War in the Middle East

Israeli Cabinet to Vote Thursday on Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

This is Beirut 09/10 12:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Ceasefire Hostage

After nearly two years of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and the release of hostages in what is being hailed as a historic step toward ending the conflict. The agreement, brokered through intense negotiations in Egypt with the support of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, represents the first phase of US ...

Trump Says May go to Middle East at End of Week

This is Beirut 08/10 23:39 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Hamas

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may travel to the Middle East later this week, as negotiators in Egypt reported "encouraging" progress toward a deal to end the Gaza war. Trump, whose 20-point peace proposal forms the basis of the talks in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, said a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian ...

Gaza: Paris Meeting on Post-War Plans Sparks Israeli Anger

This is Beirut 08/10 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas France Donald Trump ceasefire

A meeting scheduled for Thursday in Paris, bringing together European and Arab foreign ministers to discuss “modalities for a collective post-war engagement” in the Gaza Strip, has already drawn Israel’s ire, which denounces it as “an attempt to internationalize the conflict.” “This meeting represents a new step in France’s ...

DocumentaryIran: The Fall of the Mullahs?

Elie Ziadé 08/10 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Tehran Washington

This is the central theme of this 20-minute visual investigation produced by Ici Beyrouth and This Is Beirut. The film combines archival footage, expert analysis and excerpts from speeches to explore the rise, power and fragility of a regime built on faith, weapons and fear. Three Voices to Understand Iran The documentary features three ...

Gaza: Turkey Takes the Lead, Leveraging Its Ties with Hamas

This is Beirut 08/10 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas Turkey Qatar Egypt

By backing the ongoing indirect negotiations in Egypt between Israel and Hamas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey is drawing on its long-standing ties with the Palestinian Islamist movement. Erdogan said Wednesday that he had been “explicitly” asked by Donald Trump to convince Hamas to engage in peace talks with Israel. The ...

Trump Says 'Real Chance' of Gaza Peace Deal

This is Beirut 07/10 22:43 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Hamas

US President Donald Trump voiced optimism that there was a "real chance" to end the war in Gaza, as Israel marked the second anniversary of the October 7 attack on Tuesday. In his message marking the anniversary, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to achieve all the goals of the war. "We are in fateful, decisive days. ...

Op-edTwo Years of Arab and Muslim Failure

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 07/10 13:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Gaza Arabs Palestine

Today marks the second anniversary of the horrific attacks when Hamas militants stormed out of the Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns. They killed, maimed and burned 1,200 civilians in a brutal door-to-door rampage, kidnapping 250. This assault demanded unequivocal condemnation from Arab and Muslim populations, yet responses ranged from ...

Hamas and Israel Open talks in Egypt Under Trump's Gaza Peace Plan

This is Beirut 07/10 08:56 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Ceasefire Donald Trump

Delegations from Hamas and Israel on Monday began indirect talks in Egypt on ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, with US President Donald Trump judging that the Palestinian militant group was ready to compromise over his proposals for a deal. Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian state intelligence, said the first round of talks ended ...

ICRC Ready to Facilitate Hostage Release and Aid Access in Gaza

This is Beirut 06/10 17:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza ICRC Hamas

The Red Cross said Monday it stood ready to help bring hostages held in Gaza back to their families in Israel and deliver aid into the Gaza Strip. Delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the United States are due to convene in Egypt for talks on Monday aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Both Hamas and Israel have responded positively ...

Member of Hezbollah Air Defense Unit Killed in Israeli Strike in Nabatiyeh

This is Beirut 06/10 14:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon South Lebanon Nabatieh November 27

On Monday, an Israeli strike targeted a car on the road to Zebdine in the Nabatiyeh district of southern Lebanon, killing a couple and injuring another person, the Ministry of Health reported. Correspondents from This is Beirut indicated that the man, who had previously lost his sight during the pager explosion in September 2024, was in the ...

Hamas Calls for Swift Hostage-Prisoner Swap as Trump Urges Quick Talks

This is Beirut 06/10 01:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Palestine Hostages

Hamas on Sunday called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel, as negotiators from both sides headed to Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza. The diplomatic push follows Hamas's positive response to Donald Trump's roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in ...

SpotlightWhere Does Trump’s Gaza Plan Stand?

This is Beirut 05/10 19:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

Cairo is once again at the heart of the diplomatic game. Israeli and Hamas delegations are expected to meet in Sharm el-Sheikh tonight and are set to begin indirect negotiations on Monday, under American mediation, in an effort to turn Donald Trump’s plan into reality. Unveiled on September 29, the plan promises a gradual ceasefire, the release ...