The Daily Star Lebanon Breaking News, Lebanon News, Middle East News & World News

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated tensions throughout the Middle East, raising concerns about a potential clash involving regional and global powers. The hostilities have mainly involved back-and-forth strikes between Iran-supported militias and the United States, Israel, and their allies. However, recent direct involvement by both Iran and the U.S. has intensified fears of this proxy war …

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has raised concerns about the growing challenges in providing humanitarian aid to parts of Gaza, particularly due to the obstruction of aid at the Kerem Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom border crossing on Thursday and Friday. OCHA reported in a recent statement that on January 25 and 26, Israeli protesters blocked the …

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has reported a severe collapse of vital medical services at Nasser Hospital, the largest operational hospital in the Gaza Strip. According to MSF’s statement on Friday, the hospital’s surgical capacity has been drastically reduced. The remaining medical staff, facing a shortage of supplies, are struggling to manage mass casualty events, …

Hamas’ military wing, Al Qassam Brigades, has released a new video featuring three Israeli women held captive, in a clear effort to increase pressure on the Israeli government amidst discussions of a potential hostage exchange. The video, disseminated through the messaging app Telegram, starts with an animated hourglass displaying the images of the three women, accompanied by a message stating, …

On Saturday, Hezbollah intensified its assaults on Israeli military positions along the border, coinciding with Israeli forces targeting areas in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s statement revealed they launched Burkan rockets, characterized as short-range and heavy-caliber, targeting a congregation of Israeli soldiers near the Jal al-Alam Israeli post, reportedly causing casualties. Further attacks by Hezbollah were directed at Israeli troops stationed near …

Next week, the U.N. Security Council is scheduled to convene to discuss the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) recent directive to Israel. This directive, issued by the world’s highest court, mandates Israel to prevent any acts of genocide in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza. This announcement was made by the council’s current president on Friday. The meeting, set for …

Following allegations by Israel of involvement in Hamas’s October 7 attack, Australia and Canada have decided to halt their contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the body responsible for assisting Palestinian refugees. The Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, expressed her serious concerns regarding these claims and announced a temporary cessation of funding on a social media …

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have intensified their maritime hostilities, launching a missile at a U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Carney, in the Gulf of Aden. This aggressive action necessitated a defensive response from the U.S. warship to intercept the missile. Additionally, a British ship also came under attack as part of the Houthis’ ongoing offensive against naval traffic. The incident with …