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☆ U.S.-Led Coalition Blocks Attacks at Conoco Oil Field in Syria -Source
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Air defence systems operated by U.S.-led coalition troops based in eastern Syria halted six drone attacks targeting their base at the Conoco oil field on Saturday, a security source said. The source did not tell Reuters if there were casualties. Coalition troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who together fight remnants of the Islamic State group, have faced increased attacks by Iran-backed groups in Syria and Iraq since Hamas’s attack against Israel on Oct. 7. Another drone attack blamed on Iran-backed groups on a border outpost in Jordan killed three U.S. soldiers. Photos You Should See View All 21 Images(Reporting by Orhan Qereman; Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

Persons: Mazloum Abdi, Orhan Qereman, Maya Gebeily, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: U.S, Reuters, Coalition, Syrian Democratic Forces, Islamic State Locations: BEIRUT, Syria, Kurdish, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Jordan

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The military said search-and-rescue efforts were continuing for five U.S. Marines after their helicopter went down during stormy weather in the Southern California mountains. Here’s what we know so far:WHAT HAPPENEDA CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was returning from a training mission in Nevada when it disappeared Tuesday night. About 99 feet (30 meters) long, the Super Stallion can move troops and equipment from ships to shore, ferry supplies and launch amphibious assaults. Nicknamed the “hurricane maker” because of the downwash from its three engines, the Super Stallion has a 50-mile (80.5-kilometer) range. In 2005, a Super Stallion went down in a sandstorm in Iraq, killing 31 people on board.

Persons: Mike Cornette, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, John Kirby, San Diego County’s, ___ Baldor, John Antczak Organizations: DIEGO, U.S, Marines, Stallion, Civilian, Creech Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, CBS, Cal Fire, WHO, Heavy Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Super Stallion, U.S . Navy, White, National Security, U.S . Forest Service, . Border Patrol, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Civil Air Patrol, San Diego, Cleveland National Forest, Super, U.S ., Marine Corps, Associated Press Locations: Southern California, Nevada, Pine Valley, San Diego, Las Vegas, California, New York City, San Diego County, Pine, San, Cleveland, Beirut, Somalia, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mogadishu, Miramar, El Centro, Mexico, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ Middle East Crisis Netanyahu Says Israeli Soldiers Will Push Into Crowded Area in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Gaya Gupta | Andrés R. Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But Mr. Netanyahu, a canny negotiator, avoided specifics in his news conference, leaving things somewhat murky. Without specifying any details of the Hamas proposal, Mr. Netanyahu said “surrender to the ludicrous demands of Hamas” would neither free the more than 100 hostages still in Gaza nor restore Israel’s security. Asked specifically whether Israel had formally rejected the framework, Mr. Netanyahu said: “Based on what they passed to us? Israeli officials say 136 remain in Gaza, including dozens who are believed to be dead. “I address you, Mr. Netanyahu, everything is in your hands.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Mr, Netanyahu, Antony J, “, ”, Hamas’s, Osama Hamdan, Hamdan, Mr, António Guterres, Guterres, Adina Moshe, “ I’m, Blinken, Hwaida Saad Organizations: U.S, Qatari, Gaza, United Nations, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Beirut, Lebanon, United States, Cairo, Rafah, ” Israel

ISTANBUL (AP) — A year ago, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, causing widespread destruction and the loss of over 59,000 lives. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesThe disaster led to a massive international rescue and aid operation involving dozens of countries and organizations. The World Bank estimated the damage caused at $34.2 billion in Turkey and $5.1 billion in Syria. The East Anatolian fault system, where the disaster occurred, is near where the Anatolian, Arabian and African tectonic plates come together. The East Anatolian fault had last seen a quake of magnitude 7 or greater in 1822, when at least 10,000 were killed in Syria’s Aleppo.

Persons: Mehmet Ozhaseki, February’s, transgressors, Abby Sewell, Suzan Fraser Organizations: —, Turkey's, Interior Ministry, United Nations, World Bank, Food Program, WFP, Associated Press Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Syria, Turkey’s Kahramanmaras, Idlib, Aleppo, Istanbul, Elazig, Hatay, SYRIA, Brussels, Beirut, Ankara

BEIRUT (AP) — A drone attack on a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria killed six allied Kurdish fighters late Sunday, in the first significant attack in Syria or Iraq since the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias that have been targeting its forces in the region. The U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Monday the attack hit a training ground at al-Omar base in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour and accused “Syrian regime-backed mercenaries” of carrying out the attack. In late January, a drone attack by the same group killed three U.S. troops and wounded dozens more at a desert base in Jordan. The U.S. military launched dozens of retaliatory strikes targeting Iran-backed militant groups in western Iraq and eastern Syria and also struck the Houthis in Yemen. The attack late Sunday came two days after the U.S. military carried out strikes against militant targets linked to Iran in Syria and Iraq.

Persons: Omar, “, Sunday’s, Samy Magdy Organizations: Syrian Democratic Forces, Human Rights, SDF, Sunday, U.S, U.S . Central Command, U.S . Navy, Britain, Associated Press Locations: BEIRUT, Syria, Kurdish, Iraq, U.S, Iran, The U.S, al, Deir el, Jordan, Yemen, Israel, Britain, Red, Cairo

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that 23 people, all rank-and-file fighters, were killed. The air assault was the opening salvo of U.S. retaliation for a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend. The U.S. has blamed that on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed militias. Iran, meanwhile, has attempted to distance itself from the attack, saying that the militias act independently of its direction. On Friday, the USS Carney shot down a drone over the Gulf of Aden and there were no injuries or damage.

Persons: Hussein, Washington “, ” Mosawi, Rami Abdurrahman, Bassim, Awadi, embassy’s, “, —, Yemen’s, Carney, Dwight D, Abby Sewell, Bassem, Jon Gambrell, Tara Copp Organizations: Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Associated Press, Human Rights, U.S, Population Mobilization Forces, Islamic, Popular Mobilization Forces, Israel, U.S . military’s Central Command, U.S . Navy, Eisenhower Locations: BAGHDAD, United States, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Baghdad, U.S, Britain, Jordan, Iran, Iraqi, Islamic State, Gaza, Aden, Red, Beirut, Jerusalem, Washington

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military has launched strikes on dozens of sites manned by Iran-backed fighters in western Iraq and eastern Syria in retaliation for a drone strike in Jordan in late January that killed three U.S. service members and wounded dozens. A deadly strike on the desert outpost known as Tower 22 in Jordan near the Syrian border further increased tensions. The Euphrates River cuts through Syria into Iraq, with U.S. troops and American-backed Kurdish-led fighters on the east bank and Iran-backed fighters and Syrian government forces to the west. He said the strikes also hit an area inside the town of Mayadeen known as “the security quarter.”Iraqi government spokesperson Bassim al-Awadi said the border strikes killed 16 people and caused “significant damage” to homes and private properties. There have been no new attacks by the Houthis since the U.S. strikes in Iraq and Syria.

Persons: Guard’s, Ali, Ein Ali, Deir, Rami Abdurrahman, Omar Abu Layla, Bassim, Awadi, PMF Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Guard’s Quds Force, Human Rights, Popular Mobilization Force, Houthis Locations: BEIRUT, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, U.S, Tehran, Deir el, Hassakeh, American, Kurdish, Syrian, Iranian, Guard’s Quds, Boukamal, Quriya, Mayadeen, Britain, Europe, IRAN, Washington, Gaza, Iraqi, Irbil, Yemen

☆ Israel Says It Has Struck More Than 50 Hezbollah Targets in Syria Since Oct 7
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Saturday that since the outbreak of the Gaza war on Oct. 7 it had struck more than 50 targets in Syria linked to the Iranian-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah. The remarks, in a briefing by chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari that mainly discussed efforts to beat back Hezbollah attacks launched in solidarity with Hamas, were a departure from Israel's usual reticence about Syria operations. Everywhere Hezbollah is, we shall be," Hagari said. Israeli forces have attacked 34,000 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including 120 border surveillance outposts, 40 caches of missiles and other weaponry and more than 40 command centres, Hagari said. Hagari said Israel had deployed three army divisions along its side of the Lebanese border in anticipation of Hezbollah getting involved after Palestinian Hamas launched a shock cross-border attack on Oct. 7, triggering the war in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Israel, Dan Williams, Mark Potter Organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Lebanese, Israel, Beirut

A senior Hamas official said Friday the group will respond “very soon” to a proposal that includes extended pauses in Gaza fighting and phased exchanges of Hamas-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Over 27,000 people have been killed and 66,000 wounded by Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza, the territory's Health Ministry said Thursday. — Half of U.S. adults say Israel has gone too far in its war in Gaza, AP-NORC poll shows. Here's the latest:HAMAS EXPECTED TO RESPOND SOON TO PROPOSAL THAT INCLUDES RELEASE OF HOSTAGES AND CEASE-FIRESBEIRUT — A senior Hamas official says the group will respond “very soon” to a proposal that includes extended pauses in Gaza fighting and phased exchanges of Hamas-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Israel has said it would not agree to end the war as a condition for hostage releases.

Persons: —, — Biden, ___, Samy Magdy, SANA, Bashar Assad’s Organizations: Hamas, territory's Health, Health Ministry, West Bank, —, Associated Press, Human Rights Locations: Israel, Gaza, —, U.S, Turkey, West, israel, BEIRUT, United States, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Mroue, Beirut, DAMASCUS, BEIRUT —, Damascus, Iran, State, Golan, Britain, Syria

☆ UK's Cameron Says He Raised Palestinian State With Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "start talking about the things a Palestinian state can be rather than the things it can't be", reiterating British support for a two-state solution. In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster LBCI aired on Friday, Cameron said part of British policy is to say there will be a time when Britain would look to recognise a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations. Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state. "My message to him was start talking about the things that a Palestinian state could be rather than the things it can't be. Cameron last month said Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip must be given "the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future" and this should be irreversible.

Persons: David Cameron, Benjamin Netanyahu, LBCI, Cameron, Netanyahu, Tom Perry, William Maclean Organizations: British, Israeli, United Nations, West Bank, Lebanese Locations: BEIRUT, Palestinian, Gaza, United States, Britain, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, U.S, Egypt, Qatar

Israel and Hezbollah each have lessons from their last war, in 2006, a monthlong conflict that ended in a draw. A United Nations resolution ending the war called for withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and a demilitarized zone on Lebanon's side of the border. Israeli political and military leaders have warned Hezbollah that war is increasingly probable unless the militants withdraw from the border. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hasn't threatened to initiate war but warned of a fight “without limits” if Israel does. Costs would rise sharply if there's war with Lebanon.

Persons: They've, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Hassan Nasrallah hasn't, Andrea Tenenti, Lisa Abou Khaled, ”, Tal Beeri, there's, Israel's, Orna Mizrahi, Netanyahu, Dina Arakji, ___ Lidman Organizations: United States, United, U.S, Bank of Israel, Alma Research, Education Center, Israel Democracy Institute, Institute for National Security Studies, Gaza's Health Ministry, Lebanese Locations: BEIRUT, Israel, Gaza, United, Lebanon, United Nations, Europe, Iran, Israel's, “, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Beirut, ”, Tel Aviv

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces opened fire inside the wards of the Ibn Sina Hospital in the town of Jenin. Most were killed in confrontations with Israeli forces during arrest raids or violent protests. The Israeli military says it has arrested nearly 3,000 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past four months. The military said Tuesday that forces killed Mohammed Jalamneh, 27, who it said was planning an imminent attack. Hospital spokesperson Tawfiq al-Shobaki said there was no exchange of fire and the three were killed by Israeli forces in a targeted killing.

Persons: Ibn, Mohammed Jalamneh, Basel, Mohammed Ghazawi, Jalamneh, Tawfiq, Shobaki, ”, Basel Ghazawi, Israel, Osama Hamdan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, ___ Lidman Organizations: West Bank, —, Palestinian Health Ministry, Ibn Sina, Muslim, Israel, Health Ministry, Hamas, United Nations, Basel, hemiplegia, Palestinian Authority, Gaza, Atlantic Council, Palestinian Locations: JENIN, West, Gaza, Jenin, Israel, Jerusalem, Egypt, Qatar, United States, Beirut, Washington, Gaza City, israel

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Biden bluntly said “yes” when asked if he'd decided how to respond to the attack. Target options range from inside Iran, including on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, to Iranian ships at sea and Tehran-backed militia groups and key militant leaders in Iraq and Syria. HIT MILITIA GROUPS AGAINThe most likely move would be to hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria again. Hawkish Congress members said Biden should directly target Tehran for the deadly attack on the base in Jordan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, he'd, “ That’s, ”, John Kirby, ” Biden, Quds, Gen, Qassem, Asad, Avi Melamed, ” Melamed, Jordan, Pat Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sara Jacobs, Bradley Bowman, Jim Risch, —, Farnoush Amiri, Mike Pesoli, Joshua Boak, Sagar Meghani, Kevin Freking, Abby Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, National Security, Force, U.S, Embassy, Middle, HIT, Pentagon, CONGRESSIONAL, HOW, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, IRAN, Baghdad, Iranian, Hill, Davos, Washington, Beirut

☆ Gaza Ceasefire Plan for Hostage Release Awaits Hamas Response
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

"We don't know and we cannot predict what Hamas' response will be," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's prime minister, said on Monday. Hamas told Reuters in a statement on Tuesday the proposal would involve three stages, including the release of hostages held by the group and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. "After that, the Hamas leadership will meet to discuss the paper and express its final opinion on it," the statement said. More than 100 Israeli hostages are still held, following the release of a similar number in an earlier truce in November that involved the release of scores of Palestinian prisoners. The Hamas statement said the second phase would also involve the release of male military recruits.

Persons: Jonathan Landay, Maya Gebeily, Andrew Mills, Nidal, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, David Barnea, Sheikh Mohammed, Jordan, Ismail Haniyeh, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Islamic Jihad, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Dan Williams, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Michael Georgy, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters, Palestinian, U.S, Paris, Islamic, Hamas, Washington's Atlantic Council, Israeli Defense Forces Locations: Mughrabi WASHINGTON, BEIRUT, DOHA, Gaza, Israel, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Paris, Qatar, Egypt, U.S, France, Cairo

☆ Biden has to deal with a second war he didn’t want. His task is to contain it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

— Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian group based in Lebanon, has been waging a low-grade war against Israel. — Iran has blamed Israel for an attack that killed a number of Revolutionary Guard officers in Damascus, Syria. Hawkish Republicans like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham are demanding he attack Iran on Iranian soil. “The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. And on a purely strategic level, risking a major Middle East war that could cause massive US casualties to avenge the deaths of three soldiers, as terrible as their deaths are, would not represent a sound equation.

Persons: they're, Joe Biden —, Jordan Sunday –, Biden, haven’t, —, Israel, it’s, Antony Blinken, ” Aaron David Miller, CNN’s Jim Acosta, “, ”, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Jim Himes, what’s, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Blinken, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Joe Biden, Arkansas Sen, Tom Cotton, Haley, Qasem Soleimani, Trump, John Kirby, It’s Biden Organizations: Republicans, White House CNN, Jordan Sunday, Hezbollah, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Britain, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Revolutionary Guard, ”, GOP, Rep, Intelligence, Islamic, United Nations, –, Iran Locations: Washington, Tehran, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, United States, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, —, Syria, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanon –, Damascus, East, South Carolina, Connecticut, Hamas, Qatar, Egypt, Islamic Republic, Arkansas, There’s

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Three American service members were killed and “many” were wounded in a drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday. U.S. Central Command said 25 service members were injured the attack in addition to the three killed. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSome 3,000 American troops typically are stationed in Jordan. The attack on Jordan marks the first targeting American troops in Jordan during the war and the first to result in the loss of American lives. ___Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan and Jon Gambrell in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Muhannad Mubaidin, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Karine Jean, Pierre said, ”, Bassem Mroue, Omar Akour, Jon Gambrell Organizations: COLUMBIA, American, West Bank, . Central Command, Defense, White, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Hamas, Associated Press Locations: Jordan, Syrian, Iran, U.S, Iranian, Israel, Gaza, United States, Jordanian, Syria, Jordan . U.S, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Red, Columbia , South Carolina, Western, Jerusalem, Palestine, Beirut, Amman

BEIRUT (AP) — The United States and Iraq held a first session of formal talks Saturday in Baghdad aimed at winding down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq. Washington has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all U.S. combat forces left in 2011, thousands of troops returned in 2014 to help the government of Iraq defeat IS. Those estimated 2,500 U.S. troops and the bases they serve on have drawn more than 150 missile and drone attacks fired by the militias. Iraqi officials have complained that the U.S. strikes are a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.

Persons: Mohammed Shia, Sudani, ”, Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al Organizations: Islamic, Coalition, Iranian, Israel, Popular Mobilization Forces Locations: BEIRUT, United States, Iraq, Baghdad, U.S, Iraqi, America, Syria, Iran, Israel, Washington, Gaza

☆ Gaza endgame: Inching toward a deal to end the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Elliott Gotkine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Monday Axios reported Israel had proposed a two-month truce in exchange for the release of all the 100-plus hostages still held in Gaza. The sticking point there appears to be that Hamas wants a “package deal” which would include a second-phase agreement to end the war. For now, though, such talk remains moot, with an Israeli official telling CNN there’s no concrete deal on the table. “But at the same time we can’t gamble on the future of Israel [by leaving Hamas in control of Gaza]. Any deal Israel is looking to seal, says Ziv, would be more likely to come into effect once the Khan Younis operation is complete.

Persons: Ofer Shelah, Axios, Israel, David Barnea, Yahya, Shelah, ”, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Antony Blinken, it’s, wouldn’t, Yasser Arafat, Israel doesn’t, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Aviva Siegel, Netanyahu, Israel Ziv, there’s, ” Ziv, Khan Younis, Ziv, There’s, Israel’s, Gadi, “ Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, Street Journal, Reuters, Qatari, ’, Israel, Israel Democracy Institute Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, Beirut, Tunis, United States, “ Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. on Monday hit Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad and its CEO with sanctions, alleging assistance to Iran's military wing — and in addition, imposed a fifth round of sanctions on the militant group Hamas for abuse of cryptocurrency since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. In the new sanctions announced Monday, Treasury said Fly Baghdad and its CEO Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani have provided assistance to Iran's military wing and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. In addition on Monday, the U.S. sanctioned a network of Hamas-affiliated financial exchanges in Gaza— including financial facilitators that transferred funds through cryptocurrency from Iran to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. “Hamas has sought to leverage a variety of financial transfer mechanisms, including the exploitation of cryptocurrency, to channel funds to support the group’s terrorist activities,” Nelson said. “Treasury, in close coordination with our allies and partners, will continue to leverage our authorities to target Hamas, its financiers, and its international financial infrastructure.”___Associated Press reporter Sewell is located in Beirut, Lebanon.

Persons: Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan, ”, Brian E, Nelson, Asad, ” Nelson, Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Ministry, Treasury, Treasury's, Foreign, Control, Hezbollah, Popular Mobilization Forces, State, U.S, Hamas, “ Treasury, Associated Press Locations: Baghdad, Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, United States, U.S, cryptocurrency, Jihad, Australia, Beirut

☆ Israel’s spy chief proposed letting Hamas leaders leave Gaza as part of broader ceasefire talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Israel has proposed that Hamas senior leaders could leave Gaza as part of a broader ceasefire agreement, two officials familiar with the ongoing international discussions told CNN. Senior Hamas officials are known to live in Doha, Qatar, and the Lebanese capital Beirut, among other places outside the Palestinian territories. That, combined with the “enormous pressure” on Netanyahu and his government to bring hostages home, Miller said, has created a situation where Israel would be willing to propose having Hamas leaders leave Gaza. While it’s unclear whether in private discussions Israel has named which Hamas leaders they would hope to leave Gaza, there is no bigger target than Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top official in Gaza. Israel vows to hunt Hamas globallyIsrael has made no secret of its intention to continue hunting Hamas leaders long after the war is over.

Persons: CNN —, —, David Barnea, Antony Blinken, Brett McGurk, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ”, Aaron David Miller, Netanyahu, Miller, Jack Guez, Biden, Barnea, Bill Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Blinken, David Barnea Gil Cohen, al, Yahya Sinwar, ” Netanyahu, Sinwar, Khan Younis, Mohammed Deif, Deif’s, Marwan Issa, Sinwar’s, Mohammed, Yahya Sinwar Mahmud Hams, Ofer Shelah, ” Shelah, we’ve, Shin Bet, ” Bar, Kan, ” Miller, “ Weeks Organizations: CNN, Hamas, US, Carnegie Endowment, International, Getty, Gaza Health Ministry, US CIA, Qatari, Magen, US State Department, CIA, Prime Minister’s, Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies Locations: CNN — Israel, Gaza, Israel, Doha, Qatar, Beirut, Palestinian, Warsaw, Egypt, Israeli, AFP, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, al Thani, Sinwar, Hamas, Lebanon, Turkey

☆ An Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least four Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported. Iranian state television said four advisers from the Revolutionary Guard had been killed in the strike in Damascus, without identifying them, adding that Israel was behind the strike. Last month, an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of Damascus killed Iranian general Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria. Iranian and Syrian officials have long acknowledged Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria, but denied there were any ground troops. Earlier this month, a strike said to be carried out by Israel killed top Hamas commander Saleh Arouri in Beirut.

Persons: Israel, Nour, Sadegh Omidzadeh, Hajj Gholam, Rami Abdurrahman, Khaled Mawed, Seyed Razi Mousavi, Bashar Assad, Bashar Assad's, Saleh Arouri Organizations: Iranian, Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, Hajj, Syrian, Human Rights, Security, Windows, Associated Press Locations: Wafideen, Damascus, Syria, Israeli, Syrian, Iran, Mazzeh, Venezuela, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Golan, Lebanon, Red

☆ Israeli Strike on Damascus Kills Four Iranian Revolutionary Guards -Source
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Laila Bassam and Kinda MakiehBEIRUT/DAMASCUS (Reuters) -An Israeli missile strike on Syria's capital Damascus on Saturday killed four members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, including the head of the force's information unit in Syria, a security source in the regional pro-Syria alliance told Reuters. Syrian state media said a building in the Mazzeh neighbourhood of Damascus was targeted in a likely Israeli attack, without giving further details. Iran's state-run Press TV said two Iranian Guards military advisers were killed in the Israeli strike on Damascus. Essam Al-Amin, head of the Al-Mowasat Hospital in Damascus, told Reuters that his hospital had received one corpse and three wounded people, including a woman, following Saturday's attack. In December, an Israeli strike killed two Guards members in Damascus, and another on Dec. 25 killed a senior adviser to the Guards who was overseeing military coordination between Syria and Iran.

Persons: Laila Bassam, Bashar al, Essam Al, Amin, Makdesi, Nayera Abdallah, Maya Gebeily, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Saturday, Iran's, Guards, Reuters, Hamas, Iranian Guards, Mowasat, Jihad Locations: BEIRUT, DAMASCUS, Israeli, Damascus, Syria, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Syrian, Mazzeh, Iran's, Beirut, Dubai

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital, Damascus, destroyed Saturday a building used by Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard killing and wounding 10 people, state media outlets and an official with an Iran-backed group said. State-TV reported that the “Israeli aggression” targeted a residential building in the tightly guarded western Damascus neighborhood of Mazzeh, home to several diplomatic missions, including the Lebanese and Iranian embassies. The strike came amid widening tensions in the region and the Israeli offensive on Gaza that has killed thousands. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesLast month, an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of Damascus killed Iranian general Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years.

Persons: ”, Seyed Razi Mousavi, Bashar Assad’s, Israel, Saleh Arouri, ____ Mroue Organizations: Revolutionary Guard, Syrian, Human Rights, Lebanese, East, Associated Press, Iranian Locations: DAMASCUS, Syria, Damascus, Iran, Mazzeh, Gaza, Israel, Beirut, Golan, Lebanon, Red

☆ Hezbollah Rejected US Overtures, Still Open to Diplomacy to Avoid Wider War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has been leading a diplomatic outreach to restore security at the Israel-Lebanon frontier as the wider region teeters dangerously towards a major escalation of the conflict ignited by the Gaza war. Israel has also said it wants to avoid war, but both sides say they are ready to fight if necessary. Branded a terrorist organisation by Washington, Hezbollah has not been directly involved in talks, three Lebanese officials and a European diplomat said. Hezbollah has dismissed both ideas as unrealistic, the Lebanese officials and the diplomat said. Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday said attacks against Israel and its interests by the "Axis of Resistance" will stop if the Gaza war ends.

Persons: Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Israel, Spokespeople, Eylon Levy, Najib Mikati, Mikati, Hamas, Mohanad Hage Ali, Hage Ali, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Gebeily, Dan Williams, Tom Perry, Steve Holland, Edtiing, Frank Jack Daniel Organizations: U.S, Yemen's, Reuters, Hezbollah, Lebanese, Iran's, Guards, Carnegie Middle East Center Locations: Maya, Maya Gebeily BEIRUT, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen's Iran, Red Sea, U.S, Lebanese, Beirut, Jan, Washington, European, Hochstein, United States, IRAN, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, France, Jerusalem

☆ Opinion: For the Houthis, war is a way of life
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

I think they’re probably ill-advised because I don’t think they’re going to do what they are intended to do. I don’t think they’ll deter the Houthis. This is such an unequal war because the whole character of war has changed. I don’t think it would make the slightest bit of difference whether the US designated them or not. I think they’re on the way to becoming Hezbollah.

Persons: Peter Bergen, CNN —, ”, Elisabeth Kendall, Kendall, PETER BERGEN, ELISABETH KENDALL, It’s, we’re, Elisabeth Kendall BERGEN, KENDALL, KENDALL, it’s, they’ve, didn’t, Abdul Malik al, I’m, Mohammed Hamoud, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, They’re, don’t, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Saleh Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, US, Girton College, Cambridge University, Islam, Atlantic Council, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, UN, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Foreign Terrorist Organization, United Nations, Hezbollah, United Arab Locations: New America, Yemeni, Red, Yemen, Sanaa, Saudi Arabia, Hudaydah, Suez, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, BERGEN, Israel, Islam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ”, fragmenting, Washington, America, Beirut, Lebanon, Lebanese, United Arab Emirates

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