War in the Middle East

The Ancient City of Baalbeck Under Israeli Fire
The Ancient City of Baalbeck Under Israeli Fire

Israeli warplanes carried out more than 20 raids targeting the ancient city of Baalbeck within a period of half an hour on Monday afternoon, coinciding with Naim Qassem’s first address as Hezbollah’s new secretary general, succeeding the group’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah. Ahead of the raids, an evacuation order issued by ...

Saudi Arabia Open Meeting of New Alliance for Palestinian Statehood
Saudi Arabia Open Meeting of New Alliance for Palestinian Statehood

Saudi Arabia is on Wednesday expected to open the first meeting of a new "international alliance" to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state, state media said. The "International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution" was unveiled last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Saudi state media reported at the time, ...

Biden Advisors to Visit Israel Thursday to Seal Ceasefire Deal
Biden Advisors to Visit Israel Thursday to Seal Ceasefire Deal

US President Joe Biden’s advisors, Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, will visit Israel on Thursday to attempt to negotiate a ceasefire that would enable displaced civilians on both sides of the border to return home, according to US media Axios. If successful, this would significantly de-escalate the regional war in the Middle East for the first ...

Operation Days of Repentance: Israel's Strike on Iran
ExplainerOperation Days of Repentance: Israel's Strike on Iran

According to the Israeli army, this attack involved no less than a hundred aircraft, including F-15s, F-16s and stealth F-35s. Drones were also employed in the offensive. Jordanian Reservations The scale of the resources deployed highlights the complexity of the operation, which was made even more challenging by the distance between Israel and ...

Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Kills Nearly 100
Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Kills Nearly 100

An Israeli air strike on a single residential block killed nearly 100 people on Tuesday, Gaza's civil defense agency said, leaving rescuers scrambling for survivors as Israel pursued its offensives in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel's key ally and backer the United States called the strike – which killed a large number of children ...

Israel-US: Approaching Washington’s Presidential Transition
Op-edIsrael-US: Approaching Washington’s Presidential Transition

Expecting a permanent ceasefire in Gaza or Lebanon just days before the end of President Joe Biden’s term is overly optimistic, if not entirely unrealistic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unlikely to offer a “gift” he withheld for over a year to a president on the brink of departure. Naturally, Netanyahu will be eagerly ...

War Diary: Day 389
War Diary: Day 389

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 29, 2024.

Thousands of Lebanese Seek Refuge in Iraq
Thousands of Lebanese Seek Refuge in Iraq

Israeli bombardments have driven over 22,000 Lebanese to seek refuge in Iraq, leaving behind homes and loved ones. As conditions worsen, the future remains uncertain for these displaced families.

Iran Moves to Triple Military Budget Amid Israel Tensions
PoliticsIran Moves to Triple Military Budget Amid Israel Tensions

Iran's government has proposed to triple its military budget, its spokeswoman said Tuesday, as tensions with arch-rival Israel rise following recent tit-for-tat missile strikes. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani outlined the move that would see "a significant increase of more than 200 percent in the country's military budget" at a news ...

CIA Chief Suggests Gaza 28-Day Ceasefire and Hostage Exchange in Qatar Meeting
PoliticsCIA Chief Suggests Gaza 28-Day Ceasefire and Hostage Exchange in Qatar Meeting

CIA Director William Burns discussed a potential agreement during a meeting in Doha on Sunday that would entail a 28-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, according to Israeli sources reported by the American media outlet Axios on Tuesday. The proposed ...

Gaza Rescuers Say Almost 100 People Killed in Israel Air Strike in North
Gaza Rescuers Say Almost 100 People Killed in Israel Air Strike in North

Gaza's civil defence agency said Tuesday that an overnight Israeli air strike killed at least 93 people in a residential building in the northern district of Beit Lahia. "More than 55 people have been martyred and dozens more wounded are under the rubble of a five-storey residential building belonging to the Abu Nasr family that was hit ...