War in the Middle East

Joint Committee Set to Tackle Palestinian Arms Issue in First Meeting Friday
Joint Committee Set to Tackle Palestinian Arms Issue in First Meeting Friday

Following a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced via X that a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee will convene on Friday to establish a clear agenda for placing all illegal weapons, inside and outside Palestinian camps, under the authority of the Lebanese state. The meeting will also ...

UN Says Around 90 Aid Trucks 'Dispatched' Into Gaza
UN Says Around 90 Aid Trucks 'Dispatched' Into Gaza

The UN said Wednesday it had "dispatched" around 90 trucks carrying aid into Gaza, as international pressure intensified over Israel's renewed offensive and blockade of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The first aid distribution in Gaza since early March came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was open to a "temporary ...

Maronite Bishops Urge Peace, Reform, Local Development in Lebanon
Maronite Bishops Urge Peace, Reform, Local Development in Lebanon

During their monthly meeting held on Wednesday in Bkerke, presided over by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, the Maronite bishops declared that Lebanon is facing a rare opportunity for recovery, one that must not be missed. In their closing statement, the bishops urged Lebanese officials to take tangible steps to restore state authority and ...

Weapons Smuggling to Lebanon Foiled at Iraq-Syria Border
Weapons Smuggling to Lebanon Foiled at Iraq-Syria Border

A significant cache of weapons destined for Lebanon has been seized by Syrian security forces in the border region of Al-Boukamal, east of Deir Al-Zor, according to local sources cited by Houna Loubnan. The arms reportedly originated from Iraq. The seizure was the result of a large-scale security operation targeting an arms trafficking network ...

Three Killed in Israeli Strikes on Southern Lebanon
Three Killed in Israeli Strikes on Southern Lebanon

An Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanese town of Aitaroun on Wednesday targeted a motorcycle, killing one person, in what marks the third fatality from Israeli attacks in the region that day. The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television reported that the victim was a member of Hezbollah. Shortly afterwards, the Public Health ministry announced ...

U.S. Asking Countries for 'Voluntary' Palestinian Relocation
U.S. Asking Countries for 'Voluntary' Palestinian Relocation

The United States has reached out to countries about accepting "voluntary" relocations of Palestinians fleeing Israel's offensive in Gaza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday. Israel has again warned the population of Gaza -- nearly entirely displaced since the war broke out over the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas -- to move ...

Mahmoud Abbas Expected in Beirut: Will Palestinian Disarmament Be Addressed?
SpotlightMahmoud Abbas Expected in Beirut: Will Palestinian Disarmament Be Addressed?

The Palestinian issue has long weighed on Lebanon, with consequences that have directly undermined its sovereignty. The Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, shook the region and left little room for any return to the old status quo. As the political landscape across the Middle East continues to shift, Lebanon faces its own urgent ...