War in the Middle East

Southern Lebanon: Violent Wildfires on Jabal el-Labbouneh
Southern Lebanon: Violent Wildfires on Jabal el-Labbouneh

A precarious calm prevailed on Saturday morning in southern Lebanon after a long night marked by violent bombardments on the Jabal el-Labbouneh forests, one of the largest in the region, igniting wildfires within these woods. Since the start of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on October 8, the Hebrew state has ...

Canada and Sweden Resume Funding UNRWA
Canada and Sweden Resume Funding UNRWA

Canada and Sweden resumed their funding to UNRWA, more than one month after suspending it. Canada and Sweden announced that they will resume funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), more than a month after suspending it in line with about 15 other countries. On Saturday, Sweden said it was resuming aid to the cash-strapped UN ...

Building an Aid Port Off Gaza is \
Building an Aid Port Off Gaza is "Cynical", Criticized a UN expert

A UN expert described US President Joe Biden's statement on the construction of a port in Gaza to facilitate food aid, as "cynical". The announcement was made during his annual State of the Union address on Thursday. US President pleaded with Israel to let more aid into the blockaded territory. "A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in ...

War Diary: Day 154
War Diary: Day 154

This Is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Here are the main highlights for March 8th, 2024.

Blinken Says 'Ball in Court' of Hamas on Ceasefire
Blinken Says 'Ball in Court' of Hamas on Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that it remained up to Hamas to accept a ceasefire with Israel, as hopes dimmed for a new truce in the five-month-old war. "The issue is Hamas," Blinken said, a day after President Joe Biden called in his State of the Union address for an "immediate" six-week truce that would allow humanitarian aid ...

The Armed Wing of Hamas Declares 'No Compromise' on the Truce
The Armed Wing of Hamas Declares 'No Compromise' on the Truce

Hamas's armed wing said Friday there would be no compromise on the movement's demand that Israel withdraw from Gaza to secure the release of hostages seized in the October 7 attack. "Our top priority to reach a prisoner exchange deal is the complete commitment for the halt of aggression and an enemy withdrawal. There is no compromise on this," ...

Gaza Airdrop Reportedly Kills 5 and Wounds 10
Gaza Airdrop Reportedly Kills 5 and Wounds 10

A medic at Gaza's largest hospital said Friday a humanitarian airdrop in the north of the Palestinian territory killed five people and wounded ten. The casualties were taken to Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital, the emergency room's head nurse, Mohammed al-Sheikh, told AFP. Sheikh said the deadly airdrop occurred north of the coastal Al-Shati ...

UN Rights Office Says Expanding Israeli Settlements a ‘War Crime'
UN Rights Office Says Expanding Israeli Settlements a ‘War Crime'

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has denounced the creation and expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as a "war crime," according to a report published on March 8, 2023. Expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes "a war crime" and risks eliminating ...

South Lebanon: Two Injured in Israeli Strike on Baraachit
South Lebanon: Two Injured in Israeli Strike on Baraachit

Israeli bombardments continued intermittently on Friday in the border regions of southern Lebanon. An early-morning Israeli raid targeted a house in the locality of Baraachit (Bint Jbeil caza), wounding two people. Another raid hit the area between Mansouri and Majdel Zoun. Israeli artillery bombardments also targeted Tallet el-Moutran near ...

Western Plans for a Maritime Aid Corridor to Gaza Gather Pace
Western Plans for a Maritime Aid Corridor to Gaza Gather Pace

The US announced on Friday, March 8, that it would set up a humanitarian corridor from Cyprus to bring aid to the starving Gaza Strip, which is under constant Israeli bombardment. The EU also joined the effort. The United States plans to gather pace on Friday to get aid by sea into Gaza, where the UN has repeatedly warned of famine and Israel has ...

Biden Hardens His Stance Against Israel
Biden Hardens His Stance Against Israel

US President Joe Biden took a tougher stance on Israel during his annual State of the Union address on March 7, 2024. The address was an opportunity to announce that the US military would open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza. US President Joe Biden warned Israel on Thursday that it cannot use aid as a "bargaining chip" in its fight against Hamas ...

Israel-Hezbollah: A High Risk Balancing Act
Israel-Hezbollah: A High Risk Balancing Act

Israeli media, and subsequently European media, has recently reviewed Tel Aviv's ultimatum regarding a diplomatic resolution to the escalating tensions on Lebanon’s southern front. This ultimatum is set to expire on March 14, fueling speculation that Israel is prepared to implement its own solution, which involves pushing Hezbollah further away ...