This is Beirut

FM Reportedly Summoned Iranian Ambassador Over Hezbollah Arms Remarks

This is Beirut, 22/04 12:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Foreign Minister Iran Hezbollah

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has reportedly summoned Iran’s ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, following controversial statements made by the diplomat on social media, according to the al-Markazia news agency. The Iranian ambassador’s remarks, posted on X (formerly Twitter), were viewed as politically sensitive in Lebanon’s ...

Gaza Rescuers Say 25 Killed in Israeli Air Strikes

This is Beirut, 22/04 10:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine

Gaza's civil defense agency said that a spate of Israeli air strikes since dawn on Tuesday killed at least 25 people across the Hamas-run territory. Israel resumed an intense air and ground offensive on Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire that had largely halted the fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory. "The total number of ...

Israeli Strike Near Damour Kills Jamaa Islamiya Leader

This is Beirut, 22/04 10:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Damour Jamaa Islamiya Strike

An Israeli drone strike on Tuesday morning targeted a vehicle in the Baawarta area near Damour, resulting in the death of Hussein Izzat Atwi, a senior figure in the Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya. The vehicle, which was struck near a Lebanese army barracks, caught fire upon impact. Atwi, born in 1968 and originally from Hebbariyeh in the ...

Hezbollah’s 'Populist' Posturing and the Call for Army Control of Weapons

Philippe Abi Akl, 22/04 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Arms Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian Camps

Hezbollah appears divided over its stance on handing over its weapons to the state. On one hand, senior figures such as Wafiq Safa, Mahmoud Komati and Naim Qassem—who declared, “We will not allow anyone to disarm us”—maintain a hardline position. On the other, President Joseph Aoun signaled a potential shift in the group’s approach, ...

Netanyahu Warns of "Expanded Israeli Response”, says "Lebanon Will Not Be Spared"

This is Beirut, 21/04 23:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Hezbollah Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday issued a series of pointed threats against Iran and its regional allies, warning of an “expanded Israeli response” that could reach beyond the borders of Yemen. “Israel’s response will not be confined to Yemen,” Netanyahu declared. “It will extend to Lebanon and every other front.” ...

New U.S. Ambassador in Israel Urges Hamas to Accept Hostage Deal

This is Beirut, 21/04 21:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas USA Israel United Nations

The new US ambassador to Israel on Monday called on Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a deal that would secure the release of hostages, in exchange for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. "We call upon Hamas to sign an agreement so that humanitarian aid can flow into Gaza to the people who desperately need it," Mike Huckabee said in ...

“A True Friend of Palestine”: The Arab World’s Grief After Pope Francis’s Death

This is Beirut, 21/04 18:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Pope Francis Israel Gaza

Middle Eastern leaders and Arab movements praised Pope Francis, who died on Monday, for criticizing Israel's offensive on Gaza, his calls for a ceasefire and his commitment to interfaith dialogue. "We lost a faithful friend of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights," Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said, according to the official ...

Pope Francis: "Providence Will Never Forsake Lebanon"

Fady Noun, 21/04 16:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Pope Francis Hezbollah Israel US Secretary of State USA

Pope Francis has always kept Lebanon close to his heart. According to those close to him and many of his visitors, the Holy Father has remained closely informed about developments in the country. While he has not visited Lebanon—due to both health concerns and the political vacuum created by the absence of a president and a fully functioning ...

Israel Security Chief Accuses PM of Demanding Personal Loyalty

This is Beirut, 21/04 15:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu US Supreme Court

Israel's internal security chief, whom the government is trying to sack, on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of demanding his personal loyalty and ordering him to spy on anti-government protesters. The accusations, made in a sworn statement to the Supreme Court, are the latest twist in a legal and political saga pitting ...

Southern Lebanon: Is Israel Answering Qassem with Fire?

Soumia Benmerzoug, 20/04 21:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel South Lebanon Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Washington

Sunday marked one of the most violent days since the February ceasefire. Through a series of targeted strikes on alleged Hezbollah positions, the Israeli army raised the level of confrontation. This offensive came just days after Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, reaffirmed the group’s categorical rejection of disarmament, declaring ...

Pope Francis Makes Joyful Easter Appearance Despite Health Struggles

This is Beirut, 20/04 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis Donald Trump Hamas Israel Palestine

Pope Francis called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address, as the weakened pontiff delighted the crowds of Catholic faithful by making a much-anticipated holiday appearance, even circling St. Peter's Square in his popemobile. "Happy Easter," said the 88-year-old Argentine pope in a faint voice from his wheelchair on ...

Israel Army Probe Says No 'Indiscriminate Fire' in Killing of Gaza Medics

This is Beirut, 20/04 17:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gaza Hamas Israel

An Israeli military investigation concluded Sunday that its troops did not use "indiscriminate fire" in an incident that killed 15 Gaza emergency service personnel but acknowledged failures and announced plans to dismiss a field commander. The killings occurred in the southern Gaza Strip in the early hours of March 23, just days into a renewed ...

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