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Hassan Alik, escaping the intensifying violence of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, departed Lebanon on Saturday aboard a ship, avoiding Beirut’s airport, which he feared “could be bombed at any time.” The 31-year-old headed to the northern port of Tripoli on Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast. So far, this area has been spared from Israeli attacks during a month of heavy fighting across much …

In response to criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which accused him of failing to condemn a Hezbollah drone attack on the prime minister’s residence in Caesarea due to “petty politics,” Benny Gantz’s National Unity party issued a firm rebuttal. The party urged Netanyahu to “stop focusing on press releases and embarrassing videos.” “At a time when hundreds …

On Friday, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticized comments reportedly made by Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf regarding Tehran’s willingness to negotiate with France on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701. Mikati stated that such remarks represent “blatant interference” in Lebanon’s internal affairs and an attempt to exert unwelcome control over the country. He emphasized that during recent visits …

On Friday, Hezbollah launched a series of rocket attacks targeting Israel’s Yoav barracks in the occupied Golan Heights and the Zofolon area, located north of Haifa. In response, the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of 20 towns in southern Lebanon and conducted strikes on several southern Lebanese towns, including Jbaa, Aita al-Shaab, Zrariyeh, Marwanieh, Bazourieh, Shaaytiyeh, Ebl al-Siqi, Malkieh, and …

Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces, criticized the Lebanese government for acting more like a “rescue committee” than a functioning state, accusing it of allowing Iran to use Lebanon as a battleground for its own conflicts. In an interview with *Asharq al-Awsat* published on Friday, Geagea blamed Hezbollah for Lebanon’s current situation, accusing the country’s leaders of idly standing …

Jebran Bassil, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, has urged for unity in facing Israel, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the election of a consensus president in Lebanon. In an interview with the al-Modon news portal, Bassil emphasized that the top priority should be achieving a ceasefire and preventing any potential re-occupation of southern Lebanon. Bassil revealed that …

On Friday, top Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya confirmed the death of the group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar. In a televised address, al-Hayya reaffirmed Hamas’ position, stating that Israeli hostages taken during the group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, would not be released until a cease-fire is achieved in Gaza’s yearlong war. He emphasized, “Those prisoners will not be …

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Lebanon on Friday, marking the first visit by a head of state or government since the recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. According to her office, Meloni’s visit comes at a time when Italy’s peacekeepers play a key role in the U.N. force stationed in southern Lebanon, a region that has been targeted …