War in the Middle East

Trump Names Adam Boehler Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs
Trump Names Adam Boehler Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs

President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of Adam Boehler as his Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. In a post on Truth Social Wednesday. Trump expressed confidence in Boehler's abilities, stating that the newly appointed envoy will hold the personal rank of Ambassador. The announcement comes as Trump prepares for his ...

UN Reports Over 115,000 Newly Displaced in Syria
UN Reports Over 115,000 Newly Displaced in Syria

More than 115,000 people have been "newly displaced" in Syria's Idlib and Aleppo provinces, a UN official said Wednesday, following a major rebel offensive in the north. "It's been one week since the conflict escalated in Syria. More than 115,000 people have now been newly displaced across Idlib and northern Aleppo," UN deputy regional ...

Syrian War Photographer Killed in Air Strike Near Hama
Syrian War Photographer Killed in Air Strike Near Hama

Award-winning Syrian photographer Anas Alkharboutli, who worked for German press agency DPA, was killed Wednesday in an air strike near the Syrian city of Hama, his employer said. "Our photographer Anas Alkharboutli, who documented the civil war in Syria in a unique visual language, has been killed in an air strike near the Syrian city of Hama. ...

Ceasefire Monitoring Committee: An \
Ceasefire Monitoring Committee: An "Enhanced Complaint Bureau"

This international monitoring committee has not yet been formed, yet the violations of the ceasefire cast doubt on the rationale for its establishment and the validity of its functioning, especially as many fear a resumption of confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel.   However, contrary to the wishes of many Lebanese, it is not within the ...

Aleppo Loss Marks a Turning Point for Assad’s Regime
AnalysisAleppo Loss Marks a Turning Point for Assad’s Regime

The ease with which rebel groups captured Aleppo (North) and advanced toward central Syria has shaken Bashar al-Assad’s legitimacy, fueling the ambitions of his opponents, analysts unanimously say. The capital remains well-defended, with the army launching a counteroffensive on Wednesday, aided by Russian airstrikes. However, the blow dealt in ...

Blinken Affirms Lebanon Ceasefire “Is Holding” Despite Escalating Tensions
Blinken Affirms Lebanon Ceasefire “Is Holding” Despite Escalating Tensions

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that the ceasefire in Lebanon, brokered to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, remains intact despite reports of violations. Speaking at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting in Brussels, Blinken said, “The ceasefire is holding, and we’re using the mechanism ...

Hamieh: Normalization of Flights at Beirut International Airport by Mid-December
Hamieh: Normalization of Flights at Beirut International Airport by Mid-December

Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said on Wednesday that all airlines have submitted requests to resume flights to and from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport. He made this statement after meeting with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, emphasizing that his ministry began issuing flight permits on November ...

Bouchikian: The Industrial Sector Is the Least Affected by Israeli Bombardment
Bouchikian: The Industrial Sector Is the Least Affected by Israeli Bombardment

Caretaker Minister of Industry George Bouchikian stated on Wednesday that fully assessing the damage caused by Israeli bombardment remains impossible, as around 40 localities are still under the control of the Israeli Army. However, he assured that despite the scale of destruction, the industrial sector was “the least affected, with most ...

Precarious Calm in Southern Lebanon
Precarious Calm in Southern Lebanon

The calm that had prevailed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday morning was abruptly disrupted by a number of Israeli strikes, machine-gun fires and incursions, in southern Lebanon. Israeli Merkava tanks infiltrated the village of Yaroun, while Israeli forces carried out an incursion into Maroun al-Ras, accompanied by machine gun fire targeting ...

Lebanese Forces Urge Hezbollah to Legalize All Its Institutions
Lebanese Forces Urge Hezbollah to Legalize All Its Institutions

The Lebanese Forces (LF) have urged Hezbollah to “incorporate” itself into the state by legalizing all its institutions, particularly the financial entity al-Qard al-Hassan. The institution recently announced the reopening of 16 branches across various regions in Lebanon, just days after a ceasefire was declared on November 27. In a press ...