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24 People Killed in Israeli Attack on Ain Deleb, Lebanon’s Health Ministry Says

Smoke billowed from the burning rubble as people gathered at the site of Israeli airstrikes in the Harat Harek neighborhood of southern Beirut (AFP).
Smoke billowed from the burning rubble as people gathered at the site of Israeli airstrikes in the Harat Harek neighborhood of southern Beirut (AFP).
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24 People Killed in Israeli Attack on Ain Deleb, Lebanon’s Health Ministry Says

Smoke billowed from the burning rubble as people gathered at the site of Israeli airstrikes in the Harat Harek neighborhood of southern Beirut (AFP).
Smoke billowed from the burning rubble as people gathered at the site of Israeli airstrikes in the Harat Harek neighborhood of southern Beirut (AFP).

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Sunday at least 24 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two buildings in the country’s south.

The consecutive strikes Sunday on Ain all-Delb, east of Sidon, were caught on camera by neighbors in the area. The Health Ministry said the strikes also injured at least 29 people.

In video verified by The Associated Press, one strike caused a huge plume of smoke. The second one hit an adjacent building, causing to sway and then collapse.

Separately, the Health Ministry said Israeli strikes in the northern province of Baalbek Hermel killed 21 people and injured at least 47.

Israel struck more targets in Lebanon on Sunday, pressing Hezbollah with new attacks after killing the Iran-backed group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and a string of its other top commanders in an escalating military campaign.

The attacks have dealt a stunning succession of blows to Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fire, killing much of its leadership and revealing gaping security holes. Israel's defense minister is now discussing widening the offensive.

Following the death of Nasrallah - killed in a massive airstrike in Beirut on Friday - Hezbollah fired new fusillades of rockets into Israel, while Iran said his death would be avenged.

Israel's intensifying bombardment has increased fears the conflict could spin out of control, potentially drawing in Iran as well as the United States, Israel's closest ally, which said on Sunday it has authorized its military to reinforce in the region while also urging a diplomatic resolution.

Nasrallah had not only made Hezbollah into a powerful domestic force in Lebanon during his 32 years as leader, but helped turn it into the linchpin of Iran's network of allied groups in the Arab world.

Nasrallah's body was recovered intact from the site of Friday's strike, a medical source and a security source told Reuters on Sunday. Hezbollah has not yet said when his funeral will be held.

Supporters of the group and other Lebanese who hailed its role fighting Israel, which occupied south Lebanon for years, mourned him on Sunday.

"We lost the leader who gave us all the strength and faith that we, this small country that we love, could turn it into a paradise," said Lebanese Christian woman Sophia Blanche Rouillard, carrying a black flag to work in Beirut.

The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, their latest round of warfare in four decades of on-off conflict, has been waged in parallel with Israel's war in Gaza against Hamas since the Iran-backed Palestinian group's attack on Israel last Oct. 7.

Israel's stated goal is to make its northern areas safe from Hezbollah rocket fire and allow thousands of displaced residents to return, but its strikes have also had a devastating impact on civilians in Lebanon.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said more than 1,000 Lebanese were killed and 6,000 wounded in the past two weeks, without saying how many were civilians. The government said a million people - a fifth of the population - had fled their homes.

The Health Ministry said 14 medics had been killed in airstrikes over the past two days.

In Beirut, some displaced families spent the night on the benches at Zaitunay Bay, a string of restaurants and cafes on Beirut's waterfront. On Sunday morning, families with nothing more than a duffle bag of clothes had rolled out mats to sleep on and made tea for themselves.

"You won't be able to destroy us, whatever you do, however much you bomb, however much you displace people - we will stay here. We won't leave. This is our country and we're staying," said Francoise Azori, a Beirut resident jogging through the area.

The UN World Food Program began an emergency operation to provide food for those affected by the conflict.

MILITARY ACTION

On Sunday Israel's military said the air force had struck dozens of targets including launchers and weapons stores while its navy said it had intercepted eight projectiles coming from the direction of Lebanon and one from the Red Sea.

More blasts rocked Beirut and drones could be heard flying over all parts of the Lebanese capital overnight and throughout the day on Sunday.

Nasrallah's death capped a traumatic fortnight for Hezbollah, starting with the detonation of thousands of communications devices used by its members. Israel was widely assumed to have carried out that action but has not confirmed or denied it did.

Israeli airstrikes across Hezbollah strongholds in south Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border, and in Beirut's southern suburbs have meanwhile killed a string of the group's other most senior commanders.

On Sunday Israel said it had killed Nabil Qaouq, a prominent Hezbollah leader. Hezbollah confirmed his death.

ESCALATION RISKS

Concerns have grown about the prospect of a wider conflict. Israel has mobilized reserve brigades and says it is ready for all options, including a ground operation.

Hezbollah has said it will cease fire only when Israel's offensive in Gaza ends. Hamas and other Hezbollah allies issued statements mourning his death.

Diplomatic efforts have shown little sign of progress. Lebanon's caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makary said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday that efforts for a ceasefire were still underway.

The US, which has praised the killing of Nasrallah as a measure of justice for victims of Hezbollah attacks, on Sunday urged a peaceful resolution.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said all-out war with Hezbollah or Iran would not help residents of northern Israel return to their homes.

"We believe that a diplomatic path is the right course," he said.

In Iran, which helped create Hezbollah in the early 1980s, senior figures mourned the death of a senior Revolutionary Guards member killed alongside Nasrallah, and Tehran called for a UN Security Council meeting on Israel's actions.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure location in Iran after Nasrallah's killing, sources told Reuters.

Hezbollah's arsenal has long been a point of contention in Lebanon, a country with a history of civil conflict. Hezbollah's Lebanese critics say the group has unilaterally pulled the country into conflicts and undermined the state.

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Arab World

Iraq Rejects Syrian Request to Repatriate 4,000 Suspected ISIS Detainees

Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)
Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraq Rejects Syrian Request to Repatriate 4,000 Suspected ISIS Detainees

Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)
Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq has rejected Syria's request to repatriate thousands of suspected ISIS members transferred from Syrian detention centers to Iraqi custody earlier this year, a senior Iraqi security official said on Wednesday.

Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Aboudi said that a meeting had been held recently between Syria, Iraq and the United States to discuss the fate of the prisoners.

Al-Aboudi said Syria had requested that the 4,000 Syrian prisoners be handed over to be tried in Syria, but Iraq refused. Iraq has repatriated about 50 Syrian detainees who were determined not to be ISIS members, he told The Associated Press, while the Syrian prisoners remaining in Iraq include about 400 who are believed to be high-level members of the extremist group.

“Iraq is conducting investigations, and anyone proved to have committed crimes in Iraq will be tried under Iraqi law,” he said.

Some prisoners could later be transferred to their home countries to complete their sentences, he said.

Syria did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

More than 5,700 prisoners with alleged ISIS ties — including some 4,000 Syrians — were transferred from northeast Syria to Iraq after fighting broke out in January between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had long guarded the detention centers where they were held.

Some ISIS-linked prisoners managed to flee during the chaos of the clashes, and there were fears that a larger-scale escape would take place. While the extremist group lost control of the territory it once seized in Iraq and Syria years ago, its cells still periodically carry out attacks in both countries.

The discussions about the prisoners' fate come as the United States has ended a 12-year mission to fight ISIS in Iraq, with the last US troops withdrawing from the country last month.

Al-Aboudi said Iraq has asked for financial support from the US and other countries taking part in the global coalition against ISIS to help with the costs of housing the prisoners.

“Iraq asked for an allocation of $500 million. The coalition promised support, but Iraq is still waiting,” he said.

A US defense official and the office of Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria and Iraq, referred questions about the prisoners to Iraqi and Syrian authorities.

Many of the prisoners transferred to Iraq had been held in Syria for years without charges. Rights groups have raised concerns about detention conditions in both countries.

Arab World

Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security

Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security
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Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security

Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security

President of the Arab Parliament Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi stressed that repeated terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia and its civilian and oil facilities pose a direct threat to regional security.

During his speech at the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, Al-Yamahi addressed Iranian attacks that targeted several Arab countries and threatened civilians, infrastructure, and vital facilities, SPA reported.

He also discussed regional escalation and related threats to the security of Arab countries. He called on the international community to move beyond condemnation and take measures to protect states and their sovereignty and compel the parties to respect international law.

Arab World

Sudan’s Burhan Rules Out Talks with RSF or ‘Any Other Party’

Wreckage of a drone allegedly used in an attack on Damazin (activists’ Facebook pages). 
Wreckage of a drone allegedly used in an attack on Damazin (activists’ Facebook pages). 
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Sudan’s Burhan Rules Out Talks with RSF or ‘Any Other Party’

Wreckage of a drone allegedly used in an attack on Damazin (activists’ Facebook pages). 
Wreckage of a drone allegedly used in an attack on Damazin (activists’ Facebook pages). 

Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has reiterated his refusal to negotiate with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or “any other party,” vowing to continue military operations despite renewed US efforts to secure a political settlement.

His remarks came after Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, announced that he had met Burhan in Egypt earlier this week.

Meanwhile, a drone attack on Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state, killed four women and wounded dozens of civilians, according to a Sudanese human rights group.

Addressing residents of Amri locality in Northern state on Tuesday, Burhan declared: “There will be no negotiations with the rebels or with any other party,” without specifying whom else he meant.

“We are a state of institutions. Decisions on negotiations, peace and war are therefore made by the Security and Defense Council,” he added, according to a statement from the Sovereignty Council’s media office.

Burhan, who heads the Sovereignty Council and commands the armed forces, reaffirmed his determination to continue what he described as efforts to defeat and eliminate the rebellion.

He also praised Amri residents for supporting the army and the Popular Resistance, reiterating the military’s commitment to what it calls the “Battle of Dignity.”

Deadly drone attack

Hours after Burhan’s remarks, Emergency Lawyers, a volunteer human rights organization, reported that drones belonging to the RSF had struck civilian sites in Damazin early Wednesday.

The strikes hit homes and a mosque, killing four women in the Al-Hijra neighborhood and wounding dozens of civilians, the group alleged.

Its statement provided no further details about the wounded or how it had established responsibility for the attack.

Emergency Lawyers warned against continued attacks on civilian sites, stressing that deliberately targeting them constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The organization demanded an end to the attacks and accountability for those responsible, urging all parties to the conflict to respect civilian protections and avoid endangering lives.

Neither the army nor the RSF issued a comment, although platforms aligned with the paramilitary group reported that the drones had targeted the homes of the finance and information ministers.

In a separate statement, Damazin Technical College condemned a two-drone attack on its campus, reporting damage to classrooms, administrative offices, laboratories, and other infrastructure.

Diplomatic efforts

Burhan’s rejection of negotiations came less than a day after Boulos announced that he had attended a lunch hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in New Alamein, on the sidelines of an African Union coordination meeting, where he met the Sudanese leader.

In a post on X on Monday, Boulos reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with regional and international partners toward a political settlement that would help end Sudan’s war and alleviate the country’s humanitarian suffering.

He emphasized US support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

According to Boulos, the diplomatic efforts aim to restore security and stability, begin reconstruction and development, and facilitate a transition to a civilian-led government through an inclusive national dialogue owned and led by the Sudanese people.

In a television interview last September, Boulos maintained that Washington engaged with both sides in Sudan’s conflict without formally recognizing either.

He also stressed that his meetings with Burhan did not constitute recognition of the Sudanese government.

However, in his latest X post, Boulos referred to Burhan by his official title, “Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council,” wording that some interpreted as tacit recognition.

Boulos has argued that maintaining contact with both warring parties is essential to reaching a peaceful settlement and facilitating humanitarian aid deliveries.

His remarks followed a Sept. 22 statement by US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, who declared that neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF and their leaders represented a legitimate constitutional government of Sudan.

Pigott also affirmed Washington’s readiness to work with partners committed to peace.

The diplomatic exchanges coincided with Washington’s refusal to grant Burhan a visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.

Reuters reported at the time, citing a Sudanese diplomatic source and a Western analyst, that Burhan’s participation had been made conditional on his acceptance of a 90-day truce proposed by Boulos. The US State Department declined to comment.