War Diary: Day 154
Chelsea Al Arif 2024-03-08 21:32 - Reading : less than a minute
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.
War in the Middle East
Blinken Says 'Ball in Court' of Hamas on Ceasefire
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 21:26 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Antony Blinken Palestine Hamas
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
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 21:24 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
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
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
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'
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 17:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
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
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 17:03 - Reading : less than a minute
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
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 14:56 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
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
This Is Beirut 2024-03-08 10:27 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
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
2024-03-07 21:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
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 ...
War Diary: Day 153
Chelsea Al Arif 2024-03-07 21:21 - Reading : less than a minute
This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Here are the main highlights for March 7th, 2024.
Hezbollah Delays Response to National Moderation Bloc Initiative
This Is Beirut 2024-03-07 20:04 - Reading : less than a minute
Hezbollah announced, following its regular meeting on Thursday, that “it will communicate the party's position on the National Moderation bloc’s initiative at a later date.” The pro-Iranian party said its aim was “to reach a compromise solution to the presidential crisis.” As part of their initiative to resolve the presidential ...
The Israeli Army to Investigate the Mistakes Made on October 7
This Is Beirut 2024-03-07 19:37 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
According to Israeli media, the Israeli Army issued protocols to commanders on Thursday regarding how their units should conduct internal investigations into the failures preceding the October 7 massacre. These inquiries aim to derive operational conclusions and will not scrutinize political leaders' policies to avoid conflicts with the ...