Israël

Israel says Hamas Announcement 'Complete Violation' of Gaza Truce

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday called an announcement by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that it would postpone the release of hostages a "complete violation" of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. "Hamas' announcement to stop releasing Israeli hostages is a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the ...

LAF Completes Deployment in Three Southern Lebanese Towns

On Monday morning, the Lebanese Army completed its deployment in the southern Lebanese towns of Rab al-Thalathine, Tallouseh and Bani Hayan, following the withdrawal of the Israeli Army from the area. The redeployment took place in coordination with the five-member committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement. The troops began patrolling the ...

Israeli Airstrikes Target Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa and Hermel

The Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes on Sunday evening on Hezbollah’s positions in Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa and the Hermel region. The raids hit sites in Iqlim el-Tuffah, Jabal al-Rihane, in the Jezzine district, as well as in the areas of Harabta and Sabuba in the Bekaa. The site targeted in Jabal el-Rihane, located between ...

Egypt Calls for Urgent Arab Summit on Trump's Plan for Gaza

The head of Egyptian diplomacy, Badr Abdelatty, left for Washington on Sunday, where he is set to meet with senior officials from the Trump administration and members of Congress, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo. The visit aims to "strengthen bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United ...

Netanyahu Defends Trump's Plan for Gaza and Says Israel Will "Do the Job"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed US President Donald Trump's widely criticized plan to move Palestinians out of the war-battered Gaza Strip, saying Israel is willing to "do the job". In a Fox News interview aired late Saturday as the premier was wrapping up a visit to Washington, Netanyahu defended Trump's proposal, which has ...

Gaza: Israeli Withdrawal From the Netzarim Corridor

A Hamas official said Israeli troops on Sunday completed their withdrawal from a strategic road bisecting the Gaza Strip, part of a fragile truce deal that Israel said it was implementing. "Israeli forces have dismantled their positions and military posts and completely withdrawn their tanks from the Netzarim Corridor on Salaheddin Road, ...

Israeli Army Targets a Hamas Installation Near Damascus

The Israeli military said it carried out an air strike on Saturday targeting a weapons depot used by Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria. Israeli "fighter jets conducted an intelligence-based strike on a weapons storage facility belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the area of Deir Ali in southern Syria", the military ...

Hamas Hands Over Three Israeli Hostages in Fifth Gaza Exchange

Hamas militants handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the fifth exchange under a fragile Gaza ceasefire, with 183 prisoners held by Israel due to be released later in the day. The swap comes after US President Donald Trump proposed clearing out the Gaza Strip of its inhabitants and for the United States to take over the ...

Ortagus Reaffirms US Support for Lebanon’s Leadership and Reforms

United States Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus reiterated Washington’s support for Lebanon’s current presidency and its incoming government during a visit to Beirut on Saturday. In a meeting with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, Ortagus affirmed US backing for his future government, highlighting his commitment to ...

The Wand and the Magic Ring

The ring on the finger of the new U.S. deputy envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus  was given more attention than it deserved, but its symbolism was far greater than what Lebanon could endure. Opponents did not differentiate between it being a religious symbol—perhaps because Judaism in Lebanon is often associated with Zionism, which led ...

Gaza: Israel and Hamas to Swap 3 Hostages for 183 Prisoners

Israel and Hamas are set to carry out the fifth exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees under a ceasefire agreement on Saturday, despite doubts cast on the continuation of the process by Donald Trump's proposal for a US takeover of Gaza. According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Israel will release 183 prisoners in exchange for three ...