Armed Militias and Extremist Groups

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to journalists as he arrives for an informal meeting of the European Council in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 24, 2026.

Why US, Israel are freezing France out of Lebanon talks

With talks between Israel and Lebanon being held in Washington, Paris still insists that it must be involved to balance possible American bias and to protect Beirut’s interests.

A young man stands in the entrance of tunnels that were used by the ISIS and the Assad's regime for fighting. Tadamon, Syria, February 7, 2025. (Photo by Raghed Waked / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by RAGHED WAKED/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria arrests Amjad Youssef, Tadamoun massacre perpetrator: What to know

Amjad Youssef appeared on video, allegedly killing dozens of civilians in 2013; he is the latest member of the Assad regime to be captured by the new Syrian government.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa (R) holds a signed "Make America Great Again" hat while (L-R) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanon Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad listen to US President Donald Trump speak during a meeting with Lebanon Ambassador to the US and Israel Ambassador to the US, at the White House in Washington, DC on April 23, 2026. US President Donald Trump met Lebanese and Israeli envoys at a new round of peace talks Thursday, with Beirut seeking a one-month extension of a

Analysis

Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps

Some Israelis worry the US president might force them to accept an unsatisfactory agreement driven by his inability to secure a tangible achievement in Iran.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel sees chance of US-Iran deal as almost 'non-existent,' readies for war

As US President Trump makes contradictory statements regarding his intentions toward Iran and the ongoing negotiations, Israel is preparing for the possibility of resuming military operations.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Latest News

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Olmert

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

MBS hosts Sudan's Burhan in Jeddah as $1.5B Saudi-backed arms deal stalls

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Jeddah, on April 20, 2026.

Lebanon-Israel negotiations to continue even as Iran talks stall

Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images

A religious protester holds a portrait of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden during a protest rally against the United States on July 30, 1999, in Islamabad.

Why is bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’ trending during Gaza war?

The controversial 2002 letter explains the al-Qaeda leader and 9/11 mastermind’s reasons for attacking the United States.

KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images

Day 41 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 16

ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli settler attacks force 963 Palestinians out of West Bank homes since Gaza war started

The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem says hundreds of Palestinians have fled their homes due to settler violence, and the United States is pressuring Israel on the issue.

Peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) attend the repatriation ceremony for Irish soldier Sean Rooney who was killed on a UN patrol, at Beirut international airport on December 18, 2022. - The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon urged Beirut to ensure a "speedy" investigation into the fatal shooting of an Irish soldier this week. The convoy of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under fire near the village of Al-Aqbiya late on December 14, a

Lebanon releases suspected Hezbollah member accused of killing Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper

Mohamad Ayyad, who is believed to be linked to the paramilitary Hezbollah movement, was charged with the killing of an Irish UNIFIL soldier in southern Lebanon last year.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Day 40 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 15

AFP via Getty Images

Day 39 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 14

US-made armoured vehicles bearing markings of the US Marine Corps are seen on a road north of Raqa in northern Syria on March 27, 2017. US-backed forces battled the Islamic State group around a key Syrian town, after the capture of an airbase brought them closer to besieging the jihadists in their stronghold Raqa.Operations are currently focused on the strategically important town of Tabqa on the Euphrates River, and the adjacent dam and military airport. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN (Photo credit should r

Four attacks against US troops in Syria hours after strikes on IRGC facilities

New rocket and drone attacks targeted US bases in Syria in the hours following the latest US airstrikes designed to dissuade the IRGC and its militias from continuing their attacks on American personnel.

Israeli military tanks take up a position during a drill in the annexed Golan Heights, amid increasing cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel as fighting continues in the south with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Nov. 9, 2023.

Syria front on edge as Israel targets airports, US hits Iran-linked groups

Israel's continued airstrikes targeting Damascus and Aleppo airports arise from the threat Israel feels following attacks from within Syria on border areas led by Iranian-backed groups.

A girl runs past a U.S. Army Oshkosh M-ATV Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle on May 26, 2021 near the Turkish border in northeastern Syria.

Day 38 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 13

TOPSHOT - An Israeli soldier carries a comrade as they train while keeping a position in the upper Galilee region of northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on November 8, 2023, amid increasing cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel as fighting continues in the south with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Day 37 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 12

AUDI-ARAB-OIC-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT Arab Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit (L), Saudi Foreign Minister and session chair Prince Faisal bin Farhan (C), and assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Hossam Zaki (R) attend a preparatory meeting with the Arab foreign ministers ahead of the extra-ordinary Arab League summit in Riyadh on November 9, 2023.

Day 36 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 11

AFP via Getty Images

Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria as conflict with Israel rages

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah are continuing, though the Iran-backed group has signaled that it is being deterred from engaging in a full-blown war with Israel.