israel

J. Aoun: Lebanon Cannot Be Left Out of the Process of Resolving the Ongoing Crises in the Region

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun noted on Monday that the general atmosphere in the region is one of reconciliation and settlements, stressing the importance of reaching a time when Israel commits to halting military operations against Lebanon so that the negotiation process can begin—“because this is the path we see in the region, and we ...

Trump in Israel: 'The Historic Dawn of a New Middle East'

“The historic dawn of a new Middle East and the end of the era of terrorism.” These words could summarize the speech delivered on Monday afternoon by US President Donald Trump at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. Described by observers as “historic,” this address provided an opportunity for the US president to call on Israel and the ...

Gaza: Returning to Zero

In Gaza, displaced families return to find their homes destroyed after two years of bombardment. With no shelter, water or electricity, they have to start over from nothing.

Israel Releases Murderers to Rescue Its Hostages

This Monday, Israel finds itself caught between celebration and unease. The joy of hostages returning home is tempered by a bitter reality: to secure the release of citizens still held in Gaza, the Israeli government is freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including several convicted of violent crimes. The deal, brokered under US President ...

Hamas Hands Over Surviving Israeli Hostages

Hamas handed over the 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday under a ceasefire agreement, as US President Donald Trump and other world leaders geared up for a summit on Gaza. In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd which gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first releases, though the pain for the loss of ...

Trump on His Way to Israel: “The War in Gaza Has Ended”

US President Donald Trump arrived Monday morning at Ben Gurion Airport for a short visit to Israel, the first stop on a Middle East tour described as a mission for peace. Welcomed by President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump is set to continue to Egypt, where an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh will focus on ...

The Diplomatic Feat and Its Imponderables

President Trump has proven to be a tough dealmaker and a skillful negotiator who knows how to leverage whatever resources are at hand to promote and sustain peace processes against all odds. His diplomatic approach is based on the common sense of a businessman turned politician at the helm of an “imperial republic.” His hard-nosed realism ...

Sharm el-Sheikh Summit: Putting an End to the Charade

The cloth doesn’t make the cleric… The old saying fits neatly when it comes to Hamas and the latest turn in the war it launched on October 7, 2023, with its massive and deadly offensive against Israel from Gaza. Two years into a conflict that has plunged the Palestinian population into a nightmare, the Islamist movement has just endorsed, ...

Failure to Disarm Hezbollah Blocks Reconstruction Efforts

Israeli airstrikes targeting bulldozers and excavators in Msayleh, southern Lebanon, on Saturday were not an isolated incident. Similar attacks occurred earlier, on September 3, in the Ansariyeh region. Heavy machinery, including excavators and bulldozers, has been repeatedly struck in several towns and villages along—and even beyond—the ...

Negotiation: The Art of Compromise

This week, negotiation took center stage. After nearly two years of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages — a breakthrough brokered in Egypt with the support of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. The deal marks the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace ...