Arab World News

Raid Hits Beirut’s Southern Suburbs as Israel Says Striking Hezbollah

Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs, near Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium (R), on April 6, 2026. (AFP)

Raid Hits Beirut’s Southern Suburbs as Israel Says Striking Hezbollah

An Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday as Israel's army said it was targeting Hezbollah, with the raid sending a large plume of smoke…

Arab World  A Palestinian Christian woman attends a service at Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza on Sunday (dpa). 

Gaza Factions Expect Intensified Israeli Attacks after Seeking Changes to Disarmament Plan

Major Palestinian factions in Gaza expect Israel to step up its military operations in the enclave after they, through Hamas, sought amendments to a proposed…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World A soldier of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

UNIFIL Warns Israel, Hezbollah Attacks near Its Positions Risk Return Fire

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said attacks by Israel and Hezbollah near its positions "could potentially draw return fire". In a statement,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Smoke rises from Beirut's southern suburbs following an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the US-Israel conflict with Iran continues, Lebanon, April 5, 2026. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

After Gaza Devastation, Israeli Attacks on Lebanon's Health Care System Feel Familiar for Many

Two years ago, Dr. Mohammed Ziara watched Israel ravage Gaza's health care system, shelling hospitals, striking ambulances and forcing patients to evacuate. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World 25 March 2026, Palestinian Territories, Deir al-Balah: Smoke and flames rise after an Israeli military strike on a target in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. (dpa)

Hamas Armed Wing Says Disarmament Calls Are Unacceptable

Hamas' armed wing said on Sunday discussing the group's disarmament before Israel fully implements the first phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire was an…


Arab World A man checks a destroyed house that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Saksakiyeh village, south Lebanon, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Hezbollah Says Clashed with Israeli Forces in Two South Lebanon Villages

Hezbollah said Friday its members had clashed directly with Israeli forces in two south Lebanon villages, as Israeli airstrikes on several areas killed at…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (2nd-R) attending the early morning prayers for Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Damascus on March 20, 2026. (SANA/AFP)

Syrian President to Visit Berlin on Monday, Says German Govt

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit Germany on Monday for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a government spokesman in Berlin said. "The…

Arab World A Hezbollah flag is placed in front of a house destroyed by an Israeli strike, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, during a media tour in Chaat, Lebanon, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo

War between Hezbollah and Israel Deepens Fractures in Lebanon

War between Israel and Hezbollah is pushing Lebanon's fragile state and society towards breaking point, straining sectarian and political faultlines as Shi'ite…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani during a meeting in New York last September. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt, Syria Boost Rapprochement Through Reconstruction, Economic Cooperation

Egypt and Syria are seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation and expand economic and trade partnerships, following a series of visits and meetings at…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Arab World  In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

No ‘Positive Signs’ as Israel Refuses to Tie Ending War on Lebanon to Iran

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Thursday the need for the state to impose its authority throughout its territories and impose monopoly over…

Caroline Akoum (Beirut)
Arab World An Iraqi soldier stands guard at the site of a destroyed healthcare center in the Habbaniyah military base, which was targeted by in an airstrike killing seven security personnel and wounding 13 others, in Habbaniyah, west of Baghdad on March 26, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq Condemns Any ‘Aggression, Targeting’ of Gulf States, Jordan

Iraq on Thursday condemned the targeting of the Gulf states and Jordan, a day after these countries issued a joint statement demanding Baghdad act to prevent…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Arab World  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, in Le Bourget, France, early Friday, March 27, 2026, to take part in the G7 foreign ministers' meeting. (AP)

Rubio Holds Call with Iraqi Kurdish Leader, State Department Says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday, the State Department said, adding he…

Arab World The rubble of a damaged building after an Israeli strike in the Chiyah area, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, 25 March 2026. (EPA)

Blasts Heard as Lebanese State Media Says Israel Strikes Beirut Suburbs

Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs early Friday, as AFP correspondents heard several explosions from the Hezbollah…

Arab World A previous session of the Lebanese Parliament (National News Agency)

Lebanon: Hezbollah Boycotts Cabinet Session over Iran Ambassador Expulsion

Ministers from Hezbollah and its ally Amal boycotted Lebanon's cabinet session on Thursday in protest over the government declaring the Iranian ambassador…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Israeli military vehicles maneuver on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, 25 March 2026. EPA/ATEF SAFADI

Lebanese Fear Another Occupation as Israel Threatens to Use Gaza Tactics in the South

As Israel trades fire with Hezbollah, calls for mass evacuations and sends ground troops deeper into Lebanon, its leaders have hinted at a long-term occupation…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Israeli tanks near the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in northern Israel, March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Lebanon: Hezbollah Claims Targeting 10 Israeli Merkava Tanks

Lebanon's Iran-aligned Hezbollah group said Thursday that it struck10 Israeli Merkava tanks in three southern towns along the border. In a series of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Displaced Sudanese families from Kurdufan at a football stadium in the town of Kadugli, south of the region (AP)

At Least 28 Civilians Killed in Sudan Drone Strikes

Two drone strikes in Sudan, one at a market in Darfur and the other along a road in Kordofan, killed at least 28 civilians, health workers told AFP Thursday. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World FILED - 14 May 2025, Berlin: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres holds a press conference at the Federal Chancellery. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Guterres Names Envoy for Middle East… Warns of a Wider War

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday named veteran French diplomat Jean Arnault as his personal envoy to support efforts to end the Middle East…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Arab World Smoke rises from a displacement camp in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza after an Israeli strike on Wednesday (AFP)

Israel Steps up Assassinations in Gaza

A relative lull hangs over efforts to shape Gaza’s future, as global and regional attention shifts to the US-Israeli war against Iran. Still, Israel has…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World A photo of former Secretary-General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah lies amid the rubble of an Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs (EPA)

Lebanon’s Upcoming Cabinet Session to Test Fallout of Expelling Iranian Envoy

Lebanon’s cabinet meets on Thursday in a first test of a deepening political crisis, after a sharp split between the “Shiite duo” of Hezbollah and Amal…

Nazeer Rida (Beirut)
Arab World Smoke rises after an Iranian missile is intercepted over the Sahel Alma area in Mount Lebanon. (Reuters)

Will Lebanon Be the Biggest Loser After the Ceasefire?

Political sources in Beirut warned Lebanon could emerge as the biggest loser when the current regional war ends, outlining their concerns to Asharq Al-Awsat. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Smoke billows from an Israeli strike on Marjeyoun in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. (AFP)

Netanyahu Says Israel Is Expanding ‘Buffer Zone’ in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his country's forces were expanding a "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon as the military…

Arab World Members of Iraq's PMF carry the coffin of the PMF operations commander for Al-Anbar, Saad Dawai alongside others during a mass funeral in Baghdad on March 24, 2026. (AFP)

Strike on Western Iraq Kills Seven Security Personnel

A strike on a base in western Iraq killed seven security personnel, the defense ministry said Wednesday, a day after an attack on the same base targeted the…

Arab World A man walks along a street strewn with building debris at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs on March 25, 2026. (AFP)

Spanish PM Says Israel Wants to Inflict on Lebanon ‘Same Destruction’ as in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "seeks to inflict the same level of damage and destruction" on Lebanon as Israeli ‌forces had ‌wrought on …

Arab World  Syria's (L) and Iraq's national flags are pictured near the Iraqi-Syrian border, in Al-Qaim, western Iraq on January 23, 2026. (AFP)

Syria on Alert to Protect its Borders with Iraq, Wary of Intervening in Lebanon

The Syrian armed forces said they were on full alert in wake of a rocket attack from Iraq against a Syrian military base in the Hasakeh province. The army…

Souad Jarous (Damascus)
Arab World Women stand next to a building destroyed by an Israeli strike in Tyre, Lebanon, March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Manu Brabo

Hezbollah Says Negotiating with Israel Would Be Surrender, amid Strikes on Lebanon

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Wednesday that negotiating with Israel under fire would amount to "surrender" for Lebanon, as Israel launched new strikes and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World A poster of the slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei hangs near the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik neighborhood on March 24, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Lebanon: Arrest Warrants Issued for Hezbollah Members over Rocket Transfers

The military judiciary in Lebanon issued arrest warrants for Hezbollah members for transporting missiles and weapons, rejecting requests for their release.

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Gunmen from Hamas’ Qassam Brigades in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, February 2025 (EPA)

‘Like a Threat’: What Gaza’s Latest Disarmament Proposal Includes

Sources from Hamas told Asharq Al-Awsat that its delegation received a proposal days ago to disarm the Gaza Strip, submitted by the executive body of the Board…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World Demonstrators carry a Syrian flag during a rally commemorating the15th anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Daraa, southern Syria, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP)

Iraq Arrests Four After Rocket Attack on Syria Base

Iraq arrested four people in connection with an earlier rocket attack launched against a military base in neighboring Syria, officials said late Tuesday. …