War in the Middle East

Hamas Says Weapons Are 'Legitimate Right', Open to Proposals That Preserve It

This is Beirut 2025-12-14 12:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas's Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday that the militant group had a "legitimate right" to hold weapons and that any proposal for the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire must uphold that right. "Resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right guaranteed by international law and are linked to the establishment of a Palestinian state," ...

U.S. and Syrian Soldiers Wounded as Shots Fired at Delegation

This is Beirut 2025-12-13 19:53 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Syria U.S. Army Palmyra

Two American troops and an interpreter were killed in central Syria on Saturday after an alleged member of the Islamic State group opened fire on a joint US-Syrian patrol, officials said. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the deaths on X after Syria's state media earlier reported that an attack in the city of Palmyra had wounded American ...

Senior Hamas Military Leader Raed Saad Killed in Israeli Airstrike

This is Beirut 2025-12-13 18:41 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hamas Raed Saad Israel Gaza

Israel said it killed the head of weapons production in Hamas's military wing in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. "In response to the activation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded our forces today... Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the elimination of the terrorist Raad Saad, ...

Hamas Proposes Weapons 'Freeze' in Return for Long-Term Truce

This is Beirut 2025-12-10 23:46 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza Khaled Meshaal

A top Hamas leader told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the militant group is open to a weapons "freeze" but rejects the demand for disarmament put forward in the US-sponsored peace plan for Gaza. "The idea of total disarmament is unacceptable to the resistance (Hamas). What is being proposed is a freeze, or ...

Israel’s Power Vacuum Dilemma

Seth J. Frantzman 2025-12-10 17:10 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu USA Lebanon Syria Gaza

On December 2 Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israel Defense Forces soldiers wounded in recent fighting in southern Syria. Their injuries followed a November 26 IDF raid on the village of Beit Jinn in southern Syria, an operation that left several Syrians dead and wounded a number of Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu had a ...

Shelling of Unknown Origin Hits Damascus Area

This is Beirut 2025-12-09 19:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Syria Mezzeh

Syrian state media said shelling of unknown origin hit a Damascus area home to a military airport on Tuesday, without causing casualties. "The vicinity of the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus was targeted by three shells of unknown origin, without causing casualties or material damage," state news agency SANA quoted a military source as ...

Syria: Three Wounded in Israeli Incursion

This is Beirut 2025-12-09 17:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Syria Israeli Army

Three people were wounded on Tuesday by Israeli gunfire during an incursion in southern Syria, state television reported, while the Israeli army described the incident as a “clash” with “suspects.” According to state television, “three people were wounded by fire from the Israeli occupation forces” in the Quneitra region, on the Golan ...

Israel Says It Destroyed a Hezbollah Tunnel and Weapons Depot in South Lebanon

This is Beirut 2025-12-07 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel South Lebanon

The Israeli army announced Sunday that it destroyed “a tunnel opening” and “a weapons storage site” attributed to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, according to a statement posted on X by its Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee. According to Adraee, forces from the 601st Battalion, under the command of the 769th ...

Netanyahu Says Expects to Move to Second Phase of Gaza Truce 'Shortly'

This is Beirut 2025-12-07 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Gaza Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he expected to move into the second phase of the US-sponsored ceasefire plan for Gaza "very shortly." Speaking during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after a meeting between the two leaders, Netanyahu said, "We discussed how to bring an end ...

Mediators Qatar and Egypt Call for Next Steps in Gaza Truce

This is Beirut 2025-12-06 19:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Qatar Egypt Israel Gaza Hamas

Qatar and Egypt, guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire, called on Saturday for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the deployment of an international stabilization force as the necessary next steps in fully implementing the fragile agreement. The measures were spelt out in the US- and UN-backed peace plan that has largely halted fighting, though the ...

Mediators Egypt, Qatar, Others 'Concerned' About Israel Opening One-Way Gaza Exit

This is Beirut 2025-12-05 21:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump Hamas Saudi Arabia Qatar Egypt Gaza

Gaza mediators Egypt and Qatar and six other Muslim-majority countries said on Friday they were concerned about Israel stating it would open a one-way crossing for Palestinians to exit the Strip. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates "expressed their deep concern ...

Israel Says Received Presumed Remains of Gaza Hostage

This is Beirut 2025-12-03 18:57 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza Hostages

Israel announced Wednesday it had received hostage remains found in Gaza from the Red Cross, which were being transported to the morgue for identification. It comes as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms. Under the first phase of the deal, which came into ...