attuned to the ...

Activists Say Israeli Drones Hit Aid Boat Heading for Gaza

This is Beirut, 02/05 11:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine Cyprus Gaza

A group of activists organizing an aid boat for Gaza said it was attacked on Friday by Israeli drones in international waters off Malta as they headed towards the Palestinian territory. "At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship, came under direct attack in international waters," the group said in a ...

Gaza Humanitarian Work on 'Verge of Total Collapse': Red Cross

This is Beirut, 02/05 10:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Palestine United Nations Gaza

The Red Cross warned Friday that the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the "verge of total collapse" after two months of Israel blocking aid to the war-torn Palestinian territory. "Without an immediate resumption of aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will not have access to the food, medicines, and life-saving ...

Israel Says Downs Missiles Fired From Yemen

This is Beirut, 02/05 09:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump Gulf Hamas Houthi

Israel's army said Friday it intercepted two missiles fired towards its territory from Yemen within 12 hours, with at least one attack claimed by the Arabian Peninsula country's Huthi rebels. An explosion was heard over Jerusalem as the military said it was intercepting the second projectile. "The (Israeli army) has identified the ...

Israel Strikes Near Damascus Presidential Palace Over Druze Violence

This is Beirut, 02/05 06:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Israel Strikes

Israel's military said Friday it launched air strikes near the presidential palace in Damascus after the country's defence minister threatened intervention if Syrian authorities failed to protect the Druze minority. Syria's Druze spiritual leader has condemned a "genocidal campaign" against his community after sectarian ...

Israel Threatens Action if Syrian Regime Fails to Shield Druze Minority

This is Beirut, 01/05 21:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Israel Katz

Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Thursday that Israel will respond forcefully if Syria's Islamist-led government fails to protect the Druze minority, after two days of deadly sectarian clashes near Damascus. "Should the attacks on the Druze resume and the Syrian regime fail to prevent them, Israel will respond with significant force," Katz ...

Two Killed in Israeli Strikes in Southern Lebanon

This Is Beirut, 01/05 13:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

south lebanon Strike Israel Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

Israeli drone strikes on Thursday in the southern Lebanese town of Mays al-Jabal killed two people, including a Hezbollah operative and a Lebanese Civil Defense volunteer, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. In a post on X, Israeli army Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated that the Israeli forces killed a member of Hezbollah’s ...

Israel Reopens Key Roads as Firefighters Battle Blaze

This is Beirut, 01/05 11:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Fire firefighters

Israeli firefighting teams battled wildfires near Jerusalem for a second day on Thursday, with police reporting the reopening of several major roads that had been closed. The fires broke out on Wednesday along the main Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway, prompting police to shut the roads and evacuate thousands of residents from nearby ...

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 ...

It Goes on, Over and Over Again...

Marc Saikali, 01/05 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Lebanon Disarmament

There was a time when the “army, people, resistance” triptych formula served as little more than a fig leaf, masking Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon and its role as a proxy for Iran and its now shattered expansionist ambitions. This illusion has collapsed: the militia has lost the war. For years, Hezbollah claimed that its weapons were meant ...

Israel's Netanyahu Warns Wildfires Could Reach Jerusalem

This is Beirut, 30/04 23:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Wildfires

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem could reach the city, as he declared the situation a "national emergency". Thick smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted the military ...

Aoun and Al Nahyan Pledge to Strengthen Ties as Lebanon Seeks Regional Support

This is Beirut, 30/04 21:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun South Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun and Emirati President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the Emir of Abu Dhabi, agreed to deepen and expand bilateral relations during a summit held on Wednesday in the UAE capital. Aoun arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to begin a two-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates. Upon his arrival, he held a ...

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