BEIRUT, LEBANON | Xinhua | Lebanon’s cabinet on Friday approved an army plan to disarm Hezbollah and place all weapons under state control. Five Hezbollah and Amal ministers walked out in protest, and Hezbollah supporters called for mass demonstrations. Why is Lebanon moving to disarm Hezbollah? How are divergent sides …
Read More »Lebanon signs World Bank loan agreement for infrastructure reconstruction
BEIRUT, LEBANON | Xinhua | Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber on Tuesday signed a 250 million U.S.-dollar loan agreement with the World Bank to support reconstruction of infrastructure damaged in recent Israeli attacks, the Finance Ministry said in a statement. The deal will establish a fund to rebuild essential infrastructure, …
Read More »Israeli forces to remain in Lebanon after withdrawal deadline
JERUSALEM, Israel | Xinhua | Israel will maintain forces in southern Lebanon beyond the Sunday deadline stipulated in the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday. The agreement, signed on Nov. 27, 2024, mandated a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon within 60 days, concluding this …
Read More »ICJ President Nawaf Salam resigns to become Lebanon’s PM
THE HAGUE | Xinhua | The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Tuesday that its president, judge Nawaf Salam, has resigned following his appointment as Lebanon’s prime minister. Salam, who assumed the ICJ presidency in 2024, officially stepped down as a member of the court effective immediately, the …
Read More »Israel conducts airstrikes in S. Lebanon amid ceasefire
JERUSALEM, Israel | Xinhua | The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its Air Force struck a Hezbollah militant in southern Lebanon on Saturday. According to the IDF, the militant posed a threat to the troops deployed in southern Lebanon in violation of the agreements and understandings …
Read More »Displaced Lebanese rush home after ceasefire, facing joy, loss, and uncertainty
Displaced people are on their way home after the ceasefire in the southern suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Str/Xinhua) BEIRUT | Xinhua | As the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel took effect at dawn on Wednesday, Jihad Nasrallah, along with thousands of displaced Lebanese, wasted …
Read More »At least 20 killed, 66 injured in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon’s Beirut
BEIRUT, LEBANON | Xinhua | At least 20 people were killed and 66 others injured on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the Lebanese capital Beirut, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported. The air raid at dawn targeted the eight-story building in the Basta Fawka neighborhood, …
Read More »Russia doing everything to prevent major war in Middle East — senior diplomat
MOSCOW | TASS | Russia is making every effort to prevent the Middle East from descending into a major conflict, Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stated at the 4th International Russia-Middle East Forum. “We are making every effort to prevent …
Read More »Airlines suspend flights to Lebanon amid fear of escalation between Israel, Hezbollah
BEIRUT, | Xinhua | Several airlines announced on Monday the suspension of their flights to Lebanon, while some Western countries urged their citizens to leave as soon as possible amid fears of the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. A state of anxiety and tension prevails in the border area of …
Read More »Israel says 40 rockets fired from Lebanon targeting northern Israel
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL | Xinhua | About 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon targeting northern Israel on today following the sounding of sirens throughout the region, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “Approximately 40 launches from Lebanon toward the area of Meron in northern Israel were identified,” …
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