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Israel Boosts Presence Along Lebanon Border, Expects Another Attempt by Hezbollah

UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) patrol the border with Israel, in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, Lebanon July 28, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) patrol the border with Israel, in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, Lebanon July 28, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
    Beirut, Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat
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Israel Boosts Presence Along Lebanon Border, Expects Another Attempt by Hezbollah

UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) patrol the border with Israel, in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, Lebanon July 28, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) patrol the border with Israel, in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, Lebanon July 28, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

The Lebanese government is preparing to file a complaint with the United Nations against Israel over the latest border escalation, linking the security clash to Tel Aviv’s attempt to amend the tasks of the international peacekeeping forces operating in the South (UNIFIL) and to change the rules of engagement with Lebanon.

A cautious calm prevailed in the southern region on Tuesday following shelling in the occupied Chebaa Farms. Tel Aviv said it thwarting a Hezbollah attack, while the movement asserted that it was unilateral shooting.

“[Hezbollah] affirms that there has been no clash or shooting on its part in the events of the day until now. Rather, it was only one party, which was the fearful, anxious, and tense enemy,” a statement by Hezbollah said.

According to the Israeli account, the shelling began when Hezbollah members penetrated the border and tried to reach an Israeli military site in the occupied Chebaa farms. An Israeli official said that his forces have deliberately abstained from killing the four cell members, in order to prevent Hezbollah from exploiting the clash in its favor.

Tuesday’s calm was breached by intense flights by Israeli military jets in the areas of the South, Metn, and Mount Lebanon. Jets flew at medium altitude according to a report by the National News Agency (NNA).

The Lebanese Army registered 29 hostile air violations, during which circular flights were carried out over the southern regions on Monday. Hezbollah and the Israeli army remain on high alert on both sides of the border despite the relative calm after the shelling.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited on Tuesday the headquarters of the northern military region and held consultations with senior military officials.

“Our operation was an important one, in which we thwarted a penetration of our lands. All that is happening now is an attempt by Iran and its proxies in Lebanon to strengthen their military presence in our region. Nasrallah serves this Iranian interest at the expense of the Lebanese state. I do not invite anyone to test the Israeli army’s [capabilities]... We are determined to defend ourselves,” he said.

Military sources said that Israel was expecting another attempt by Hezbollah to carry out a retaliatory operation against the killing of its field commander, Ali Kamel Mohsen, by an Israeli airstrike on a site near Damascus 10 days ago.

The sources expected that the operation would take place around Eid al-Adha this week.

The Lebanese authorities are seeking to address the security development diplomatically. Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti condemned the shelling in remarks following a cabinet session on Tuesday.

“We will file a complaint to the Security Council and we will stress our adherence to the extension of UNIFIL tasks without amendments,” he said.

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Arab World

UN: At Least 15 Children Killed in Sudan Drone Strike

The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)
The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)
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UN: At Least 15 Children Killed in Sudan Drone Strike

The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)
The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)

A drone strike on a displacement camp in Sudan killed at least 15 children earlier this week, the United Nations reported late on Wednesday.

"On Monday 16 February, at least 15 children were reportedly killed and 10 wounded after a drone strike on a displacement camp in Al Sunut, West Kordofan," the UN children's agency said in a statement.

Across the Kordofan region, currently the Sudan war's fiercest battlefield, "we are seeing the same disturbing patterns from Darfur -- children killed, injured, displaced and cut off from the services they need to survive," UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell said.

Arab World

MSF Will Keep Operating in Gaza 'as Long as We Can'

(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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MSF Will Keep Operating in Gaza 'as Long as We Can'

(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

The head of Doctors Without Borders in the Palestinian territories told AFP the charity would continue working in Gaza for as long as possible, following an Israeli decision to end its activities there.

In early February, Israel announced it was terminating all the activities in Gaza by the medical charity, known by its French acronym MSF, after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff.

MSF has slammed the move, which takes effect on March 1, as a "pretext" to obstruct aid.

"For the time being, we are still working in Gaza, and we plan to keep running our operations as long as we can," Filipe Ribeiro told AFP in Amman, but said operations were already facing challenges.

"Since the beginning of January, we are not anymore in the capacity to get international staff inside Gaza. The Israeli authorities actually denied any entry to Gaza, but also to the West Bank," he said.

Ribeiro added that MSF's ability to bring medical supplies into Gaza had also been impacted.

"They're not allowed for now, but we have some stocks in our pharmacies that will allow us to keep running operations for the time being," he said.

"We do have teams in Gaza that are still working, both national and international, and we have stocks."

In December, Israel announced it would prevent 37 aid organizations, including MSF, from working in Gaza from March 1 for failing to submit detailed information about their Palestinian employees, drawing widespread condemnation from NGOs and the United Nations.

It had alleged that two MSF employees had links with Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which the medical charity has repeatedly and vehemently denied.

MSF says it did not provide the names of its Palestinian staff because Israeli authorities offered no assurances regarding their safety.

Ribeiro warned of the massive impact the termination of MSF's operations would have for healthcare in war-shattered Gaza.

"MSF is one of the biggest actors when it comes to the health provision in Gaza and the West Bank, and if we are obliged to leave, then we will create a huge void in Gaza," he said.

The charity says it currently provides at least 20 percent of hospital beds in the territory and operates around 20 health centers.

In 2025 alone, it carried out more than 800,000 medical consultations, treated more than 100,000 trauma cases and assisted more than 10,000 infant deliveries.

Arab World

Egyptian-Turkish Military Talks Focus on Strengthening Partnership

The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)
The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)
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Egyptian-Turkish Military Talks Focus on Strengthening Partnership

The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)
The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)

Senior Egyptian and Turkish air force commanders met in Cairo on Wednesday for talks focused on strengthening military partnership and expanding bilateral cooperation, in the latest sign of warming defense ties between the two countries.

The meeting brought together the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force, Lt. Gen. Amr Saqr, and his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadioglu, to review a range of issues of mutual interest amid growing cooperation between the two air forces.

Egypt’s military spokesperson said the talks reflect the Armed Forces’ commitment to deepening military collaboration with friendly and partner nations.

Earlier this month, Egypt and Türkiye signed a military cooperation agreement during talks in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Sisi highlighted similar viewpoints on regional and international issues, while Erdogan noted that enhanced cooperation and forthcoming joint steps would help support regional peace.

Cairo and Ankara also signed an agreement last August on the joint production of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones. Production of unmanned ground vehicles has also begun under a partnership between the Turkish firm HAVELSAN and Egypt’s Kader Factory.

During the talks, Saqr underscored the importance of coordinating efforts to advance shared interests and expressed hope for closer ties that would benefit both air forces.

Kadioglu, for his part, stressed the depth of bilateral partnership and the strong foundations of cooperation between the two countries’ air forces.

According to the military spokesperson, Kadioglu also toured several Egyptian Air Force units to review the latest training and armament systems introduced in recent years.

Military cooperation between Egypt and Türkiye has gained momentum since 2023, following the restoration of full diplomatic relations and reciprocal presidential visits that reflected positively on the defense sector.

In September last year, the joint naval exercise “Sea of Friendship 2025” was held in Turkish territorial waters, aimed at enhancing joint capabilities and exchanging expertise against a range of threats.