United Nations

Three-Quarters of UN Members Support Palestinian Statehood

Three-quarters of UN members have already or soon plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, with Australia on Monday becoming the latest to promise it will at the UN General Assembly in September. The Israel-Hamas war, raging in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group's attack on October 7, 2023, has revived a global push for Palestinians to be ...

Gaza: UN Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting Saturday

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Gaza on Saturday at 19:00 GMT, following Israel’s announcement of a plan to take control of the city, several diplomatic sources told AFP on Friday. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through a spokesperson, warned Israel against “a dangerous escalation” that ...

Israel Approves Plan to Seize Gaza, Citing Push to ‘Defeat’ Hamas

Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet, his office said in a statement Friday. Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home and abroad for a truce to pull the territory's more than two ...

UAE Rejects Sudan Claim it Destroyed Emirati Plane Full of Mercenaries

The United Arab Emirates rejected on Thursday an announcement from Sudan's armed forces saying they had destroyed an Emirati plane ferrying Colombian mercenaries into the country to back its paramilitary rivals. Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with the military long ...

UNIFIL Uncovers Tunnel Network and Weapons in South Lebanon

UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) forces have uncovered an extensive network of fortified tunnels near the towns of Tayr Harfa, Zebqine and Naqoura, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti announced on Thursday. Tenenti said the network included “a number of bunkers, artillery pieces, multiple rocket launchers, as well as hundreds of ...

Israeli Security Cabinet to Hold Talks Over Future Gaza War Plans

Israel's security cabinet is expected to meet later Thursday to discuss future military plans in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports, amid speculation of a full takeover of the besieged Palestinian territory. The planned meeting comes as international outrage over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has ratcheted up pressure on Israel, ...

Victims’ Families Demand Justice on 5th Memorial of Port Blast

On Monday evening, the fifth anniversary of the devastating Beirut port explosion, families of the victims led a solemn march, reaffirming their calls for truth, justice and accountability. Two groups set off from Martyrs’ Square and the Karantina Fire Station, converging at the Statue of the Emigrant near the blast site, carrying portraits of ...

Iran says US Accountability for Attacks on Nuclear Sites Part of Ay Future Talks

Iran said Monday it would hold the United States accountable for attacks on its nuclear sites in any future negotiations, while ruling out direct talks with Washington. The United States struck key Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, briefly joining a war launched by Israel that had derailed talks on Tehran's atomic programme. "In any ...

Security Council to Meet on Gaza Hostages: Israeli Ambassador

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on the hostages in Gaza, Israel's ambassador said Sunday, as outrage built over their fate in the war-torn enclave, where experts say a famine is unfolding. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday said he wants the issue of hostages held in Gaza at the "front and center" ...

From Strategy to Reality: What Will It Take to Disarm Hezbollah?

The question of disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon, long a political taboo, is now back at the heart of both political and diplomatic discussions. This shift comes amid mounting international pressure and a changing balance of power in the region. Although the topic remains deeply divisive within Lebanon’s political class, experts believe there are ...

Haykal Marks Army Day with Border Pledge and Tribute to Troops

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander General Rodolphe Haykal reaffirmed on Friday the army’s firm commitment to national security, announcing a “large-scale and important deployment” in the southern Litani region, conducted in close coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as Israel continues to occupy several ...

UAE Begins Pipeline Project to Ease Gaza Water Shortage

The United Arab Emirates has begun construction on a major pipeline to carry desalinated water from Egypt to southern Gaza, according to multiple sources. Technical teams sent by the UAE have started transporting equipment needed for the project, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday. The nearly seven-kilometer (4.5-mile) ...