hamas

Three Questions for Khalil Helou on the End of the Truce in Gaza

As fighting in Gaza escalates with renewed hostilities and intensified strikes, uncertainty over the future of the Israel-Hamas conflict is deepening. With Palestinian sources reporting more than 400 deaths since Monday, This is Beirut spoke with General Khalil Helou to assess the dynamics at play, the potential impact on regional stability, and ...

The Anticipated Resumption of the War in Gaza

Israel’s warning to unleash hell fire on Gaza if Hamas fails to release Israeli hostages is no longer a threat. At least 413 people were killed and more than 600 injured in a spate of intense airstrikes on Monday evening, shattering a fragile truce that took effect on January 19. The escalation is set to continue with the Israeli government ...

Israeli Airstrikes Kill at Least 400 Palestinians, Including Hamas Officials

Israel's deadly strikes on Gaza drew global condemnation on Tuesday, as it said it had "no alternative" other than to resume military operations in order to bring home hostages. The strikes, by far the deadliest since a truce took effect in January, killed more than 400 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Israel vowed ...

Israel Vows to Fight on in Gaza after Deadliest Strikes since Truce

Israel vowed on Tuesday to continue fighting in Gaza until the return of all hostages as it unleashed its most intense strikes since a ceasefire, with the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reporting more than 330 people killed. Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deciding to "resume war" after a deadlock ...

Israel Team Discusses Hostages at Truce Talks Dogged by Divisions

Israel said its negotiating team was discussing the hostage issue with Egyptian mediators on Sunday, as deep divisions persist between Israel and Hamas over the terms of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza. Mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, the initial phase of the ceasefire took effect on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of ...

Witkoff Reveals Key Diplomatic Breakthroughs on Ukraine Peace Talks, Issues Warning to Hamas

US President Donald Trump is expected to speak with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week, an American envoy said Sunday, as Washington presses for Moscow to accept a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who met for several hours with Putin days ago, told CNN in a televised interview that he thinks "the two ...

Armistice, Normalization, Peace: What Are the Differences?

Whenever an agreement—whether purely technical or otherwise—between Lebanon and Israel is discussed, confusion arises, often followed by accusations and excessive speculation. Many Lebanese tend to mix up and confuse the terms "armistice," "normalization," and "peace." This makes it necessary to clarify the differences between these three ...

Steve Witkoff: Hamas is "Making a Very Bad Bet"

The White House accused Hamas on Friday of making "entirely impractical" demands and stalling on a deal to release a US-Israeli hostage in exchange for an extension of the Gaza ceasefire. "Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not," a statement from the office of President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and the US ...

Hamas Says Ready to Free Israeli-American Hostage, Remains of 4 Others

Hamas said on Friday it was ready to free an Israeli-American hostage and the remains of four others, after the Palestinian militants and Israel resumed indirect Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Israel, however, said Hamas had "not budged" following a proposal from US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. After more ...

Palestinian Authority Condemns Hamas-U.S. Direct Talks

The Palestinian Authority condemned Hamas' statement in which the organization revealed it had opened a communication channel with the U.S. administration. The Israeli media, Haaretz, quoted Palestinian political sources as saying that the condemnation “indicates the depth of the crisis between the PA and Hamas”. “The PA is also ...