War in the Middle East

Gaza: Hamas Releases New Video of Israeli Hostage
Gaza: Hamas Releases New Video of Israeli Hostage

Hamas has released a propaganda video featuring Edan Alexander, a 20-year-old hostage,the first such video in several months. The three-and-a-half-minute video is undated, but Alexander states he has been in captivity for over 420 days, suggesting the footage was filmed this week if accurate. Alexander, a US citizen and soldier, was stationed ...

What’s Behind the Syrian Rebels' Push to Retake Aleppo ?
SpotlightWhat’s Behind the Syrian Rebels' Push to Retake Aleppo ?

Rebel forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad have launched their biggest offensive in years this week, controlling a majority of Syria's second city of Aleppo according to a monitor. Government forces offered little resistance, the war monitor said, and the army admitted that rebels had entered "large parts" of the city. Syrian ...

Ceasefire Day 4: One Killed and Several Injured in South Lebanon
Ceasefire Day 4: One Killed and Several Injured in South Lebanon

Violations of the ceasefire agreement escalated in southern Lebanon for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, with Israeli airstrikes, drone attacks and ground incursions causing casualties and damage. In Rab al-Thalathin, an Israeli drone strike killed Hezbollah fighter Hassan Hamad Fakih. Two people were also injured, including Baker Jawad ...

Syrian Rebels Advance Towards Hama After Capturing Aleppo
Syrian Rebels Advance Towards Hama After Capturing Aleppo

War monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that jihadists and allied rebel factions had taken most of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, in a lightning offensive that left more than 320 dead, a crushing blow to Bashar al-Assad's rule. Syrian rebels are now advancing towards the city of Hama, claiming to already ...

Gaza: Three Humanitarian Workers Killed in Israeli Strike
Gaza: Three Humanitarian Workers Killed in Israeli Strike

The Gaza Strip Civil Defense announced on Saturday that three humanitarian workers were killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis (south), while the Israeli army stated it had targeted "a terrorist." The humanitarian workers, all Palestinians, were employed by the American NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK), according to the Civil Defense. The ...

LACC: Lebanon Is at a Crossroad
LACC: Lebanon Is at a Crossroad

In the context of following up on recent events in Lebanon, particularly regarding the approval of a 60-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, the Lebanese-American Coordinating Committee (LACC) sent a position paper to the US administration. The text is as follows: “Lebanon stands at a pivotal moment following the recent ceasefire between ...

Naïm Qassem: \
Naïm Qassem: "We Are Victorious!" — Or Back to Square One

In his first speech following the implementation of the ceasefire with Israel, Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naïm Qassem, framed his remarks around the theme of a "divine victory, far surpassing that of 2006." However, he defined this "victory" in negative terms, stating: "We are victorious because we have prevented Israel from eliminating the ...

Ceasefire Day 3: Israeli Army Carries Out Air Strike Against Hezbollah
Ceasefire Day 3: Israeli Army Carries Out Air Strike Against Hezbollah

The Israeli army announced on Friday that it had conducted an airstrike against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, just two days after the ceasefire with the armed group came into effect. “A short time ago, terrorist activity and the movement of a mobile rocket launcher were detected in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli army said in a statement, ...

The Reconstruction of War-Torn Areas in Lebanon: A Complex and Uncertain Equation
ExplainerThe Reconstruction of War-Torn Areas in Lebanon: A Complex and Uncertain Equation

The end of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel raises a critical question for the Lebanese: who will bear the financial responsibility for rebuilding the villages and cities devastated by the conflict? In a country already mired in an unprecedented economic and political crisis, options are both limited and complex. Several actors could ...

Joseph Aoun Meets with Head of Quint Supervisory Committee
Joseph Aoun Meets with Head of Quint Supervisory Committee

The Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Joseph Aoun, met on Friday at his office in Yarze with Major General Jasper Jeffers, the Head of the Quint Supervisory Committee. They discussed the overall situation and coordination mechanisms among the concerned parties in southern Lebanon. The committee is tasked with overseeing the ...

Iran and Europeans Continue Discreet Talks on Nuclear
Iran and Europeans Continue Discreet Talks on Nuclear

Iran, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom will "continue their diplomatic dialogue in the near future," a senior Iranian diplomat said on Friday following highly discreet talks in Geneva. "We are firmly committed to defending the interests of our people, and our preference is for dialogue and engagement," Kazem Gharibabadi, deputy to the ...

Israel Extends Banking Waiver with Palestinian Banks for One Year
Israel Extends Banking Waiver with Palestinian Banks for One Year

Israel extended for one year a waiver allowing Israeli banks to work with Palestinian ones just days before it was due to expire, threatening to paralyse Palestinians financial institutions. The extension was approved Thursday during a security cabinet meeting ahead of expiration of the waiver at the end of the month, a spokesman for far-right ...