Page 14 - Lebanon

Beirut residents scramble to make contingency plans after Israeli airstrike

Residents of Beirut's southern suburbs have been scrambling to make contingency plans since an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in a busy neighbourhood killed a top Hezbollah commander and touched off fears of a full-scale war. For most, that means moving in with relatives or renting homes in Christian, Druze or Sunni-majority areas of Lebanon that are generally considered safer than the Shiite-majority areas where the Hezbollah militant group has its main operations and base of support. But for a small number, plan B is a move to neighbouring Syria. Although Syria is in its 14th year of civil war, active fighting has long been frozen in much of the country. Lebanese citizens, who can cross the border without a visa, regularly visit Damascus. And renting an apartment is significantly cheaper in Syria than in Lebanon. Zahra Ghaddar said she and her family were shaken when they saw an apartment building reduced to rubble by the July 30 drone strike in her area, known as ...

Threat of war with Israel redefines 'normal' life in Lebanon's Beirut

Beirut is used to living with the threat of war, and this was a couple of weeks ago. That threat is now getting more acute

Middle-east on edge after Israel's bombing of Lebanon to thwart attack

Israel's assault on Sunday morning was based, Israeli officials said, on intelligence that Hezbollah was about to fire thousands of missiles at northern Israel and drones at key intelligence center

With battered economy, infrastructure, can Lebanon afford war with Israel

The ferocious exchange of fire by Hezbollah and the Israeli military is raising fears of a regional war beyond the tense border. The risks for Lebanon are far greater than in 2006, when a monthlong war with Israel ended in a draw. Lebanon has struggled with years of political and economic crises that left it indebted, without a stable electricity supply, a proper banking system and with rampant poverty. And with Hezbollah's military power significantly greater, there are concerns that a new war would be far more destructive and prolonged. Can Lebanon afford any of it? Planning for a 2006 war repeat or worse Since Hezbollah and Israel began firing rockets and drones at each other a day after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on Oct. 7, the conflict has been mostly limited to border towns. But with the threat of a wider war, Lebanon has scrambled to equip hospitals with supplies and prepare public schools to open up to people seeking shelter. A rare Israeli airstrike in ..

Israelis stage airstrikes in Lebanon, Hezbollah responds with drone attack

Israel launched airstrikes inside Lebanon early Sunday that its military said targeted positions of the Shiite militia Hezbollah. In a statement, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of preparing to file missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the (Israeli military) is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians, Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said. Hagari warned Hezbollah would soon fire rockets, and possibly missiles and drones into Israel. Sirens sounded in northern Israel soon after the warning. Lebanese media reported strikes in the country's south without immediately providing more details. Social media footage showed what appeared to be strikes in southern Lebanon. Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv began diverting incoming flights and delaying others due to takeoff Sunday after the Israeli airstrikes in

Israel declares emergency for next 48 hrs amid rising tensions with Lebanon

As tensions continue to rise, the Israeli public remains on high alert, bracing for the possibility of further incidents

UK, Egypt issue alerts for Iran, Lebanon airspace amid conflict risks

Egypt's civil aviation ministry later confirmed on Wednesday the notice was intended to reduce flight safety risks in light of a notification it received from Iranian authorities

Pro-govt fighters attack areas of US-backed fighters in east Syria

Violence surged in opposition-held areas of Syria on Wednesday as government-backed fighters killed at least two people in rare violence in the east, while a truck bomb exploded in the northern city of Azaz, killing nine people, the main US-backed force in the war-torn country and an opposition war monitor said. Fighters backed by the Syrian government and Iran attacked areas controlled by US-backed fighters in the country's east, killing at least two people and wounding others, the main US-backed force in the war-torn country said on Wednesday. To the west, a truck bomb exploded on Wednesday evening in the northern city of Azaz, which is controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters, killing nine people and wounding 11, the opposition's Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Azaz, which has witnessed such bombings in the past. Turkey has launched three major cross-border operations in Syria since 20

Israel-Hamas war: Hezbollah says it launched drone attack on north Israel

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack early Monday on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops and set off a fire. The violence came as fears of an all-out regional war mount following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas' top political leader in Iran. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah said in a statement it targeted a military base in northern Israel in response to attacks and assassinations carried out by Israel in several villages in south Lebanon. The attack did not appear to be part of a more intense retaliation expected in response to the killing of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut last week. The Israeli military said fire services were working to put out a fire that was ignited as a result of the attack in Ayelet HaShahar in the upper Galilee. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, but th

Indian embassy issues advisory for citizens in Lebanon as tensions grow

The Indian Embassy in Beirut on Thursday strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Lebanon till further notice and leave the country amidst the growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Since October 8 last year, violence has flared across the border between Israeli troops and Hezbollah. On Tuesday, Israel targeted Hezbollah's top military commander Fouad Shukur in a strike in southern Beirut. Israel later confirmed that it had killed Shukur, who it said was behind the weekend rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 youths. "In view of the recent developments and potential threats in the region, Indian nationals are strongly advised against travelling to Lebanon till further notice," the Indian Embassy in Beirut said in an advisory posted on X. "All Indian nationals are also strongly advised to leave Lebanon," it said. "Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with

'Restrict movement': Indian Embassy issues advisory for citizens in Lebanon

Israel strikes Lebanon: The Indian Embassy in Beirut issued a travel advisory, asking citizens to avoid non-essential travel and to remain in touch with the Embassy

Indian embassy advises citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon

Tensions have further escalated after the rocket attack at Golan Heights, allegedly fired by Hezbollah

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in 'Israeli raid' in Iran

Just a day before his assassination, the Hamas chief on Tuesday attended the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian

Airlines cancel flights to Lebanon as West Asia tensions escalate

Lebanese flag carrier Middle East Airlines rescheduled some flights on Sunday and Monday as it looked to distribute insurance risks for aircraft inside and outside the country, the company said

After killing of commander, Hezbollah attacks Israel with over 200 rockets

The Israeli military said "numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets" had entered its territory from Lebanon, many of which it said were intercepted

Fires are most visible sign on border as Hezbollah-Israel fight continues

With cease-fire talks faltering in Gaza and no clear offramp for the conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border, the daily exchanges of strikes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have sparked fires that are tearing through forests and farmland on both sides of the frontline. The blazes exacerbated by supply shortages and security concerns have consumed thousands of hectares of land in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, becoming one of the most visible signs of the escalating conflict. There is an increasingly real possibility of a full-scale war one that would have catastrophic consequences for people on both sides of the border. Some fear the fires sparked by a larger conflict would also cause irreversible damage to the land. Charred remains in Lebanon In Israel, images of fires sparked by Hezbollah's rockets have driven public outrage and spurred Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to declare last month that it is time for all of Lebanon to burn. M

US, Europe warn Hezbollah to ease strikes on Israel, back off from war

US, European and Arab mediators are pressing to keep stepped-up cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militants from spiralling into a wider Middle East war that the world has feared for months. Hopes are lagging for a cease-fire anytime soon in Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza that would calm attacks by Hezbollah and other Iranian-allied militias. With that in mind, American and European officials are delivering warnings to Hezbollah, which is far stronger than Hamas but seen as overconfident, about taking on the military might of Israel, current and former diplomats say. They are warning that the group should not count on the United States or anyone else being able to hold off Israeli leaders if they decide to execute battle-ready plans for an offensive into Lebanon. And Hezbollah should not count on its fighters' ability to handle whatever would come next. On both sides of the Lebanese border, escalating strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, one of the .

Israel-Hezbollah conflict: Abandoned houses, scorched forests hint at war

A steady, if ugly, tit-for-tat between Israel and Hezbollah since the October outbreak of the Gaza war has been shifting into something more alarming

Israel winding down Gaza operations, Lebanon war could be next: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The comments threatened to further heighten the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at a time when they appear to be moving closer to war. Netanyahu also signaled that there is no end in sight for the grinding war in Gaza. The Israeli leader said in a lengthy TV interview that while the army is close to completing its current ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. But he said fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, freeing up forces to battle Hezbollah. We will have the possibility of transferring some of our forces north, and we will do that, he told Israel's Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu TV channel, in an interview that was frequently interrupted by applause from the studi

Israeli offensive into Lebanon risks Iranian response: US military

The top U.S. military officer said Sunday that an Israeli military offensive into Lebanon will risk an Iranian response in defense of Hezbollah, triggering a broader war that could put U.S. forces in the region in danger. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iran would be more inclined to support Hezbollah." He added Tehran supports Hamas, but would give greater backing to Hezbollah particularly if they felt that Hezbollah was being significantly threatened. Brown spoke to reporters as he traveled to Botswana for a meeting of African defense ministers. Israeli officials have threatened a military offensive in Lebanon if there is no negotiated end to push Hezbollah away from the border. Just days ago, Israel's military said it had approved and validated plans for an offensive in Lebanon, even as the U.S. works to prevent the months of cross-border attacks from spiraling into a full-blown war. U.S. officials have tried to broker a diplomatic solution t