All articles tagged with #lebanon
Israel warned Lebanon it would strike civilian infrastructure, including the airport, if Hezbollah becomes involved in any war between the United States and Iran, a message relayed indirectly as Lebanon’s prime minister urged Hezbollah not to drag Lebanon into another adventure; the United States has begun pulling non‑essential staff from its Beirut embassy amid rising tensions and ongoing nuclear talks.
Amid mounting US-Iran tensions, Washington evacuated dozens of non-essential personnel from its Beirut embassy while warships and aircraft were positioned in the region for potential action against Iran; the embassy remains open with core staff as indirect nuclear talks in Geneva continue, and warnings of possible Iranian retaliation keep escalation risk high.
The State Department orders nonessential U.S. diplomats to evacuate Lebanon as tensions with Iran escalate, signaling increased security concerns for U.S. personnel in the region.
The Vatican issued beatification decrees for Béchara Abou-Mourad, a Lebanese Basilian priest, and for Gabriele Maria, a French Franciscan, while also recognizing heroic virtue for Ligurian priest Francesco Lombardi, Brescia layman Fausto Gei, and Indian Capuchin Theophane; Abou-Mourad’s miracle and Gabriele Maria’s equipollent beatification accompany the announcements.
Hezbollah says it has no option but to defend itself after Israeli strikes in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley killed at least 10 people, including a Hezbollah official, and violated a 2024 ceasefire; Iranian commanders are reportedly tightening control as US-Iran tensions escalate and Washington recalibrates forces in the region.
Reports say Iran’s IRGC officers are directly supervising Hezbollah from Lebanon, taking control of its military rebuilding and strategic war plans ahead of possible Israeli or US strikes. The oversight includes regular meetings with Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon and a Beqaa Valley command center, as tensions escalate with ongoing Israeli airstrikes and Lebanon’s political pressure to stay neutral.
Israeli air strikes in eastern Lebanon killed at least 10 people, including a senior Hezbollah field commander, in the Bekaa Valley, despite a ceasefire. Israel says it targeted Hezbollah command centres embedded in civilians; Hezbollah confirms casualties and says the ceasefire only applies to southern Lebanon. The strikes are among the deadliest since the 2024 ceasefire and maintain high regional tensions amid broader Middle East hostilities.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley killed at least 10 people and wounded about 50 after the army said it targeted Hezbollah sites in Baalbek; a senior Hezbollah official was among the dead. Israel also hit a Hamas command center in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp. The flare-up risks undermining a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley killed at least 10 people and wounded 24 (including three children), with Israel claiming it hit Hezbollah command centers; another strike hit a Palestinian camp in Sidon, as regional tensions and the broader conflict between Israel and allied groups continue to flare.
Protesters blocked roads in Beirut after Lebanon's cabinet approved new taxes that would raise fuel prices, triggering demonstrations in the capital.
Israel’s IDF has stepped up strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as it prepares for a potential war with Iran, aiming to cripple Hezbollah’s infrastructure and its ability to aid Tehran. In the latest week, four Hezbollah militants were killed in southern Lebanon’s Tallouseh, and since February the IDF has killed 12 Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad operatives in the country. The 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah remains in effect but has been violated on multiple occasions, and the IDF has previously said it killed more than 370 Hezbollah fighters since the ceasefire began, with about 1,900 ceasefire infractions noted.
Lebanese health authorities say an Israeli airstrike near the Lebanon-Syria border killed at least four people, including a Syrian national. Israel said the raid targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives in Majdal Anjar, though it did not provide evidence. The attack underscores ongoing cross-border hostilities despite a ceasefire framework, with UN records noting civilian casualties in the wider conflict.
Diana Abadi, known locally as the 'Mother of Cats,' has turned her Hadath shop into a full-time refuge for 50–70 abandoned felines (peaking at over 150 during crises) for 12 years, sleeping with the cats and fostering adoptions with social media, but rising rent threatens the shelter she largely funds herself.
Israel said it captured Atwi Atwi, a local official with Lebanon's Islamic Group allied with Hamas, in Hebbarieh near Hasbaya on the border and took him to Israel for questioning; a separate Israeli drone strike in Yanouh killed three people, including a 3-year-old child, and the military later said it struck Hezbollah artillery official Ahmad Salami, as cross-border fighting persists.
Two adjoining buildings collapsed in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, killing at least six people and wounding seven, as rescue teams and residents search the rubble; authorities pledged emergency readiness and housing aid for evacuees.