عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News

Hochstein: US Wants to Avoid 'Greater War' along Tense Lebanon-Israel Border

Israeli firefighters work following rocket attacks from Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, near the border on its Israeli side, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Avi Ohayon
Israeli firefighters work following rocket attacks from Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, near the border on its Israeli side, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Avi Ohayon
TT
TT

Hochstein: US Wants to Avoid 'Greater War' along Tense Lebanon-Israel Border

Israeli firefighters work following rocket attacks from Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, near the border on its Israeli side, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Avi Ohayon
Israeli firefighters work following rocket attacks from Lebanon, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, near the border on its Israeli side, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Avi Ohayon

The United States is trying to avert a greater war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, US envoy Amos Hochstein said on Tuesday, following an escalation in cross-border fire between the foes along Lebanon's southern frontier.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel for the last eight months in parallel with the Gaza war. Last week, the group fired the largest volleys of rockets and drones of the hostilities so far at Israeli military sites, after an Israeli strike killed the most senior commander yet.

Hochstein, special envoy to US President Joe Biden, said he had been dispatched to Lebanon immediately following a brief trip to Israel because the situation was "serious".

"We have seen an escalation over the last few weeks. And what President Biden wants to do is avoid a further escalation to a greater war," Hochstein said on Tuesday.

He had met the head of Lebanon's army earlier on Tuesday and spoke to reporters following a meeting with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the armed Amal movement, which is allied to Hezbollah and has also fired rockets on Israel.

The US and France are engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure a negotiated end to the hostilities along Lebanon's border. Hezbollah says it will not halt its attacks unless there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"Whether diplomatically or militarily one way or another, we will ensure the safe and secure return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel. That is not up for negotiation. Oct. 7 cannot happen again anywhere in Israel or on any of Israel's borders," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said.

He added that Israel was "impeding Hezbollah's military buildup and their stockpiling of weapons for terror against Israelis".

Hezbollah began trading fire with Israel on Oct. 8, a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking the Gaza war. Tens of thousands of people have fled both sides of the border.

DRONE ATTACK

Hochstein urged Hamas to accept a US-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which he said "also provides an opportunity to end the conflict across the Blue Line", a reference to a demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel where parts of the international border are disputed.

Hochstein met caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who told him that "Lebanon does not seek escalation", according to comments issued by Mikati's office.

The increase in attacks last week was followed by a brief respite during the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday, which concludes on Tuesday. Hezbollah announced a drone attack against an Israeli tank on Tuesday afternoon - its first announced attack since Saturday.

The group used more of its extensive arsenal against Israel last week, prompting United Nations officials in Lebanon to warn over the weekend that the "danger of miscalculation leading to a sudden and wider conflict is very real".

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday that he too was worried about the escalation, and called "for a cessation of hostilities and for actors with influence to take all possible measures to avert a full-scale war".

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Yemen Prisoner Exchange Agreement

Officials are seen at the announcement of the prisoner exchange in Muscat. (Saudi Ambassador to Yemen on X)
Officials are seen at the announcement of the prisoner exchange in Muscat. (Saudi Ambassador to Yemen on X)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Yemen Prisoner Exchange Agreement

Officials are seen at the announcement of the prisoner exchange in Muscat. (Saudi Ambassador to Yemen on X)
Officials are seen at the announcement of the prisoner exchange in Muscat. (Saudi Ambassador to Yemen on X)

Saudi Arabia welcomed on Tuesday the agreement signed in Muscat earlier to exchange prisoners and detainees in Yemen.

It deemed the development “an important humanitarian step that contributes to alleviating human suffering and boosting confidence-building opportunities.”

The Kingdom praised “the sincere efforts and generous initiatives exerted by Oman in hosting and sponsoring the talks, as well as its support for the negotiating efforts conducted from December 9 to 23.”

The Kingdom also hailed the efforts by the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all parties who participated in the negotiations.

It reiterated its support for all efforts to achieve peace, security, and stability in a manner that fulfills the aspirations of the Yemeni people.

Yemen’s legitimate government and the Iran-backed Houthi militants reached an agreement to free 2,900 detainees held during the 11-year war.

Saudi Ambassador Mohamed Al-Haber said in a statement on X that the agreement was signed under the supervision of the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and the ICRC, “which will enable all detainees to return to their families.”

“I commend the efforts of the negotiation teams from both sides who succeeded in reaching an understanding and concluding this agreement, which addresses a humanitarian issue and strengthens efforts to bring calm and build confidence in Yemen,” he added.

The UN special envoy, Hans Grundberg, said the agreement was a “positive and meaningful step that will hopefully ease the suffering of detainees and their families across Yemen.”

“We are ready and determined to carry out the release, transfer and repatriation of detainees so that people separated from their families can be reunited in a safe and dignified manner,” said Christine Cipolla, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen.

World

Ex-Aide Says Netanyahu Tasked Him with Making a Plan to Evade Responsibility for Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel, in Jerusalem, December 22, 2025. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel, in Jerusalem, December 22, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Ex-Aide Says Netanyahu Tasked Him with Making a Plan to Evade Responsibility for Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel, in Jerusalem, December 22, 2025. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel, in Jerusalem, December 22, 2025. (Reuters)

A former close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that immediately following the October 2023 Hamas attack that triggered Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, the Israeli leader instructed him to figure out how the premier could evade responsibility for the security breach.

Former Netanyahu spokesperson Eli Feldstein, who faces trial for allegedly leaking classified information to the press, made the explosive accusation during an extensive interview with Israel’s Kan news channel Monday night.

Critics have repeatedly accused Netanyahu of refusing to accept blame for the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. But little is known about Netanyahu’s behavior in the days immediately following the attack, while the premier has consistently resisted an independent state inquiry.

Speaking to Kan, Feldstein said “the first task” he received from Netanyahu after Oct. 7, 2023, was to stifle calls for accountability.

“He asked me, ‘What are they talking about in the news? Are they still talking about responsibility?’” Feldstein said. “He wanted me to think of something that could be said that would offset the media storm surrounding the question of whether the prime minister had taken responsibility or not.”

He added that Netanyahu looked “panicked” when he made the request. Feldstein said he was later told by people in Netanyahu's close circle to omit the word “responsibility” from all statements.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel then launched a devastating war in Gaza that has killed nearly 71,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.

Netanyahu’s office called the interview a “long series of mendacious and recycled allegations made by a man with clear personal interests who is trying to deflect responsibility from himself,” Hebrew media reported.

Feldstein’s statements come after his indictment in a case where he is accused of leaking classified military information to a German tabloid to improve public perception of the prime minister following the killing of six hostages in Gaza in August of last year.

Sports

Pressure Builds on Milano Cortina Organizers Amid Climate Concerns and Funding Issues

A general view shows the Olympic rings on the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, which will host the curling, wheelchair curling, and Paralympic closing ceremony during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026, in Cortina, Italy, January 25, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows the Olympic rings on the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, which will host the curling, wheelchair curling, and Paralympic closing ceremony during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026, in Cortina, Italy, January 25, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Pressure Builds on Milano Cortina Organizers Amid Climate Concerns and Funding Issues

A general view shows the Olympic rings on the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, which will host the curling, wheelchair curling, and Paralympic closing ceremony during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026, in Cortina, Italy, January 25, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows the Olympic rings on the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, which will host the curling, wheelchair curling, and Paralympic closing ceremony during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026, in Cortina, Italy, January 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Pressure is mounting on Italian authorities to accelerate preparations for the Milano Cortina Olympics amid funding gaps and unusually warm temperatures, even as the head of world skiing openly advocates a fundamental overhaul of how future Winter Games are hosted.

With the Games due to start in February, International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) president Johan Eliasch said Italy’s challenges were symptomatic of deeper structural issues facing winter sport, as rising costs, climate pressure and under-used infrastructure fuel calls for a rotating model of permanent Olympic hosts.

Growing concern over climate pressure, escalating costs and the waste of Olympic infrastructure after the Games is strengthening support within international sport for a rotation system, under which a small pool of established venues would host the Winter Olympics on a recurring basis.

Proponents argue that such a model would allow long-term planning, reduce spending and ensure consistent conditions for athletes and spectators, rather than forcing hosts to build or upgrade facilities that are rarely used once the Games end.

Eliasch said several Olympic venues were facing technical difficulties not because of shortcomings by local organizers, but because of funding issues at government level.

Games ‌organizers have said the ‌venues will be ready on time.

"We see here that there are some venues that have ‌technical ⁠difficulties. It’s not the ‌organizing committees. It’s just simply a lack of funding from the Italian government," he told Reuters in an interview.

"It’s really important that every effort is now made to make sure that everything is ready on time."

Eliasch warned that readiness alone was not enough.

"We know that we will get everything somehow ready on time," he said. "But the question is, of course, what? And that what needs to meet a certain quality threshold and also experience threshold for the spectators, the fans, the athletes, first and foremost, to make this a success."

He warned that funding constraints could push preparations beyond critical tipping points.

SNOWMAKING CONCERNS

"We shouldn’t be penny wise and pound foolish," Eliasch said. "And there are certain tipping points here in the process beyond which there is no return."

"So from a quality perspective, for ⁠what we’re trying to do here, it’s really important that funding doesn’t become an impediment to delivering the best of the best for those two and a half weeks in February," he added.

Snowmaking has emerged as a key concern as organizers prepare venues across northern Italy, and ‍Eliasch noted that parts of the downhill course in Bormio had ‍no snow on them.

"We know right now that the snowmaking equipment is working, but we have an additional problem, and that is that ‍the temperatures are very warm," Eliasch said. "Which means we can only produce snow during the night, not during the daytime because it’s too warm."

"So the theoretical capacity simply can’t be met," he added.

Alessandro Morelli, Italian Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, said he was happy with the situation.

"In Livigno, 53 additional snow cannons are in operation, ensuring the production of the snow needed for the smooth running of the competitions, ahead of the Olympics," he told Italian news agency ANSA.

"The situation satisfies us, and we are confident that we can achieve an even better result than we had imagined."

Eliasch contrasted the situation with regular international competitions.

"If this was a World Cup race or a World Championship race, it would be easy," Eliasch ⁠said. "We’d know exactly what plan B, plan C, plan D is. We wouldn't start making snow this late. We would have plans to bring in snow from other areas, track it in. We would have all sorts of contingency planning."

Olympic events are far more complex, making financial certainty essential.

"Without clarity on and transparency for the organizing committee that we’re trying to support in every possible way — and they are doing their best, they’re working incredibly hard — but without resources, no one is going to step forward and deliver without knowing that they will get paid," Eliasch, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, said.

IOC HAT ON

"It is a very logical step to take," Eliasch said of a rotation model. "And I have advocated for it with my IOC hat on. Without long-term planning, people are not going to invest. And the Games are getting more and more expensive."

"Huge investments, billions of dollars, are being invested in infrastructure," Eliasch added. "Which becomes wasted after the Olympic Games have been held."

"For Olympic Winter Games, to pull all that together, they need at least five- or six-years’ notice," Eliasch said.

"I think we’re looking at maybe six to eight venues to start with," Eliasch said.

Climate pressure is accelerating the debate.

"Climate change could become an ‌existential threat," Eliasch said. "The only logical way to bring costs down to reasonable levels is to have a rotation scheme."

The stakes extend far beyond winter sport.

"We are competing with Formula One, NFL, NBA, football — we have to be at the forefront," he said. "The five rings are magical. And that’s something we must protect at ‌all costs."