Gaza

The Chaos of Insurance Against War Risks

Lebanon is under fire, and insurance premiums against war risks are reaching historic peaks. Reinsurers adjust the prices of premiums in real-time, responding instantly to changes in the intensity of the fighting on the ground. What is valid at one moment may no longer be so a few hours later. It’s chaos. Renewing war risk insurance policies in ...

Electing a President Today: A Painkiller for a Cancer

This situation is widely recognized. Fortunately, for the first time in Lebanon's history, the current state of vacancy may actually be advantageous. Had a president been elected within the constitutional deadlines in 2022, the new leader would have had to navigate the fallout from the October 7 crisis, the repercussions of the Al-Aqsa flood, and ...

Sinwar's Death Sparks Push for Ceasefire and Hostage Release

The killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar on Thursday sparked widespread calls for the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. His death is also seen as a significant opportunity to dismantle what remains of Hamas. French President Emmanuel Macron called for the release of "all hostages" held by Hamas in Gaza after Israel said it had ...

Who is Yahya Sinwar, Hamas Chief Killed by Israel

Yahya Sinwar is a prominent Palestinian political figure and leader of Hamas. Born in 1962 in the Khan Younes refugee camp in Gaza, his family was displaced from Ashkelon during the 1948 Palestine War. He studied at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Arabic Studies. Sinwar has been deeply involved in Hamas from ...

US and UN Warn Israel Against "Policy of Starvation"

The United States and UN officials warned Israel on Wednesday against a "policy of starvation" that could be orchestrated in Gaza to "turn it into a weapon of war." This is the first time Washington has clearly warned its unwavering ally, following a written threat earlier this week to suspend part of its military assistance if there is no ...

Blinken Weighs Presenting Gaza Post-War Plan After Presidential Election

According to US officials interviewed by Axios, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering a post-war plan for Gaza, based on ideas developed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which would be presented after the US presidential election. In July, Brett McGurk, President Biden’s top Middle East advisor, and State Department ...

War Diary: Day 376

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 16, 2024.

Turkey Urges 'Sanctions' Against Israel over Gaza Conflict

Turkey's foreign minister on Tuesday called for sanctions against Israel, urging the international community to cut support over the conflict in the Middle East. "We have reached the limit of words, diplomacy and international politics. We must start with sanctions," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told ruling party delegates at a meeting about the ...

UN Decries 'Worst Restrictions' on Gaza Aid Since Start of War

Conflict-ravaged Gaza appears to be facing the worst restrictions on aid since the Israel-Hamas war began over a year ago, the UN said Tuesday, lamenting the especially devastating impact on children. "Day after day, the situation for children becomes worse than the day before," said James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency ...

15 Killed in Israeli Strike on Gaza School-Shelter

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli shelling late Sunday had killed at least 15 people at a school serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in central Gaza's Nuseirat camp. The vast majority of the besieged Gaza Strip's 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once by the war, sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, with ...

Between the Possible and the Illusion of the Possible

By waging a “low-intensity” war against Israel, Hezbollah’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah made a grave miscalculation, the consequences of which the entire nation of Lebanon is now bearing. The pressing question is how to convince Hezbollah to accept the failure of its war. For the moment, the group remains in denial, even though, as ...

Yom Kippur Starts Tensely as Israel Clashes With Hezbollah

Israel observed Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on Saturday amid a firestorm of international criticism over its military offensive in Lebanon and its soldiers firing on peacekeepers. As the holy day got under way Friday from sundown, Israel faced diplomatic backlash over what it acknowledged was a "hit" earlier in the day on ...