Author: M Barbu

Latest Developments

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah admitted in a televised speech on September 19 that the Iran-backed terrorist organization has suffered a “major and unprecedented blow” during a week in which thousands of communications devices carried by its operatives detonated without warning. Speaking from an undisclosed location, Nasrallah said that an investigation committee had been established to probe the blasts, insisting that the “Israeli effort has largely been thwarted” and that Hezbollah was ready “to face even worse attacks.” Israel has not commented on whether it was responsible for the attacks on September 17 and September 18.

ISIS carried out at least 19 confirmed attacks in August in the Homs, Raqqa, and Deir Ez Zor governorates. These attacks killed at least 12 pro-Assad regime soldiers and seven civilians and wounded at least 25 others. There were also six high quality* attacks carried out during the month. The level of ISIS violence therefore increased throughout August, back to a more standard level following a much quieter period in July, but still remained below the high level of violence experienced during the earlier months of 2024. Additionally, civilians were heavily targeted in August, with five documented attacks against shepherds in Homs, Deir Ez Zor, and Raqqa.

Israeli jets and artillery hit multiple targets in southern Lebanon overnight, Israel’s military said on Thursday, amid spiralling tensions following the mass attack on Hezbollah communications devices this week.

The latest series of blasts – targeting pagers and other electronic devices – killed 37 people and wounded 2,931 wounded, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Thursday.

Israel has targeted Hezbollah members with pagers rigged with explosives. The New Arab looks into whether this violated international law?

Israel’s attack against Hezbollah on Tuesday, which saw thousands of rigged pagers explode, resulting in at least 11 deaths and around 4,000 wounded, has seen international condemnation.

The source of Wednesday’s explosions was not immediately clear, but the blasts came a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah blew up across Lebanon.

New explosions linked to electronic devices killed at least 20 people and injured more than 450 across Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after 12 people were killed and thousands wounded by exploding pagers used by members of the militant group Hezbollah in a suspected Israeli attack.

Israel is refocusing its operations in the Gaza Strip to prioritize “destroying the pillars of Hamas’ civil rule. . . especially the distribution of humanitarian aid,” according to an anonymous Israeli official.[1] The official told Israeli media that controlling aid distribution enables Hamas to project the image that it still controls the Gazan population.[2] Hamas inserts itself into the aid distribution process by forcing humanitarian organizations to coordinate with Hamas affiliates and seizing aid shipments as they enter the strip.[3] Hamas has also aggressively opposed other Gazan factions from adopting a role in aid distribution given that it would jeopardize Hamas’ near monopoly of aid.[4]