This is Beirut - United States

Gaza: Israel Sends Negotiators to Doha, Hamas Open to Conditional Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 25/10 09:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Antony Blinken Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu United States USA

Israel announced on Thursday that it would dispatch a delegation to Qatar to negotiate a deal concerning Gaza that involves the release of hostages, while Hamas stated it was open to discussions on a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory devastated by over a year of war. The latest indirect negotiations, facilitated by mediators—Qatar, Egypt, ...

What Is the SPICE 2000 That Brought Down the Building in Tayouneh?

This is Beirut, 25/10 09:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States bombing F-16 MK

Images of a missile that brought down the building in the Tayouneh area on Tuesday have recently spread on social media. It's uncommon to capture footage of a missile in flight just before it strikes. Equally remarkable were the scenes of the building collapsing straight down on itself. The missile in question is an MK-84, enhanced with wings ...

Gaza's Civil Defense Halts Work in North Due to Israeli Threats

This is Beirut, 24/10 16:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas United States Gaza

Gaza's civil defense agency said Thursday it can no longer provide first responder services in the north of the territory, accusing Israeli forces of threatening to "bomb and kill" its crews. Since October 6, the Israeli military has mounted a sweeping air and land assault on north Gaza, initially focused on the Jabalia area, describing it as an ...

Qlayaat Airport: It's Time to Open It to Air Traffic!

Liliane Mokbel, 24/10 14:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Middle East United States

“The Qlayaat René Mouawad Airport could be opened for air traffic in emergencies to reduce the risks faced by crews and passengers at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport,” stated Sajih Attieh, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works and Transport, in an interview with This is Beirut. The President of the Private Pilots ...

Gebran: Give Back the Missile!

Tarek Karam, 24/10 12:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gebran Bassil Joseph Aoun Lebanese Forces Saudi Arabia United States

In challenging times, men are put to the test. Gebran Bassil didn’t even wait for the customary forty days after Hassan Nasrallah’s death to turn against him. He abandoned the man who was instrumental in General Michel Aoun’s rise to the presidency—the one who supported him significantly after the July war, sacrificing greatly for the Free ...

Antony Blinken Urges Israel to End its War in Gaza

This is Beirut, 23/10 04:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Antony Blinken United States Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel's leaders to work towards a ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday, the latest call for a truce coming as fighting raged in the territory's aid-starved north and Israeli strikes hit Lebanon. Blinken is on his 11th trip to the Middle East since Hamas's attack on Israel more than a year ago ...

Blinken and Netanyahu Discuss Joint Iran Military Action

This is Beirut, 22/10 19:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Antony Blinken Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he held talks on Tuesday with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem on joining forces to counter threats from Iran. "During the meeting, the Iranian threat and the need for both countries to unite forces against it were raised," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, adding that ...

US Probing Leak of Classified Israeli Plans to Strike Iran

This is Beirut, 22/10 19:21 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Iran FBI Pentagon

The FBI and the Pentagon are investigating a leak of classified United States intelligence on Israel's plans for a retaliatory strike against Iran. "The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community," the FBI said in a statement on ...

Iran's Foreign Minister Says its Neighbours Won't Let Israel Use Airspace

This is Beirut, 22/10 17:56 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Bahrain Kuwait Saudi Arabia Turkey United States

Iran's neighbors have pledged not to allow the use of their "soil or airspace" for any attacks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday, as Israel considers retaliation for the Islamic Republic's missile strike. "All our neighbors have assured us that they won't permit their soil or airspace to be used against the Islamic Republic of ...

BRICS Group of Emerging Economies Gather in Russia for Summit

This is Beirut, 22/10 17:53 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Middle East Ukraine United States Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelensky Washington

The summit is the largest such meeting in Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine and comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to demonstrate that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over the two-and-a-half-year offensive have failed. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip ...

Blinken Arrives in Israel to Push for Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 22/10 17:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Amos Hochstein Antony Blinken Hamas United Nations United States

This marks his 11th trip to the Middle East since Hamas's attack on Israel over a year ago, which triggered the Gaza war, and his first visit since the conflict with Hezbollah escalated late last month. Blinken is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials as Israel considers its response to Iran's missile ...

Oil-Rich Iraqi Kurdistan Votes, Shadowed by Economic Struggles

This is Beirut, 20/10 17:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Middle East United Nations United States USA

Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region voted on Sunday to elect a new parliament for the oil-rich region, where voters express concern over economic struggles and disenchantment with the political elite. Iraqi Kurdistan presents itself as a relative oasis of stability in the turbulent Middle East, attracting foreign investors due to its close ...

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