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

A Western diplomat conveyed to AFP the growing likelihood of Israel intensifying border conflicts due to domestic political pressures. At the same time, Hezbollah appears reluctant to initiate a war, preferring a diplomatic resolution conditioned on Israel’s cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Efforts by Western diplomats, notably from Britain, are focused on reaching a solution that would fully enforce U.N. …

The UK’s leading diplomat has proposed a strategy to reduce the rising tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been a regular occurrence for the past four months, raising concerns about a potential broader conflict. This proposal involves the British military providing training to Lebanese army forces to enhance their security capabilities …

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has been actively engaged in confidential negotiations with Elias Bou Saab, the Deputy Speaker of Lebanon and the appointed intermediary for discussions concerning southern Lebanon. Hochstein’s objective is to establish a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel that would not only end the ongoing conflict in Gaza but also halt the daily skirmishes at the Lebanese-Israeli …

The U.S. State Department has recently revised its travel advisory for Lebanon, changing it from the highest warning level “Do Not Travel” to a slightly less severe “Reconsider Travel” status. However, specific areas in Lebanon, including southern Lebanon, regions along the Syrian border, and refugee settlements, are still under the “Do Not Travel” warning. The advisory emphasizes the importance of …

The Al-Nujaba movement, a pro-Iranian group based in Iraq, has declared its intention to persist in targeting U.S. military personnel in the Middle East. This stance comes in response to the U.S.’s warning of retaliation following the death of three American soldiers in Jordan. Akram al-Kaabi, the leader of Al-Nujaba, stated that any U.S. military action would be met with …

Recent satellite imagery and analysis by The Associated Press, along with expert reports, indicate significant demolition activity along a 1-kilometer-wide stretch at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. This development aligns with Israel’s expressed interest in establishing a buffer zone in the area, a move that has sparked international concerns due to its potential impact on Palestinian territories. …

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during his recent visit to Lebanon, has indicated that the UK might recognize a Palestinian state even before the completion of prolonged negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. This potential recognition, including at the United Nations, could happen during the process of working towards a two-state solution, rather than waiting for its finalization. Cameron emphasized …

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to decide on its jurisdiction in a case brought by Ukraine against Russia, which centers around allegations of breaching the Genocide Convention. Ukraine initiated this case following Russia’s invasion, accusing Moscow of using false claims of genocide in Luhansk and Donetsk as a pretext for its military actions nearly two years ago. …