Israel

US approves $8.6 bn arms sales to West Asian allies amid Iran tensions

The approvals come as the US and Israel's war against Iran entered its ninth week since the conflict began, and more than three weeks after a fragile ceasefire took effect

Updated On: 02 May 2026 | 7:05 AM IST

The future of Lebanon is very unclear

Hilal Khashan speaks to Mohammad Asif Khan on Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, the internal challenges facing Hezbollah, and the broader regional dynamics shaping the conflict.

Updated On: 30 Apr 2026 | 6:13 PM IST

Hezbollah adopts new weapon: Fibre-optic drones, used widely in Ukraine war

Hezbollah has launched a new weapon against northern Israel in the latest round of fighting: small drones controlled with fibre-optic cables the width of dental floss that avoid electronic detection. These drones - used widely in the war in Ukraine - are small, hard to track and potentially lethal. Many drones are susceptible to electronic jamming by air defences. Jamming can cause a drone to crash or return to its point of origin. But fibre-optic drones are not controlled remotely. They have a thin cable that connects an operator directly to the drone, making it impossible to electronically jam. The drones are not infallible because the wind - or other drones - can cause the cables to tangle. But, "if you know what you're doing, it's absolutely deadly", said Robert Tollast, a drone expert and researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London, explaining how the drone can fly low and creep up on a target. Experts say militaries must either intercept the drones, which is

Updated On: 30 Apr 2026 | 12:33 PM IST

Israel & India stands united against terrorism: Israeli Ambassador | Pahalgam attack anniversary

Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, led the global remembrance of the barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, as the international community reaffirmed its solidarity with New Delhi

Updated On: 27 Apr 2026 | 3:13 PM IST
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Ex-Israeli PMs Bennett, Lapid unite to challenge Netanyahu in elections

The agreement between two leaders was finalised on Saturday evening, with both sides confirming that their respective parties, Yesh Atid and Bennett 2026, will contest the elections as a single list

Updated On: 27 Apr 2026 | 7:49 AM IST

Best of BS Opinion: Hopes fade for early resolution of West Asia crisis

From rising West Asia tensions and oil shocks to heat stress on food systems and women farmers' role in India, here are the key insights from Business Standard's Opinion page today

Updated On: 27 Apr 2026 | 6:15 AM IST

What went wrong: A stark reappraisal of Israel's political trajectory

In his new book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, Bartov reflects on what has happened in the two and a half years since that episode

Updated On: 26 Apr 2026 | 9:56 PM IST

Israel, Hezbollah exchange strikes despite ceasefire extension with Lebanon

The Israel Defence Forces said it carried out strikes on Hezbollah rocket launchers in the southern Lebanese towns of Yater and Kafra

Updated On: 25 Apr 2026 | 7:50 AM IST

Trump asks Iran to stop supporting Hezbollah; Israel, Lebanon hail US talks

US President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to "shoot and kill" Iranian small boats choking the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post Thursday morning, he said the military is intensifying its mine clearing efforts in the critical waterway. The move intensified the U.S.-Iran standoff in the Persian Gulf and raised questions about efforts to end the war. Later Thursday, Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. The meeting Thursday was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it seized another tanker Thursday associated with smuggling Iranian oil, the Majestic X, in the Indian Ocean, deepening confusion over efforts to end the war. The seizure comes after a day after Iran attacked three cargo ships in the Strait of ...

Updated On: 24 Apr 2026 | 7:37 AM IST

Israel and Lebanon agree to extend ceasefire by 3 weeks, says Trump

President Donald Trump says Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House on Thursday. Trump says the meeting between Israel's and Lebanon's ambassadors to the United States went "very well." The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday.

Updated On: 24 Apr 2026 | 6:47 AM IST

Lebanon, Israel to resume direct talks in Washington to extend ceasefire

Lebanon and Israel were set to begin a second session of direct talks in Washington on Thursday to discuss the possibility of extending a truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and plans for future negotiations between the two neighbours with a long history of hostile relations. The meeting between Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter is the second between the two diplomats, days after they held the first such direct talks between the two countries in three decades. Lebanon President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that contacts are ongoing to extend the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect Friday. Hamadeh will put forward an extension of the ceasefire during the meeting and ask for an end to ongoing Israeli home demolitions in villages and towns occupied by Israel after the latest war broke out on March 2, Aoun said in comments released by his office. Preparations are ongoing for ...

Updated On: 23 Apr 2026 | 2:37 PM IST

Negotiations not weakness, country reclaimed its sovereignty: Lebanese prez

President Joseph Aoun on Friday struck a defiant tone in his first address since a US-brokered ceasefire took hold, saying he wants Lebanon to chart its own course after weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah. The president said he wants to see Lebanon "flourishing, not committing suicide". He condemned Hezbollah's rocket fire into northern Israel that triggered the latest round of fighting, and criticised Iran's role in arming and backing the group. He framed both as violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and again vowed to disarm non-state groups, including Hezbollah. In a pointed response to Hezbollah's criticism of Lebanon's direct talks with Israel and claims that Beirut lacks leverage, Aoun said the country will make its own decisions and stand by demands shared across Lebanese society, not ones dictated by Iran or its allies. "There will be no concessions to any principle, no infringement of the sovereignty of this country," he said. Aoun also reiterated calls for Israel t

Updated On: 18 Apr 2026 | 7:18 AM IST

'Enough is enough': Trump says Israel barred from bombing Lebanon

"Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!" Trump said in a social media post

Updated On: 17 Apr 2026 | 11:27 PM IST

Trump yielded to Iran pressure, forced Netanyahu: Lebanese MP on ceasefire

Hassan, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance, affiliated with Hezbollah, made these remarks while speaking in the Lebanese Parliament, according to Iranian state media Press TV

Updated On: 17 Apr 2026 | 11:18 AM IST

West Asia war: Trump may extend ceasefire with Iran amid Hormuz blockade

Donald Trump says Iran ceasefire may be extended as talks continue; he signals progress in negotiations and said he could visit Islamabad if a peace deal is signed

Updated On: 17 Apr 2026 | 9:58 AM IST

Lebanese army accuses Israel of violating ceasefire, urges caution in south

In a statement posted on X, the Lebanese army said several violations had been recorded since the ceasefire came into effect, warning civilians to remain cautious

Updated On: 17 Apr 2026 | 8:33 AM IST

10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire takes effect amid Hezbollah opposition

A 10-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump and agreed on by Lebanon and Israel started at midnight Thursday local time. The two neighbouring countries held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington after more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group. The truce, if it holds, could boost attempts to extend the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel after weeks of devastating war that killed thousands of people and upended global markets by disrupting the flow of oil. Hezbollah started firing on Israel right after the start of the Iran war. It kept up attacks focused on northern Israel communities through Thursday night, with at least eight people injured including two seriously, according to Israel's emergency services. Air raid sirens were sounding in a few northern Israeli communities just minutes before the ceasefire was going into effect. Israel's military also said la

Updated On: 17 Apr 2026 | 7:21 AM IST

'Agreed to ceasefire to advance peace efforts with Lebanon': Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he has agreed to a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon. In a video statement, Netanyahu said he was taking the step in an attempt "to advance" peace efforts with Lebanon. Israel and Lebanon opened negotiations this week in Washington aimed at forging a peace agreement. The Hezbollah militant group, which has been fighting Israel for six weeks, has said it opposes the dialogue. "We have an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon," Netanyahu said. Israel has staged a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, where its forces have been engaged in fierce battles with Hezbollah in the border area. Hezbollah added that "Israeli occupation on our land grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist it, and this matter will be determined based on how developments unfold," a stance that could complicate the ceasefire. Netanyahu said Israeli troops will stay in an expanded security zone in southern Lebanon "much stronger,

Updated On: 17 Apr 2026 | 6:46 AM IST

Bid to ease tensions: Trump announces Israel-Lebanon talks, first in 34 yrs

The announcement signals a potential diplomatic breakthrough in a region marked by an increase in hostility and intermittent conflict between Israel and Lebanon

Updated On: 16 Apr 2026 | 12:07 PM IST

Hezbollah launches 39 military ops against Israeli targets in 24 hours

In a separate incident, at least four paramedics were killed, and six others were injured in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon's Mayfadoun

Updated On: 16 Apr 2026 | 9:01 AM IST