War in the Middle East

Figure of the Week: Flames of War Devastate 65,000 Olive Trees
Numbers & FiguresFigure of the Week: Flames of War Devastate 65,000 Olive Trees

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that 70% of the Lebanese agricultural sector has been affected, both directly and indirectly. Thousands of hectares have been completely or nearly destroyed, and 65,000 olive trees have been fully burned due to white phosphorus bombings, which are prohibited under ...

Change Lebanon and CCLF Organize a Rally in Paris
Change Lebanon and CCLF Organize a Rally in Paris

On the occasion of Lebanon’s Independence Day, the Lebanese Community in France, under the “Change Lebanon” (CL) initiative, and in coordination with its various components, including the Comité de Coordination Libano-Français (CCLF), is organizing a rally at Place du Panthéon in Paris. The event will take place tomorrow, Sunday, November ...

America, Iran, Israel, and Lebanon
Op-edAmerica, Iran, Israel, and Lebanon

Most American presidents avoid plunging into Middle East peacemaking as long as possible. There were two exceptions: Bill Clinton started in his first month with a "Syria First" strategy for peace between Israel and its neighbors. Barak Obama on his "day two" launched a respected envoy to pursue a West Bank settlement freeze and two-state ...

Dawn Strike on Beirut's Basta Neighborhood Stirs Panic Across the Capital
Dawn Strike on Beirut's Basta Neighborhood Stirs Panic Across the Capital

A series of violent Israeli raids targeted Beirut at 4 AM today without prior warning, and focused on an eight-story building on Fathallah street in the Basta al-Fawqa neighborhood, a popular and densely populated neighborhood. Israeli Channel 12 reported that the person targeted in the raid in the center of Beirut is more important than Talal ...

Confronting the Crossroads: Trump's Middle East Policy Dilemmas Ahead
AnalysisConfronting the Crossroads: Trump's Middle East Policy Dilemmas Ahead

As Donald Trump prepares to take office again in January 2025, reflecting on his previous administration's lessons will help shape effective strategies to address the complex challenges in the Middle East. If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to meet and speak with Trump before taking office, this engagement could signal a strong ...

Larijani: \
Larijani: "Hezbollah Has Not Yet Used Its Important Weapons"

Ali Larijani, senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Friday, that Hezbollah “has not yet used its important weapons” in its war against Israel. In parallel, he emphasized that “if they did, the equation would change radically on the ground and in the region.” In a conversation with the Iranian news ...

Israel Expands Its Offensive Against Lebanon by Air and on the Ground
Israel Expands Its Offensive Against Lebanon by Air and on the Ground

The surge in violence persisted on Friday with Israeli airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs and south Lebanon, as fierce fighting raged in southern villages between Hezbollah combatants and Israeli troops advancing deeper into Lebanese territory. New evacuation warnings were issued by the Israeli army to residents of Hadath, Ghobeiri ...

War Diary: Day 413
War Diary: Day 413

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for November 22, 2024.  

Hochstein’s Tour: Key Issues in US Proposed Ceasefire Deal Remain Unresolved
Hochstein’s Tour: Key Issues in US Proposed Ceasefire Deal Remain Unresolved

US Presidential envoy Amos Hochstein wrapped up his regional tour on Friday, aimed at promoting an American proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon, leaving Tel Aviv without issuing any public statements after his meetings. Israeli officials also remained tight-lipped, even as the Israeli military escalated its raids and advanced further into Lebanese ...

Gaza: Hospitals to Cut or Stop Services 'Within 48 Hours' Over Fuel Shortages
Gaza: Hospitals to Cut or Stop Services 'Within 48 Hours' Over Fuel Shortages

The Health Ministry of Gaza warned on Friday that all hospitals in the enclave would have to stop or reduce services "within 48 hours" for lack of fuel, blaming Israel for blocking its entry. "We raise an urgent warning as all hospitals in Gaza Strip will stop working or reduce their services within 48 hours due to the occupation's (Israel's) ...

Life Impossible Elsewhere...
WindowLife Impossible Elsewhere...

November 20, 2024, I’m boarding the return flight from Dubai to Beirut. The news isn’t great, but I’m used to it — uncertainty clings to me like a second skin. I’m Lebanese. That imperceptible tension between the unparalleled joy of coming home and the unbearable insecurity of feeling trapped there is my daily reality. I accept it ...

World Leaders Split as ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu
World Leaders Split as ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu

Israel and its allies denounced the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even as Turkey -- and rights groups - welcomed the move. The court also issued warrants for Israel's former defence minister as well as Hamas's military chief Mohammed ...