David Hale , 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Hezbollah Israel USA
A window for peace between Israel and Lebanon just unexpectedly opened. There was an old adage that "Lebanon will never be the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, but it won't be the last." Sadly, with Lebanese decisions dictated by the Assad family backed by Iran, that concept became obsolete. Since 1983, the Assads ensured that South ...
This is Beirut, 09:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Donald Trump Middle East United States Syria
Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa congratulated US President Donald Trump on his Monday inauguration, saying the American would "bring peace to the Middle East". "We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region," Sharaa's administration said in a statement. "We look forward to ...
Charles Chartouni, 20/01 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria USA Gaza Ceasefire
The election of a president and the nomination of a new prime minister in Lebanon were good omens, but the process of political normalization doesn’t seem to be moving in the right direction. The ongoing negotiations in Gaza about the release of Israeli hostages and the swap of Palestinian prisoners are stumbling as well. The smooth transition ...
This is Beirut, 18/01 20:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Syria Turkey United Nations Refugees
Nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in early December, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said Saturday ahead of a visit to the region. Between December 8 and January 16, some 195,200 Syrians returned home, according to figures published by Grandi on X. "Soon I will visit Syria — and its ...
This is Beirut, 17/01 19:20 - Reading : less than a minute
Syria Lebanon Najib Mikati Austin Tice
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on Friday at his residence with Deborah Tice, the mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria since 2012. Tice expressed her gratitude to Mikati for his efforts in raising the issue of her son’s disappearance during his recent meeting with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad ...
This is Beirut, 17/01 16:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Karim Khan Ahmed al-Sharaa ICC HTS Syria
Chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, met Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on Friday, state media reported, as last month's ouster of Bashar al-Assad sparks hopes for justice. Sharaa and Syria's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, met "a delegation from the International Criminal Court, headed" by Khan, state news ...
This is Beirut, 16/01 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Qatar Israel Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa
Qatar's prime minister vowed Thursday to support the rehabilitation of Syria's infrastructure, devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war, during his first visit to Damascus since Islamist-led forces seized power last month. "We will provide the necessary technical support to make the needed infrastructure operational again and provide support ...
This is Beirut, 15/01 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
An Israeli air strike hit a military target belonging to Syria's new Islamist-led authorities for the first time on Wednesday, killing three people, a war monitor and a medical source said. "An Israeli drone launched an attack targeting a military convoy... killing two members of the Military Operations Department" and one civilian, in southern ...
Amal Chmouny, 13/01 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
The Middle East stands at a crucial crossroads, where deep-rooted conflicts and power struggles continue reverberating through the region, impacting not only its immediate neighbors but also global security and stability. In light of ongoing developments in Syria, This is Beirut features the insights of renowned US foreign relations experts, ...
Fady Noun, 12/01 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Roumieh Prison Islamists HTS Syria Lebanon
Although the issue was not explicitly mentioned during the joint press conference between Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, the matter of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons – an intersection of humanitarian, judicial and political concerns – was reportedly discussed during their ...
This is Beirut, 11/01 11:10 - Reading : less than a minute
Najib Mikati Ahmad el-Shareh lebanon Syria
The leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad al-Shareh met on Saturday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the border control issues will be tackled during the meeting that kicked off around noon. Mikati is accompanied by caretaker Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib in addition to General Security ...
This is Beirut, 10/01 22:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Turkey's top diplomat on Friday ruled out a role for French troops in Syria, saying it was only negotiating with the United States which has sought to head off Turkish military action against Kurdish fighters there. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Paris of turning a blind eye to Turkey's security concerns, and called on France to take back ...