War in the Middle East

Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Latakia and Tartous
Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Latakia and Tartous

Israeli airstrikes targeted military installations in Syria, belonging to the army of the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, an NGO said on Wednesday. Among the "military sites" targeted were "the port of Latakia" and warehouses in Tartous. "Israeli fighter jets continue to destroy what remains of Syria's military arsenal, for the fourth ...

Is Democracy Possible in the Arab World?
Op-edIs Democracy Possible in the Arab World?

The Assad family, more accurately known by the name "Al-Wahesh" (the savage), has surpassed all limits of hatred and brutality. After the dictator and his cronies fled, the world, horrified, discovered the full extent of the crimes against humanity that had been the norm in a country left in ruins. In Lebanon, we have long known, through our own ...

Aoun and Kurilla Discuss US Support for Lebanese Army and Ceasefire Implementation
Aoun and Kurilla Discuss US Support for Lebanese Army and Ceasefire Implementation

Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun hosted US Central Command Chief General Michael E. Kurilla at his office in Yarzeh. The two officials discussed the overall situation in Lebanon and the broader region, as well as strategies for maintaining US assistance to the Lebanese Army. The meeting also covered the progress and implementation of ...

Southern Lebanon: LAF Deploys in Five Positions Around Khiam
Southern Lebanon: LAF Deploys in Five Positions Around Khiam

The Lebanese Army Command announced on Wednesday evening that "Army units have deployed to five positions around the town of Khiam, in the Marjayoun region, in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)." According to the official statement, this marks the first phase of the deployment in the region, which coincides ...

UN Seeks $4.07 Billion for Urgent Humanitarian Aid in Gaza and West Bank
UN Seeks $4.07 Billion for Urgent Humanitarian Aid in Gaza and West Bank

The UN on Wednesday appealed for $4.07 billion to provide desperately needed aid in war-ravaged Gaza and the West Bank next year, saying that the actual amount needed was far higher. The aim will be to provide assistance to "the entire population of Gaza, estimated at 2.1 million people, and 900,000 people in the West Bank," the ...

The Atrocities Committed by the Assad Regime
The Atrocities Committed by the Assad Regime

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime embodies the worst a tyrannical regime can inflict on its people. The only hope for Syrians lies in achieving justice and holding those responsible accountable to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated in the future, and to organize a peaceful power transition to close this long, dark chapter in ...

Assad Followers and Officers Sneaking into Lebanon
Assad Followers and Officers Sneaking into Lebanon

The Lebanese-Syrian border, particularly the eastern sector, is in disarray as thousands of Syrians – mostly supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad's regime – illegally enter Lebanon. Security sources anticipate that, in the coming days, Syrian rebel factions will establish control over this border, focusing on the official crossings ...

Mikati Reaffirms Lebanon's Commitment to UN Resolution 1701
Mikati Reaffirms Lebanon's Commitment to UN Resolution 1701

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to fully implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 during a meeting on Wednesday. Mikati also called on Israel to “honor the ceasefire agreement” announced on November 27, and urged the country to “withdraw from the towns and villages in southern ...

New Momentum Building Up, What Future Role for Anti-Hezbollah Shiites?
New Momentum Building Up, What Future Role for Anti-Hezbollah Shiites?

The setbacks suffered by Hezbollah in over a year of confrontations and a most devastating conflict with Israel in the past months usher in a new phase in Lebanon. The ceasefire agreement that took effect on November 27, calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the Army’s deployment in southern Lebanon, places the Iran-backed group at a ...

Israeli Raid on Ainata, Bint Jbeil
Israeli Raid on Ainata, Bint Jbeil

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli army launched a raid on the Aïnata area of Bint Jbeil, killing one person and wounding another. Meanwhile, as the Lebanese army (LAF) attempted to re-enter its positions in Khiam, it was confronted by Israeli forces, preventing the LAF from entering the northern quarters of the village. Earlier in the ...

US warships, Merchant Vessels Attacked by Houthis
US warships, Merchant Vessels Attacked by Houthis

Two American destroyers defeated a drone and missile attack by the Houthis while escorting three merchant vessels through the Gulf of Aden, the US military said Tuesday, confirming a claim from the Houthis. The Houthis began striking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, part of the region-wide fallout from Israel's devastating ...

UN General Assembly to Vote on 'Unconditional' Ceasefire in Gaza
UN General Assembly to Vote on 'Unconditional' Ceasefire in Gaza

The UN General Assembly will vote Wednesday on a draft resolution that seeks an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a symbolic gesture after the US previously vetoed a similar action in the UN Security Council. In addition to calling for "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," the draft resolution seeks "the immediate and unconditional ...