عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Gaza War Extends into Beirut with Killing of Hamas Leader 

Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)
Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)
TT
TT

Gaza War Extends into Beirut with Killing of Hamas Leader 

Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)
Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)

Israeli forces intensified their bombing of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and told civilians to leave a refugee camp in the north of the Palestinian enclave after the war stretched into Lebanon with the killing in Beirut of the Hamas deputy leader. 

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it killed Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday. But military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario. 

The assassination was a further sign that the nearly three-month war between Israel and Hamas was spreading across the region, drawing in the occupied West Bank, Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, and even Red Sea shipping lanes. 

Arouri, 57, who lived in Beirut, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel began its offensive against the militant group in response to its deadly rampage into Israeli towns on Oct. 7. 

Hamas politburo member Hossam Badran said in a eulogy for Arouri: "We say to the criminal occupation (Israel) that the battle between us is open." 

Israel had long accused him of orchestrating attacks on its citizens. But a Hamas official said he was also "at the heart of negotiations" conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages. 

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was due to make a speech in Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Previously he had warned Israel against carrying out assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a "severe reaction". 

The heavily armed Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the Gaza war began. More than 100 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel. 

Following Arouri's killing, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said it was deeply concerned about the possibility of an escalation "that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the border". 

Refugee camp under fire 

In Gaza itself, Israeli forces bombed Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in the northern part of the Hamas-ruled enclave overnight and into Wednesday, destroying several multi-floor buildings, residents and Palestinian media said. 

Israeli planes also dropped leaflets on Al-Nusseirat ordering people to leave seven districts. 

"You are in a dangerous combat area. The IDF is operating heavily in your area of residence. For your safety the IDF urge you to immediately evacuate this area and leave towards the known shelters in Deir Al-Balah (west)," the leaflets said. 

Israeli war planes and tanks also stepped up attacks on the Al-Bureij refugee camp. 

Hamas' armed wing said it had killed 10 Israeli soldiers in fighting in Al-Bureij and hit five tanks and troop carriers. The Israeli military said the number of its soldiers killed since its first incursion into Gaza on Oct. 20 had reached 177. 

In the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, health officials said at least four people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house. They said three people were also killed in an air strike on a house in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. 

Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians. But the total recorded Palestinian death toll has now reached 22,185, according to the Gaza health ministry. 

The war was triggered by a cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 hostages taken back to Gaza. 

Since then, Israeli bombardments have laid waste to much of the enclave. Its 2.3 million residents are engulfed in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute, crammed into shrinking areas in the hope they are safe and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies. 

'Veins of resistance' 

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri's killing, chanting, "Revenge, revenge". 

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Arouri's killing would "ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers..." 

Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. 

He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed "a complete cessation" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages. 

Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts. 

Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas, but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state. 

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Syria: Local Factions Clash Overnight in Sweida

Syrian army soldiers stand on the chassis of a mine-clearing tank of the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department during a demining operation in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP)
Syrian army soldiers stand on the chassis of a mine-clearing tank of the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department during a demining operation in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP)
TT
TT

Syria: Local Factions Clash Overnight in Sweida

Syrian army soldiers stand on the chassis of a mine-clearing tank of the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department during a demining operation in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP)
Syrian army soldiers stand on the chassis of a mine-clearing tank of the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department during a demining operation in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP)

Armed clashes broke out in the Syrian city of Sweida late on Friday following a dispute between a group of factions that escalated into gunfire and the use of various weapons and projectiles, according to local sources and media reports cited by the German news agency dpa.

Syria TV quoted local sources as saying the clashes took place between a faction known as the “Security Office” of the National Guard, affiliated with Salman al-Hijri, the son of Hikmat al-Hijri, and local factions from the western countryside of Sweida.

A loud explosion was heard over the city. It was caused by a rocket-propelled projectile exploding in the air.

According to the sources, gunfire continued accompanied by explosions caused by RPG rounds and grenades near the provincial government building.

The Sweida 24 network reported that Ghaith Qantar, a commander in the security office, was wounded by gunfire during the clashes. It said the fighting also damaged several homes and sparked panic among civilians.

Sweida province continues to see intermittent clashes between Syrian government security forces and forces aligned with cleric Hikmat al-Hijri, despite a ceasefire that took effect on July 20, 2025.

Government security forces and al-Hijri’s forces share control of the province following the deadly violence that erupted on July 13 last year and killed more than 2,000 people, according to local estimates. The city of Sweida remains under the control of forces loyal to al-Hijri.

Arab World

Israel Seeks New Rules of Engagement with Hezbollah Over Ali al-Taher

A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)
A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)
TT
TT

Israel Seeks New Rules of Engagement with Hezbollah Over Ali al-Taher

A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)
A Lebanese woman inspects damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim (AP)

Israel’s escalation in southern Lebanon on Thursday appeared aimed at establishing new rules of engagement with Hezbollah, under which it would launch airstrikes deeper into Lebanese territory if the group sought to prevent Israeli forces from advancing toward the strategic Ali al-Taher Heights.

This has unfolded alongside Iranian rules of engagement centered on threats of military intervention if Beirut or its southern suburbs are targeted.

A Lebanese woman was killed on Thursday in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim. The Israeli military said the strike was in response to Hezbollah launching two drones toward its forces in Ali al-Taher.

The strikes on the town marked a notable escalation after nearly two weeks in which detonations and airstrikes had remained confined to towns inside the Yellow Line and its surroundings, extending into Lebanese territory.

Rules of engagement with Hezbollah

Security sources in southern Lebanon viewed the latest escalation as an Israeli attempt to establish rules of engagement with Hezbollah by expanding the scope of strikes deeper into the south whenever Hezbollah fighters confront Israeli military attempts to seize the strategic heights.

The escalation has recurred whenever the Israeli military announces that its forces in the area have come under attack, the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

That was the case in mid-August, when the Israeli air force carried out deadly strikes on the towns of Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani in response to what it said was the wounding of three of its soldiers in Ali al-Taher.

Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for any military operation against Israeli forces in the area, in line with a decision to maintain secrecy, according to sources familiar with the group’s political and media operations.

Israeli statements, however, point to Hezbollah military activity in the strategic heights whenever Israeli military vehicles attempt to advance there. Israeli media have reported that five explosive-laden drones have targeted Israeli troops in the area since the beginning of August.

Gradual encroachment

Israel insists on seizing the strategic heights east of the city of Nabatieh. Its efforts, however, have met with Hezbollah’s refusal to evacuate the area and hand over its facilities to the Lebanese army, in addition to Iranian threats to intervene militarily if Israel launches a large-scale operation.

Lebanese sources said the United States had curbed Israel’s push to seize the area through a major military operation, prompting Tel Aviv to pursue control through gradual encroachment.

Over the past two weeks, the Israeli military has stepped up operations aimed at “isolating” the Ali al-Taher Heights from their surroundings. It has repeatedly struck buildings within a three-kilometer radius, carrying out airstrikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Dawhat Kfar Rumman and neighboring areas. The attacks destroyed dozens of homes, villas and other buildings in the area.

Detonations and incursions

The military activity has coincided with detonations and incursions deeper into Lebanese territory. The Israeli military carried out demolition operations in the towns of Haddatha, Talloussa and Mansouri, while Israeli forces advanced from Haddatha into Aita al-Jabal and set fire to areas on the town’s outskirts.

Israeli artillery also shelled Houla and Wadi al-Slouqi alongside machine-gun fire.

Lebanese officials have condemned the continued Israeli strikes on the south despite the two countries signing a US-sponsored framework agreement in June and engaging in direct negotiations. Hezbollah categorically rejects the talks and has also refused to surrender its weapons.

The Israeli military said on Friday that troops from the Golani Brigade combat team “continue to operate in the security zone in southern Lebanon to eliminate threats.”

“Over recent weeks, the troops have destroyed more than 400 terrorist infrastructure sites and located numerous weapons, including anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, explosive devices, firearms and mortar shells,” it said in a statement.

Iranian rules of engagement

Since the ceasefire, Israeli military operations have been confined to southern Lebanon, while Iranian officials have threatened intervention if Beirut or its southern suburbs are targeted.

The latest remarks came from Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a television interview broadcast on Thursday night by Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar television.

Rezaei said Israel was “no longer capable of attacking Beirut’s southern suburbs or Beirut,” attributing this to “the losses Hezbollah inflicted on Israel over the past three or four months” and to Iran’s threat, which he said had been fully effective.

He said Beirut and its southern suburbs constituted a “red line for Iran,” adding that Tehran was “monitoring developments with the utmost seriousness” and that “Israel will find itself compelled to withdraw from the Lebanese territory it entered.”

Rezaei said Iran “does not interfere in the details of Hezbollah’s military structure or its field decisions,” adding that the group “now has military personnel capable of managing its affairs and making its own decisions, particularly with the rise of two new generations of young commanders.”

 

 

Arab World

Yemen Bolsters Defenses Against Houthi Threat

Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)
Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)
TT
TT

Yemen Bolsters Defenses Against Houthi Threat

Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)
Part of the latest Yemeni government meeting in the interim capital, Aden (Saba)

The escalating Houthi threat is no longer confined to the front lines or direct military attacks.

It is increasingly bearing down on ports, economic facilities and shipping lanes as Yemen’s government reorganizes state resources to confront a threat it says extends beyond the domestic conflict to international navigation and trade.

The government’s push comes amid an escalation along the western coast and in the Red Sea.

In the latest developments, ballistic missiles were fired in recent hours toward government-held islands and areas near international shipping lanes, while an attempted one-way drone attack was also reported, according to military media.

The Yemeni navy also thwarted an attempt by Houthi boats to approach government-held islands, the reports said.

The developments confront the Yemeni government with a complex challenge.

Its institutions must contain military attacks, protect civilian and commercial facilities, secure supply chains and keep the economy functioning in a country battered by years of war sparked by the Houthis and by deep financial and monetary divisions.

At its latest meeting in Aden, Yemen’s cabinet treated the Houthi escalation not as a string of isolated military operations, but as part of a broader campaign targeting the foundations of the state.

The cabinet focused on Houthi attacks against economic infrastructure and civilian and commercial facilities, particularly the port of Mokha, describing them as an attempt to disrupt trade, shipping and supply flows.

Mokha’s importance extends far beyond its immediate surroundings because of its proximity to one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.

Any threat to the port or nearby coastal areas would hit not only Yemen’s economy but also add another layer of risk to shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Broadening the confrontation

The Yemeni government is seeking to show it can manage the confrontation on parallel military, security and economic fronts.

The cabinet ordered authorities to maintain the highest level of readiness, strengthen surveillance, early-warning and response systems, and improve coordination among military, security and civilian agencies.

The measures are intended to ensure a rapid response to threats and protect state institutions, facilities and national interests.

But the government’s response extends beyond security. The cabinet also discussed electricity and gas supplies, supply bottlenecks, market oversight and supply chains.

It called for tighter controls over entry points and government revenue, as well as stronger action against smuggling and the financing of illicit activities.

The measures underscore the government’s effort to tie economic security to military security. It believes the state’s ability to withstand the escalation hinges on preventing disruptions to markets and supplies while cutting off resources the Houthis could use to finance military operations.

They also reflect an official recognition that any prolonged escalation in the Red Sea could pile further pressure on an already fragile economy, particularly if it disrupts ports or affects the movement of food, medicine and other goods.

In that context, Yemen’s cabinet stressed that anti-smuggling measures must not obstruct legitimate trade, as it seeks to cut off illicit funding while keeping essential goods flowing to the population.

International partnership

Alongside the government’s measures, Yemeni officials have called for broader cooperation with the international community, particularly the United States, to address risks that are no longer confined to Yemen’s borders.

In a video call with US Chargé d’Affaires to Yemen, Neil Hop, Presidential Leadership Council member Sultan al-Arada said security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait was a shared responsibility.

Protecting freedom of navigation and global trade routes required greater political and economic pressure on the Houthis, as well as efforts to cut off their sources of funding and weapons, he said.

The message seeks to shift the debate from the war in Yemen to the wider security of international shipping lanes. Yemen’s leadership argues that continued instability in the country directly affects regional security and global trade.

The US side reaffirmed its support for the Presidential Leadership Council and the government, according to Yemen’s official media.

It also expressed readiness to continue supporting state institutions and strengthening their capacity to address security, economic and humanitarian challenges, with a focus on restricting the Houthis’ sources of funding and weapons.