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☆ Iran's Khamenei says Israel 'must be punished' for Syria embassy attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a graduation ceremony for armed forces officers at the Imam Ali academy in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 10, 2023. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and it shall be" for attacking the Iranian embassy compound in Syria. "When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil," Khamenei said in a speech marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In an apparent response to Khamenei, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel will respond if Iran attacks Israel from its own soil. Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali, Iran's, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Katz Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah Locations: Tehran, Iran, Israel, Syria, Gaza, Hamas, Lebanese, U.S, Iraq, Yemen, Aden

☆ Iran and Israel Have a Long History of Clandestine Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East, trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. Iran has largely used foreign proxies to strike Israeli interests, while targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists have been a key part of Israel’s strategy. Israel’s strike in the Syrian capital, Damascus, that killed three top Iranian commanders on Monday was the most brazen attack in years, raising fears of a wider confrontation. That would be particularly dangerous in a region already in turmoil on multiple fronts, including Israel’s war in Gaza, cross-border skirmishes between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia against Western interests in the Red Sea. An escalation between Israel and Iran would also risk further entangling the United States, given the presence of American troops in the region.

Persons: Yemen’s Locations: Israel, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Lebanese, Red, United States

The Israeli military told CNN it does not comment on foreign reports. CNN cannot verify the Times’ report, nor independently verify the claims from Iran, Syria and Israel. Increasing pressureAs the Middle East braces for a potential Iranian response, Tehran is under pressure to show strength in the wake of the consulate attack while not drawing the region into a wider war. The Lebanese Shia militant group has been embroiled in daily crossfire with Israeli forces for nearly six months. However, Israeli military spokesman Hagari blamed Iran for escalating tensions in the region.

Persons: Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Donald Trump, IRGC, Qassem Soleimani, ”, Israel, Daniel Hagari, “, Israel’s, Syria Hossein Akbari, Nasser Kanaani, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, d’affaires, Amir, ” Amir, Faisal Mekdad meanwhile, Houthi, Parsi, Zahedi, Bejamin Netanyahu, Hagari, I’m Organizations: CNN, Revolutionary Guards, Foreign Ministry, Israel Defense Forces, New York Times, Hamas, Ministry of Health, Zionist, Iranian Foreign Ministry, Israel, Syrian Foreign, Diplomatic Relations, US, Quincy Institute, Responsible Locations: Iran, Israel, Syria, Gaza, Damascus, Baghdad, Tehran, Lebanese, ” Iran, United States, Quds, Iranian Embassy, Iranian, Islamic Republic, Washington, Swiss, Switzerland, Syrian, Vienna, Iraq, Jordan, Red, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Yemen

☆ The Middle East on the brink again after attack on Iranian consulate
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday may be the most dangerous escalation outside of Gaza since the start of the Hamas-Israel war nearly six months ago. The attack is the latest in a recent string of apparent Israeli strikes in Syria that targeted the IRGC and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Technically, Iran’s consulate is sovereign Iranian territory, making this the most overt attack on Iranian soil in years. Iran’s regional allies say they entered confrontations with Israel on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza, where over 32,000 people have been killed, according to local authorities. That may be an untenable position after today’s strike, which has again brought the region to the brink of an expanded war.

Persons: Israel, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Lebanon —, Donald Trump, Soleimani, Ali Khamenei, ”, Mohammad Ali Shabani, “ Iran’s, Khamenei’s Organizations: CNN, Revolutionary Guards, Force Locations: Damascus, Gaza, Israel, Syria, Iran, Lebanese, Lebanon, Iran’s, Iranian, Baghdad, Washington

BEIRUT (AP) — Four United Nations military observers were wounded Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded near them, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said. The military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. Local Lebanese media, citing security officials, said an Israeli drone strike targeted the observers in the southern village of Wadi Katmoun near the border town of Rmeich. Hezbollah-run television station Al-Manar said the drone strike wounded three officers from Australia, Chile, and Norway, as well as a Lebanese interpreter. UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion.

Persons: Manar, Andrea Tenenti, ” Tenenti Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Truce, Organization, Local, IDF, Associated Press Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanese, Lebanon, UNIFIL, Local Lebanese, Israeli, Wadi Katmoun, Rmeich, Australia, Chile, Norway, Israel, Gaza

☆ Three UN military observers, a Lebanese interpreter wounded in blast while patrolling southern border
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Three United Nations military observers and a Lebanese interpreter were wounded Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded near them, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said. The military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. The three military observers, from Chile, Australia, and Norway, were unarmed, he said. The blast came as clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah militants escalated in recent weeks. Local Lebanese media, citing security officials, said an Israeli drone strike targeted the observers in the southern village of Wadi Katmoun near the border town of Rmeich.

Persons: Andrea Tenenti, Tenenti, Najib Mikat Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, Security, Three United Nations, United Nations Truce, Organization, UN, Associated Press, UNIFIL, Local, IDF Locations: Israel, Gaza, New York, U.S, Lebanese, Lebanon, UNIFIL, Chile, Australia, Norway, Local Lebanese, Israeli, Wadi Katmoun, Rmeich

☆ Airstrikes Kill Soldiers in Syria in Apparent Israeli Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Raja Abdulrahim | Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Airstrikes killed a number of soldiers near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo early Friday, Syria’s state news media and an independent organization reported, in what appeared to be one of the heaviest Israeli attacks in the country in years. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group that tracks Syria’s civil war, said that the dead included 36 Syrian soldiers, seven Hezbollah fighters and a Syrian from the pro-Iranian militias. The group said the attack appeared to have hit multiple targets, including a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia that Iran supports and has a presence in Syria. The airstrikes stoked fears that have unsettled Western officials for months: that Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza could escalate into a broader conflict against Syria, Iran and its proxies across the region, which could entangle allies of those involved, like Russia and the United States. But fears of a wider conflict have persisted as Israel and Hezbollah have clashed for months along the border, and as Israel has carried out assaults on Iran-linked targets in Syria.

Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, Lebanese, . Army Locations: Syrian, Aleppo, Britain, Iran, Syria, Gaza, Russia, United States, Israel

☆ Syria Blames Israel for Deadly Attack in Aleppo
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but it has previously acknowledged carrying out hundreds of assaults on Iran-linked targets in Syria. Friday’s attack was at least the second deadly attack in Syria in less than a week. On Tuesday, airstrikes in eastern Syria killed several people. The Iranian state news media said that Israel was responsible, while the Syrian state news agency attributed it to American forces. The Tuesday strikes killed a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, according to Iranian state news media reports.

Persons: —, SANA, Ali Abdulhassan Naim, Yoav Gallant, “, ”, Firas Makdesi, Saleh al, Bashar al, Assad, al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir V, Putin, Israel, Johnatan Reiss Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, —, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Reuters, United Nations, Pentagon, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, World Health Organization Locations: Syrian, Aleppo, Britain, Syria, Lebanese, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria’s, Israeli, Damascus, Beirut, United States, Russia

☆ The world’s best dumplings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

The best way to sample these dumplings is from a street vendor carting a steamer on his bicycle. KartoffelknoedelCarbtastic kartoffelknoedel ExQuisine/Adobe StockFound across Germany, kartoffelknoedel, or potato dumplings, usually accompany meat dishes. Artit_Wongpradu/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesSome dumpling purists say that the Australian dim sim is merely a bastardized version of Chinese dumplings. Joshua Resnick/500px Plus/Getty ImagesFound on Chinese takeout menus in the United States, crab rangoon are deep-fried dumplings served as a side dish. Shish barakShish barak are lamb dumplings served with yoghurt.

Persons: ., Ravioli, –, chao shou, chao, bryndzové, Lisa Wiltse, dumpling, Edward Wong, there’s, Beata Zawrzel, Mayur, Lord Ganesha, Ganesh Chathurthi, Pelmeni, Dim sims, Peng, Kimchi, Jonathan Wong, manti, speck, you’ll, Deb Lindsey, Uszka, Gyoza, Joshua Resnick, Ihor, it’s, It’s, DiAnna Paulk, Paolo Bernardotti, Shish barak Shish barak, Julia Buckley Organizations: CNN, South China Morning, Adobe, Central Asia, Kazakhstan –, Turks, Adobe Stock, Corbis, China Morning, Getty, Turkish, Fascism, Washington Post Locations: . Cheng, South, Italy, Rome, Sichuan, Central, Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Mongol, Slovakia, Slovakian, Indonesian, Bandung, Hong Kong, Eastern Europe, Maharashtra, Germany, Brazil, Siberia, European, Australia, North America, Europe, Tunisian, Argentina, empanadas, Mendoza, USA, Southern, United States, Central Asian, Korea, Alto Adige, Austrian Tyrol, Kathmandu, Poland, Tokyo, rangoon, Asia, Russia, Georgia, Japan, Pennsylvania, Piedmont, Afghanistan

☆ The Menu That Has Made One José Andrés Restaurant Endure
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Marcela Valdes. Photographs | Videos Peden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A year later, it was shortlisted for the James Beard Foundation’s award for the best new restaurant in America. It’s where we eat lunch before visiting museums on the Mall, where we grab a bite before a show. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Persons: Turkish mezze, James Beard Foundation’s Organizations: The Locations: Turkish, America, Washington

☆ In Hezbollah’s Sights, a Stretch of Northern Israel Becomes a No-Go Zone
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Isabel Kershner | Sergey Ponomarev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than 60,000 Israelis who live far from Gaza but close to the front line of another spiraling conflict have in recent months been ordered from their homes along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon — the first mass evacuation of the area in Israeli history. In one Israeli border town, antitank missiles fired from Lebanon have damaged scores of homes. In another village, holdouts who refuse to evacuate said they avoided turning lights on at night to keep from becoming visible targets. The evacuations and an effort in Lebanon to move thousands of civilians away from the border are the result of an intensifying conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia and political organization. The skirmish along Israel’s northern border is being fought in parallel with the more intense war in Gaza, which Israel launched after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

Persons: holdouts, Israel Organizations: Hezbollah, Lebanese Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, Israel

☆ The Orfali Bros Bistro is the best restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa — again
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

We love food, and we love people who love food,” says Orfali. Orfali Bros BistroA multicultural menuOrfali left Syria in 2006, relocating to Dubai a year later, and his brothers followed. “Different nationalities, different colors, different languages, different accents. Orfali Bros BistroA “flourishing” food sceneDubai’s restaurant scene has, until recently, been dominated by celebrity chefs and international franchises. “We build a relationship between us and the guests, and we make it family,” Orfali says.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamad Orfali, Treet Bel Laban ” —, ”, Orfali —, Mohamad, Omar, We’re, Orfali, “, Mohammad, barak, they’ve, Orfali Bros, Eclair, Samantha Wood, “ Mohamad, Wood, Chez Wam, ” Orfali, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Michelin, ”, Orfali, UAE, Dubai, “, Bros Locations: Aleppo, Syria, Dubai, East, North Africa, Orfali’s, UAE, Lebanese, Sichuan, , “ Dubai, Hokkaido, Turkish

☆ Inside chef Duff Goldman's fridge, from the salads helping him lose 47 pounds to his current Costco buys
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lizzy Briskin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Celebrity chef Duff Goldman lives with his wife and 3-year-old daughter in California. A peek inside Duff Goldman's fridge. Chilling cookie doughIt's no surprise to find cookie dough in Duff Goldman's fridge. Toom garlic dipToom is one of Duff Goldman's go-to dips. Toom Garlic Dip, Tyler Le/BIA bit hidden in Goldman's fridge is a highlighter-yellow tub of Toom garlic dip.

Persons: Duff Goldman, Goldman, —, you've, Johnna, Duff, Jennifer Aniston, he's, I've, Tyler Le, yolks, — Goldman, Duff Goldman's, Kirkland Organizations: Service, Charm, Goldman, Costco, Kirkland Locations: California, Ventura County , California, Italian, West Coast, Buffalo

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into northern Israel on Tuesday morning, according to Israel’s military. Israel’s military said its fighter jets had retaliated by striking a number of sites linked to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The group is a key ally of Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attacks on Israel led to the war in Gaza. Since Israel’s bombardment of Gaza began, Hezbollah has been firing rockets into northern Israel on a near-daily basis. The Israeli military regularly responds with strikes against Hezbollah-linked targets inside Lebanon.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Khalil al, Euan Ward, Adam Sella Organizations: Hamas’s Locations: Lebanese, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Lebanon’s Bekaa, Cairo, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Iran

☆ Dating apps confused by military GPS jamming could explain why Lebanon's citizens are suddenly being matched with Israelis
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dating apps matching Israeli citizens with people in Lebanon are likely due to GPS signal jamming. Lebanese citizens are barred from having any type of contact with Israelis. Tensions were high between the countries even before the latest conflict, and Lebanese citizens have been barred from having any contact with Israelis for years. AdvertisementA Lebanese dating app user said the Israeli profiles were 'gorgeous'A match is not always what it seems. AdvertisementAnother Lebanese dating app user, Omar, said that while he has previously seen the occasional Israeli profile, the volume has recently increased.

Persons: —, ., Abed Al Kataya, Maher, Israel, Hassan Nasrallah, I've, Omar Organizations: Service, Hezbollah, GPS, Lebanese, . People, Facebook Locations: Lebanon, Israel, UAE, Lebanese, Beirut, Tinder

Israel Defense Forces fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets Friday, after the military said it detected several rocket launches from southern Lebanon. "Following the strike on the military post, secondary explosions were identified, indicating that weapons were located inside the post," the IDF claimed. On its Telegram channel, Hezbollah confirmed that the group carried out artillery strikes on Israeli military sites Friday. A senior US official told CNN: "Washington is unaware of the reports of a March 15 deadline. It has also been updated with the details of a report about a possible March 15 deadline for Hezbollah.

Persons: CNN's Zeena Saifi, Becky Anderson Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Lebanese, CNN, Hamas Locations: Lebanon, Marwahin, Labbouneh, Israel, Washington, Gaza, Iran

☆ Dubai’s bar scene is being redefined by artisanal champagnes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

While the city has over 13,000 restaurants, its bar scene has largely been confined to Michelin fine dining, nightclubs, and boozy brunches. Look through the gallery and see the region's other top restaurants, as selected by 50 Best list group. The 50 Best has unveiled its 2024 list of the best restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Al Muntaha, which was recognized by Star Wine List as having the best sparkling wine list in the UAE earlier this year, has 166 labels on its champagne list, including around 60 recently added grower champagnes, says Lacroix. Tina HillierAnd the culture around drinking is largely focused on dining or special occasions, with little in between, says Krister Bengtsson, founder of Star Wine List.

Persons: Lana —, Nicolas Caupain, ”, boozy, Caupain, Raz Rahav, Tala Bashmi, Em Sherif, Yasmina Hayek, Fawzi Al Mulki, 3Fils, Khufu's, Solemann Haddad, Moonrise, Gregoire Berger, Berger, Himanshu Saini, Pol Roger, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, champagnes, Larmandier Bernier, Ulysse Collin, Samuel Lacroix, Al Muntaha, Lacroix, “, Josette, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, Millau, Lana, Tina Hillier, Krister Bengtsson, it’s, Bengtsson, ” Bengtsson, Jean Imbert, — Organizations: CNN, High Society, United Arab, Michelin, Middle, Gulf, Jordanian, Trèsind, Burj, Star Wine, Arabian, BOCA, Michelin Star, Wine, UAE Locations: Dorchester, Dubai, Emirate, Islam, United Arab Emirates, UAE, East, North Africa, Tel Aviv, Tala, Manama's, Bahrain, Beirut, Giza, Cairo, Ossiano, Atlantis, BOBY, Africa, Emirates, Swedish, Dubai’s, Paris, London , New York, French

☆ Kamala Harris urges Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire, pushes Israel on aid to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza in her remarks on March 3, 2024, but reiterated that Israel has "a right to defend itself." "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire," Harris said at an event in Selma, Alabama. Washington has insisted the ceasefire deal is close and has been pushing to put in place a truce by the start of Ramadan, a week away. A view of new humanitarian aid after arriving to the northern Gaza Strip from sky with parachutes in Northern Gaza, Gaza on March 02, 2024. The Egyptian army had announced Saturday airdropping a new aid batch to areas in the northern Gaza Strip.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Israel, Elijah Nouvelage, Harris, Let's, Abed Zagout, Benny Gantz, Antony Blinken, Amos Hochstein, Daniel Hagari, Muatasem Salah, Biden, Omar Qattaa Organizations: Getty, Palestinian, Anadolu, U.S, Hamas, Reuters, White, . U.S, Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Israel, Selma , Alabama, Rafah, Cairo, Washington, ., Beirut, Lebanese, Northern Gaza

The primary season is about to shift into overdrive with Super Tuesday, when Republican voters in 15 states will cast their votes. Polls suggest that former President Donald Trump is very likely to win most, if not all, of these contests. I spoke with Nate Cohn, The New York Times’s chief political analyst, about when Trump’s nomination could become a lock. If the polls are right, there’s really only one scenario: Trump finding himself within easy striking distance of the nomination. Put it together, and Trump could easily win more than 90 percent of the delegates available on Super Tuesday.

Persons: Donald Trump, Nate Cohn, — Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson —, Nate, It’s, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, there’s, Trump, Haley, Israel’s, Haiyun Jiang, The New York Times Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, you’re, You’re, ” Trump, Netanyahu, Biden, Israel —, America’s, ”, John Bolton, — Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman, Michael Gold Read Organizations: Republican, Trump, The, Democratic, Republican National Convention, California —, The New York Times, Univision, Republican Party, Hezbollah, Trump Republican Party, Biden, Democratic Party, “ Locations: Iowa , New Hampshire, California, Georgia, Hawaii , Mississippi, Washington, Arizona, Florida , Illinois , Kansas, Ohio, Gaza . Credit, Gaza, Israel, Lebanese, Rock Hill, S.C, Trump, Michigan

☆ Van Jones: There’s hope and despair in what happened to my home state
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Van Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Many were shocked last year when the Tennessee legislature dramatically expelled state representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. When I was a legislative intern, the state of Tennessee was controlled by the Democrats and my boss was a man named Jimmy Naifeh. But even in my Southern home state, no opponent tried to score cheap political points based on his Arab background. Left-leaning or moderate Tennesseeans have virtually no say in their state legislature on the political matters that govern their lives. Van Jones, with Justin Pearson and Justin Jones CNNSo even on issues like gun violence — on which a large majority of Tennesseans in both parties would like “red flag” laws — nothing gets done.

Persons: Anderson Cooper ”, Van Jones, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson, Pearson, Jones, —, Jimmy Naifeh, I’m, won’t, Odessa Kelly, Kelly, Matthew Shoaf, Shoaf Organizations: CNN, GOP, Tennessee House, Tennessee Capitol, Tennessee, Democrats, Democratic Party, Tea Party, Republican, Justin Jones CNN, Odessa, Democratic, Congressional District, The, The Tennessee General Assembly Locations: Tennessee, Nashville, Lebanese, American, . Tennessee, Democratic, Tennessee’s, The Tennessee, Odessa, Sumner County

Smoke billows above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment on February 28. “We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” one senior Biden administration official said. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility.”The leadership of Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group, has expressed support for Palestinians and condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza. There have been months of daily, deadly cross-border strikes by both Israel and Hezbollah that have displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents from their homes. That deal would likely postpone an Israeli incursion, US officials believe.

Persons: Bint Jbeil, Jalaa Marey, Biden, ”, “ Organizations: Getty, Biden, Hezbollah Locations: Lebanese, AFP, Israel, Lebanon, Israeli, Iran, Gaza

☆ Concern rising among Biden officials that Israel is planning incursion into Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” one senior Biden administration official said. That deal would likely postpone an Israeli incursion, US officials believe. “Some Israeli officials suggest that it is more of an effort at creating a threat that they can utilize. A second senior Biden administration official said there are elements inside the Israeli government and military in favor of an incursion. Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Tagar/USA Today“Once the war is over, his expiration date arrives,” the first senior administration official said.

Persons: Biden, ”, “, let’s, Let’s, ’, Israel, Herzi, Amos Hochstein, Amos Hochstein Michael Brochstein, Amos, Hochstein, Yoav Gallant, It’s, ” Gallant, Ziv, Jalaa Marey, Benjamin Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Tagar Organizations: CNN, Biden, “, Israel, US, Getty, Lebanese Armed Forces, United Nations, UNIFIL, Bibi Locations: Israel, Lebanon, Israeli, Gaza, “, Washington, The State, Beirut, Baalbek, Israel's, Safed, AFP, ” Israel, Golan

Basem Naim, a Hamas spokesman, said in a text message that the militant group had yet to formally receive “any new proposals” since senior Israeli officials met with Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators in Paris last week to advance a possible deal. Another Hamas official, Ahmad Abdelhadi, said that the group was sticking to its demand that Israel agree to a long-term cease-fire and that leaks about the talks were designed to pressure Hamas to soften its position. Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, also expressed caution on Tuesday, saying it could not comment on Mr. Biden’s view that negotiators were nearing an agreement. “The efforts are ongoing; all the parties are conducting regular meetings,” Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari foreign ministry, told reporters in Doha. “But for now, while we certainly hope it will be achieved as soon as possible, we don’t have anything in our hands so as to comment on that deadline.”

Persons: Israel, Biden, Basem Naim, Ahmad Abdelhadi, ” Mr, Abdelhadi, ” Majed al, Ansari, ” Organizations: Hamas, Qatari Locations: Gaza, Paris, Israel, Lebanese, Qatar, Doha

☆ US expected to reduce forces near to Middle East by removing Marine rapid response force from Mediterranean Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Marine rapid response force is expected to leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming weeks and return to the United States, according to two defense officials, in a significant reduction of US forces in the region. The Marine rapid response force first deployed in July and was sent to the region in October. It had previously been extended to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as CNN reported. The US has maintained an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea since shortly after the October 7 attacks in Israel. The Ford carrier strike group, which had been extended several times, left the eastern Mediterranean Sea in early-January, replaced by the Bataan amphibious ready group and the Marine rapid response force.

Persons: “, hasn’t, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Pentagon, Marines, MEU, Eisenhower, Red Sea, Navy, Ford, US, Bataan Locations: United States, Bataan, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Red, Yemen, Gulf, Oman, Lebanese

Israeli airstrikes inside Lebanon on targets associated with the Hezbollah militia hit deeper than any in recent years on Monday, targeting an area close to the Syrian border. The Israeli military said that its fighter jets had struck Hezbollah air defenses in the Bekaa Valley, about 60 miles from the Israeli border. It said that the strikes were in response to a surface-to-air missile attack that downed an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon. At least two Hezbollah fighters were killed in the Israeli airstrikes and at least six other people were wounded, according to Bachir Khodor, mayor of the nearby city of Baalbek. The fighting has displaced more than 150,000 people on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border and left hundreds dead.

Persons: Bachir Khodor Organizations: Mr, Lebanese Locations: Lebanon, Bekaa, Baalbek, Israel, Lebanese

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