This is Beirut

Syria Evacuates Bedouin from Druze-Majority Sweida as Ceasefire Holds

This is Beirut, 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syrian authorities evacuated Bedouin families from the Druze-majority city of Sweida on Monday, after a ceasefire in the southern province halted a week of sectarian bloodshed that a monitor said killed more than 1,260 people. The violence, which followed massacres of Alawites in March and clashes involving the Druze in April and May, has shaken ...

Confusion in Syria

David Hale , 17:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Iran Hezbollah Israel United States

Recent developments in Syria are causing surprise and confusion. In a bold move, President Trump and his administration acquiesced to requests from the Turkish and Saudi leadership and lifted most sanctions on the Ahmed al-Sharaa regime, his Salafist HTS movement, and Syria itself. It did so without conditionality, without much effort to ...

Syria: Balancing State Authority and Plural Sensitivities

Michel Touma, 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah US Secretary of State Druzes Syria

In the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse in the early 1990s, French author and political analyst Alain Minc published a book with a strikingly evocative title that captured the spirit of the moment: The Revenge of Nations. He argued that decades of highly centralized communist rule had failed to erase the national sentiments of populations ...

The Grammar of a Bungled Transition

Charles Chartouni, 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon United States Israel Hezbollah

The interpretation of political events can often lead to misunderstandings and confusion. It is crucial to establish clear communication and guidelines to navigate such complexities effectively. Without these measures, the potential for misinterpretation increases, which can exacerbate tensions and hinder progress. Therefore, fostering an ...

Calm Returns to South Syria after Violence that Killed 1,000

This is Beirut, 20/07 14:46 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Druze Sweida

Calm returned to southern Syria's Sweida province on Sunday, a monitor and AFP correspondents reported, after a week of sectarian violence between Druze fighters and rival groups that killed more than 1,000 people. A ceasefire announced on Saturday appeared to be holding after earlier agreements failed to end fighting between longtime rivals ...

From Empire to Nation

Amine Jules Iskandar, 20/07 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Jordan Middle East Iraq

In the Levant, Islam took root in the major Mediterranean coastal cities—Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, Sidon, Beirut, Tripoli, Tartus and Latakia. Surrounded by Christian and Jewish hill communities or overshadowed by dominant Christian mountain ranges, these urban populations never felt isolated. Instead, they saw themselves as fully integrated into the ...

Rubio Demands Syrian Government Forces Intervene To Prevent Jihadist Attacks

This is Beirut, 20/07 05:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States Syria Washington Damascus

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday called on the Syrian government's security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and "carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country. "If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria... they must ...

Ceasefire Order Fails to Halt Fighting in Syria's Druze Heartland

This is Beirut, 19/07 17:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Sweida Druze Israel United States

Syrian Bedouin and their allies fought Druze fighters in the community's Sweida heartland for a seventh day Saturday despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. AFP correspondents reported clashes in the west of the provincial capital as Druze fighters battled ...

New Clashes Rock Syria's Druze Heartland as Tribal Fighters Reinforce Bedouin

This is Beirut, 19/07 00:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Sweida Syria Druze SOHR

Armed tribes supported by Syria's Islamist-led government clashed with Druze fighters in the community's Sweida heartland on Friday, a day after the army withdrew under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure. The United Nations called for an end to the "bloodshed" and demanded an "independent" investigation of the ...

Arab Tribes Warn Against Spreading Sweida Conflict to Lebanon

This is Beirut, 18/07 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Sweida Lebanon Tribes Syria Conflict Druze

The Arab tribes of Khaldeh and Mount Lebanon released a firm statement on Friday condemning the violence in Syria’s Sweida province, describing it as a “dangerous sedition” that threatens Syria’s unity and could spill into Lebanon. In a heartfelt appeal, the tribes addressed their Syrian counterparts, especially those in Sweida and Daraa, ...

Baabda Hosts Security Meeting to Address Prison Overcrowding

This is Beirut, 18/07 15:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Joseph Aoun prisons Syria Sweida

President Joseph Aoun chaired a ministerial and security meeting on Friday morning at the Presidential Palace, primarily focused on the situation in Lebanese prisons and the aggravating issue of overcrowding. The participants discussed urgent measures to address the saturation of detention facilities, particularly concerning judicial procedures, ...

When Sweida Exposes Lebanon’s Fault Lines: What’s at Stake for the Country?

Sana Richa Choucair, 18/07 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Druze Sweida Syria Lebanon

Clashes between Druze groups and government forces backed by tribal militias in the Syrian city of Sweida have claimed more than 500 lives since Sunday. Alongside this unprecedented wave of violence in this southern region, several Lebanese municipalities, mostly in Druze villages, have introduced preventive measures against foreigners, especially ...

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