Paula Astih

Paula Astih
Features Hezbollah fighters carry one of the coffins of four fallen comrades who were killed Tuesday after their handheld pagers exploded, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP)

Doubts Cast over Hezbollah’s Ability to Wage Wide-scale War against Israel

Israel’s cyberattacks against Hezbollah’s communication network this week has cast doubt on the Iran-backed party’s ability to wage a wide-scale war against…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World The ambassadors of the Quintet countries meet at the French Embassy in Beirut. (French Embassy)

Quintet Committee Resumes Efforts to Resolve Lebanon’s Presidential Deadlock

After a complete pause in efforts to resolve the vacuum in Lebanon’s presidency over the summer, the ambassadors of the international Quintet Committee resumed…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World Citizens listen to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah at a café in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday evening, just hours after the party’s attack on northern Israel in response to the assassination of leader Fouad Shukr (EPA)

Beirut Southern Suburbs Residents Return as War Risks Ease

Many residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs quickly returned home after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah urged them to do so on Sunday evening. Following…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features This picture taken during a guided tour by the Hezbollah media office shows a man salvaging the remains of a destroyed greenhouse at the site of reported overnight Israeli bombardment on Sarein in the Bekaa valley in east-central Lebanon on August 20, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Strike on Hezbollah Arms Depots Shows Extent of Israeli Intelligence Breach

Israel’s targeting of a Hezbollah arms depot in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa region on Monday has raised questions about whether Israel has adopted a new form of…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World The Israeli army fires a flare over the border with Lebanon, in the upper Galilee, northern Israel, early 04 August 2024. (EPA)

Lebanon on Edge ahead of Retaliation to Israel’s Killing of Hezbollah Commander

Tensions eased on the Lebanese border with Israel in anticipation of the retaliation by Hezbollah to Israel’s assassination of its top commander Fouad Shukr…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features This picture released on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 by Hezbollah Military Media shows Fouad Shukur a Hezbollah top commander who was killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit a building on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. (Hezbollah Military Media vía AP)

Experts: Spy Network within Hezbollah Has Helped Israel Assassinate Top Members

Several questions have been raised about Israel's ability to assassinate top Hezbollah operatives. The latest was the assassination on Tuesday of top commander…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Arab World  A vehicle dressed like a double decker bus drives near revelers during the Beirut Street Festival in downtown Beirut on June 22, 2024. (AFP)

Expats Flock to Lebanon Despite Fears of War with Israel

Expatriates flocked to Lebanon despite the international warnings against traveling to the country due to the rising tensions with Israel. June alone…

Paula Astih (Beirut)
Features US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein meets with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati [not pictured] in Beirut, Lebanon November 7, 2023. REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)

What Role is the US Playing to Prevent Conflict in Lebanon from Escalating?

The United States is working hard to prevent the conflict in Lebanon from escalating. To achieve this, the Biden administration has sent special envoy Amos…

Paula Astih (Beirut)