Palestine

A Ceasefire in the Coming Hours or Days between Israel and Hezbollah?

Diplomacy seems to have regained the upper hand as Israel expands and intensifies its strikes in Lebanon. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed hope for a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah "in the coming hours or days," describing himself as "cautiously optimistic" in an interview with the local channel Al-Jadeed on Wednesday ...

Gaza Mediators Propose Ceasefire of Less than a Month

Mediators seeking a Gaza ceasefire are set to propose a truce of under a month to Palestinian militants Hamas, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wednesday. The discussions in Doha, which concluded Monday, included Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim ...

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, ...

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 ...

Hezbollah: No Change in the Game

The appointment of Sheikh Naim Qassem as Secretary-General of Hezbollah was not a surprising political shift; rather, it was a predictable outcome of the party's internal circumstances. Following the assassination of Hashem Safieddine, Hassan Nasrallah’s potential successor, Qassem stands as the only viable candidate for this position. As the ...

Where Did the Armed Palestinian Factions in Lebanon Go?

When the concept known as “support front” was first implemented, there was hardly a week that went by without some Palestinian militia claiming responsibility for rocket fire from Lebanon against Israel in support of Gaza. For the past few weeks, that has come to an end. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Aqsa Brigades... the entire Palestinian armed ...

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 ...

International Outcry as Israel Bans UNRWA

Israel's parliament on Monday approved a bill banning the main UN aid agency for the war-devastated Gaza Strip, sparking international outcry. Despite objections from the United States and warnings from the UN Security Council, Israeli lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the bill banning the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, ...

Blinken Vows to Work With "Urgency" on Diplomatic Solution in Lebanon

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Friday to work with "real urgency" for a diplomatic resolution to end Israel's offensive in Lebanon but said it was first critical to reach understandings on disarmament of Hezbollah. Shortly after meeting Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati in London, Blinken also pleaded for protection of civilians ...

"Darkest Moment" of Gaza Conflict Unfolding, UN say

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday the "darkest moment" of the conflict in Gaza was unfolding in the north of the territory, warning that Israel's actions could amount to "atrocity crimes". Turk pointed out that already "more than 150,000 people are reportedly dead, wounded or missing in Gaza" since ...

Blinken Ends Latest Round of Shuttle Diplomacy Without Resolution

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday ended his eleventh round of the Middle East shuttle diplomacy without achieving a Gaza ceasefire. But after persistent disappointment, Blinken this time is trying a new approach that starts by figuring out what happens after the war ends. When he last visited Israel in August, Blinken publicly said ...