Iran Hints at Expanding Missile Range, Potential Shift in Nuclear Policy

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 18:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran Kamal Kharrazi Iran Nuclear Program

Kamal Kharrazi, chairman of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations and adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, told the Al-Mayadeen news agency, which is close to Hezbollah, that Tehran is likely to increase the range of its ballistic missiles. He added that Iran currently has the ability to produce nuclear weapons. “We now have the technical ...

PoliticsHamas Official Says Group Rejected New Gaza Truce Proposal

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 17:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hamas Palestine

A Hamas official said Friday the group received a proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar for a short-term truce in Gaza and rejected it for not including a lasting ceasefire. "The proposals do not include a permanent cessation of aggression, nor do they entail the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip or the return of displaced ...

A Powerless and Toothless Lebanese State

Bassam Abou Zeid 2024-11-01 17:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA

Those in power need to act as statesmen, and the de facto powers need to show realism and courageously acknowledge that their actions have never been in the interest of Lebanon or the Lebanese people. It is inconceivable for a country to witness this ongoing destructive war for over a year while the state remains incapable of taking serious steps ...

VideosWar Diary: Day 392

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 17:10 - Reading : less than a minute

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for November 1, 2024.

PoliticsIsrael Cabinet Approves 2025 Wartime Budget

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 17:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gaza Bezalel Smotrich Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's cabinet on Friday approved a 2025 national budget, a wartime financial package that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said supported the country's ongoing wars and encouraged economic growth. For more than a year, Israel has been locked in a war with Hamas in Gaza, and since September it has been fighting Hezbollah in ...

VideosParliamentary Meeting in Light of Attacks on Baalbeck-Hermel

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 17:02 - Reading : less than a minute

Baalbeck

Two meetings convened at the Parliament today to discuss internal displacement and the situation in Baalbeck-Hermel.

Gaza Polio Vaccinations to Resume Saturday

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 15:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations Gaza Polio Vaccination

The World Health Organization said Friday that the necessary second round of child polio vaccinations in northern Gaza would begin on Saturday, after Israeli bombing had halted the drive. The announcement that the final phase of polio vaccination in the Gaza Strip can go ahead came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urgently called ...

Lebanon Receives First Shipment of French Humanitarian Aid

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 14:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Beirut International Airport humanitarian aid France

Lebanon received its first shipment of humanitarian aid from France on Friday as part of the assistance pledged during the international conference to support Lebanon held in Paris on October 24. This aid is intended for displaced people who were forced to flee their homes due to the raging conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. French ...

SpotlightQatar’s Diplomacy: Strengths and Limitations

Sana Richa Choucair 2024-11-01 14:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Gulf Middle East Saudi Arabia United States Qatar Diplomacy

For over a year now, Qatar has been acting as the principal mediator, alongside the United States and Egypt, in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023. However, this is not the first time this oil-rich Gulf emirate has emerged on the international stage. Qatar has established itself ...

Mikati Denies Media Claims of a Unilateral Ceasefire

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 13:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Najib Mikati ceasefire Amos Hochstein

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied statements reported by Reuters, which cited a Lebanese political source and a diplomat claiming that US envoy Amos Hochstein had requested Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel. On Friday morning, Mikati stated that “the Israeli statements and diplomatic indications received by ...

PoliticsBiden Administration Increases Pressure on Israel Ahead of Election

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 13:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Antony Blinken Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine USA

The Biden administration is increasing the pressure on the Netanyahu government to meet its demands over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. If Israel fails to meet the US’ demands by November 13th, Biden may suspend military assistance to Israel, reports Axios. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin presented ...

Mikati to UNIFIL Commander: Israel Rejects All Ceasefire Efforts

This is Beirut 2024-11-01 11:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ceasefire UNIFIL Najib Mikati

Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, the Commander-in-Chief of The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), on Friday to address the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the challenges faced by the international forces in the region. During the meeting, Mikati highlighted the recent escalation of Israeli ...