The U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency personnel to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon on Monday.
“The Department of State has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from U.S. Embassy Beirut,” the State Department said.
“We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel. The Embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist U.S. citizens,” the statement continued.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.
Israel intensifies strikes on Hezbollah’s missile sites, preparing for potential conflict with Iran and reducing the group’s threat capacity.
Israel’s latest strikes in Lebanon are not just another round in the slow-burning shadow war with Hezbollah. They are part of something larger: an effort to ensure that if the US – or Israel – strikes Iran, Tehran’s most powerful proxy will not be able to carry out the mission it was built for.
For decades, Hezbollah has served as Iran’s forward deterrent against Israel, with an arsenal amassed on Israel’s northern border designed to unleash massive rocket and missile fire in the event Iran’s nuclear facilities or regime come under attack. That strategic logic has not changed. What has changed is Israel’s determination to degrade that capability before a wider confrontation begins.
On Friday, Israel carried out strikes deep in the Bekaa Valley, which – according to Lebanese officials – killed at least 10 people and eliminated several Hezbollah missile-unit commanders.
This fits into a pattern that has intensified over the past month: sustained IDF action targeting long-range missile sites, command centers, and Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild military infrastructure. These strikes, Israeli officials acknowledge, are meant to disrupt the group’s readiness and force build-up, including missile units planning future attacks on Israel.
The timing is telling. A similar surge in Israeli activity took place late last May, just weeks before the June 2025 war with Iran. Then, as now, Israel appeared intent on degrading Hezbollah’s capabilities before events elsewhere triggered escalation.
Hezbollah did not launch a missile barrage during the 12-Day War
What makes that comparison particularly relevant now is what happened next – or rather, what did not happen.
Despite longstanding Israeli assumptions that any attack on Iran would automatically trigger massive rocket fire from Lebanon, Hezbollah did not launch a sustained missile barrage during the 12-day war – the feared all-out northern front never materialized.
Why Hezbollah stayed restrained remains debated. One explanation is that the group had little appetite for inviting Israeli attacks that could have further degraded its military infrastructure, already devastated during the Israel-Hamas War.
Another explanation concerns domestic pressure. Lebanon is economically shattered and politically fragile. A decision to unleash massive rocket barrages in the service of Iran – one that would have invited heavy retaliation from Israel – could have triggered sharp backlash from Lebanese political leaders and large segments of the public asking why the country should again be dragged into a war not its own.
Whatever the mix of considerations, the restraint was notable. There is no guarantee, however, that those same calculations will hold this time, especially if the Iranian regime believes it is facing a do-or-die moment.
The Iranians appear not to be taking any chances with Hezbollah this time.
Arab media reports suggest Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel are operating inside Lebanon and advising Hezbollah on operational planning. If Tehran concludes that its core assets are under threat, it may decide that its northern lever must be activated – and reportedly has personnel on the ground to ensure orders to do so are implemented.
The tempo of Israeli strikes
That possibility helps explain the tempo of Israeli strikes.
January alone saw 87 Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon – more than double December’s number and the highest number since the ceasefire went into effect in November 2024 – with roughly half targeting infrastructure north of the Litani River, Hezbollah’s operational heartland, according to the Alma Research and Education Center.
February has also seen intense action, including drone strikes, artillery fire, and targeted eliminations. The campaign appears designed to reduce Hezbollah’s ability to launch large-scale fire if ordered to do so.
Lebanon’s internal political landscape adds another layer of complexity.
President Joseph Aoun has called for international intervention to halt Israeli strikes, warning that Lebanon’s involvement in a wider war would have devastating consequences. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has described the current situation as a “one-sided war of attrition.” Influential Lebanese political figures are reportedly urging neutrality, concerned that Hezbollah could drag the country into a regional war not of its choosing.
That tension strikes at the core of Hezbollah’s domestic narrative. The group portrays itself as the “defender of Lebanon.” But if it launches massive rocket barrages in response to an Iran-related escalation – prompting extensive Israeli retaliation – that image would fracture, and the organization’s legitimacy inside Lebanon would be dented.
Israeli officials have indicated that escalation would not remain confined to tit-for-tat exchanges. In past confrontations, such dynamics have expanded beyond individual launch sites to broader strikes against Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, with the risk that Lebanese infrastructure could be hit as well.
Israel’s overall posture toward Lebanon since October 7 has changed dramatically. As Brig.-Gen. Yuval Gez, commander of the IDF’s 91st Division, told leaders of northern communities last week: “Our responsibility is not only to respond, but to anticipate, initiate and defend.”
He said the IDF was prepared for “various scenarios,” with forces deployed along the entire border and deep into Lebanese territory. The language suggests preparation not only for deterrence, but for rapid escalation.
The central question is whether Hezbollah will once again remain on the sidelines if confrontation erupts between Israel and Iran, or whether Tehran will decide that this is the moment to activate the asset it has invested billions of dollars in building up precisely for this purpose.
Israel’s current strategy is designed to shape that decision before it is made. By degrading missile units, targeting command centers, and keeping up the military pressure, Jerusalem is seeking to ensure that even if Hezbollah chooses to fire, its capacity to damage is reduced.
It is also sending a message to the organization that if it acts on Iran’s orders, the consequences will be devastating.
One thing is clear: Israel is no longer assuming that last year’s restraint will hold. If Tehran pulls the Hezbollah lever this time, Jerusalem is working to ensure that there will be far less force behind it.
Feb 6 (Reuters) – France said on Friday that Lebanon’s recovery remains precarious despite positive signs following a ceasefire and government transition, and it stood ready to support the country’s reconstruction if it continues with reforms.
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, addressing reporters after meetings in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and other top officials, said France was prepared to host a dedicated conference in Paris on reconstruction, but only if reforms continue, legislation is passed and decisions are implemented.
While Lebanon has adopted banking secrecy and bank resolution laws, it must still complete restructuring, reach an IMF agreement and pass a loss-sharing law, Barrot said. He also urged swift action on Hezbollah disarmament and national reconciliation.
Barrot said Lebanon had reached a crucial juncture in implementing the November 2024 truce with Israel, as well as restoring state authority over weapons and stabilising a shattered financial system.
France, the country’s former colonial power, plans to mobilise international backing for the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces at a separate conference scheduled for March 5 in Paris.
“Lebanon must work to restore confidence – that of its citizens, businesses, depositors, and the diaspora,” Barrot said.
France’s immediate focus was ensuring respect for the ceasefire, which he emphasised “implies that Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory, in accordance with its commitments, and that civilians are protected from strikes,” alongside implementation by Lebanese authorities of an agreed-upon arms monopoly plan.
Lebanon has pledged to bring all arms in the country under state control, in line with the 2024 agreement that ended a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, and has asserted control over areas of the country closest to the border with Israel. But Hezbollah has warned the government that pressing on with efforts to disarm the group throughout the country would trigger chaos and possibly civil war.
(Writing by Feras Dalatey and Tom Perry; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
According to the military, activity in the area is currently ongoing and it is in contact with with the relevant authorities to provide updates on the situation as it develops.
The IDF deployed soldiers following the identification of a suspect who approached the border fence between southwestern Lebanon and Israel, the military said in a Sunday evening statement.
Once identified, the IDF “maintained continuous surveillance of the suspect,” the statement noted, before calling in a tank and attack helicopter to “remove the threat.”
According to the military, activity in the area is currently ongoing, and it is in contact with the relevant authorities to provide updates on the situation as it develops.
Multidimensional ‘Refaim’ unit finishes deployment in Lebanon
Separately, the IDF’s special operation task force, the multidimensional Unit 888, under the command of the IDF’s 91st Division, has completed its operation in southern Lebanon, where it has prevented the reestablishment of Hezbollah in the region over the past two months, the military stated earlier in the day.
During its operations, the unit gathered intelligence, located, and destroyed Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure, and killed the terror organization’s operatives, the IDF stated.
WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke over the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, a U.S. official said, without providing additional details.
While the American official did not mention the topics discussed in the call, Axios reported earlier that the two of them spoke about Gaza, Syria and the protests in Iran.
Iran, which had a 12-day war with Israel last year and whose nuclear facilities were bombed by the U.S. in June, is seeing its biggest anti-government demonstrations in years.
In Gaza, a fragile ceasefire has not progressed beyond its first phase since it began in October, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of major breaches of the deal. The two sides remain far apart on the more difficult steps envisaged for the next phase.
Earlier this week, Israel and Syria agreed during U.S.-mediated talks in Paris to set up a communication mechanism to coordinate on security and commercial issues.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Netanyahu has visited the United States five times to meet the Republican president while Trump visited Israel in October.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci, Sergio Non and Kate Mayberry)
BEIRUT, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Lebanon’s central bank will seek the repayment of public funds embezzled by at least one former central bank official and by lawyers and commercial bankers, to help guarantee its liquidity, Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid said on Thursday.
Souaid did not name Riad Salameh, the former central bank governor whose 30-year term ended in disgrace amid investigations into whether he embezzled more than $300 million between 2002 and 2015.
Instead Souaid told reporters that the central bank had filed a criminal complaint against an unnamed former official of the central bank, a former banker and a lawyer over alleged illicit enrichment through misuse of public funds. He said the operations were carried out through four offshore shell companies in the Cayman Islands that he did not name.
COORDINATING WITH FRENCH INVESTIGATORS
Souaid said the bank would become a primary plaintiff in the state’s investigation against Forry Associates, suspected of receiving commissions from commercial banks and transferring them out of the country. Forry is controlled by Salameh’s brother, Raja. Both Raja and Riad Salameh deny wrongdoing.
The pair are under investigation in France, Germany, Switzerland and other countries over the alleged embezzlement. Souaid said he would travel to France to meet with the investigators this month “to exchange highly sensitive information held by the French authorities.”
Souaid would not say how many people in total were suspected of involvement in the scheme or the full sum now thought to have been embezzled.
“Our mission is to pursue these individuals and entities, seek their conviction, and seize their movable and immovable assets and the proceeds of their illicit activities to ensure liquidity for the rightful owners, first and foremost the depositors,” he said.
A Lebanese source familiar with the central bank’s new measures said they were prompted by lots of evidence – both new material uncovered in the central bank’s records and other evidence made available from external investigators. The source said the bank’s leadership suspected Salameh was aided in his scheme by other members of the institution.
Salameh was detained for nearly 13 months over the alleged financial crimes committed during his tenure, and was released last September after posting a record bail of more than $14 million. He remains in Lebanon under a travel ban.
(Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Israel’s air force struck areas in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and early Tuesday, including in the country’s third-largest city.A strike around 1 a.m. Tuesday leveled a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal city of Sidon, a few days before Lebanon’s army commander is scheduled to brief the government on its mission of disarming militant group Hezbollah in areas along the border with Israel.An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the area was in a commercial district containing workshops and mechanic shops and the building was uninhabited.At least one person was transported by ambulance and rescue teams were searching the site for others, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.On Monday, the Israeli army hit several sites in southern and eastern Lebanon saying they held infrastructure for the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.Those strikes took place nearly two hours after Israel’s military Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted warnings on X that the military would strike targets for Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas groups in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two others in southern Lebanon. The later strike in Sidon was unannounced and the Israeli army did not immediately issue a statement on it.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said a home struck in the village of Manara in the Bekaa Valley belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024.The areas were evacuated after the Israeli warning and there were no reports of casualties in those strikes. Earlier Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braikeh earlier Monday wounded two people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.The Lebanese army last year began the disarmament process of Palestinian groups while the government has said that by the end of 2025 all the areas close to the border with Israel — known as the south Litani area — will be clear of Hezbollah’s armed presence.The Lebanese government is scheduled to discuss Hezbollah’s disarmament during a meeting Thursday that will be attended by army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal.Monday’s airstrikes were in villages north of the Litani river and far from the border with Israel.The disarmament of Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups by the Lebanese government came after a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in which much of the political and military leadership of the Iran-backed group was killed.The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon in September 2024 that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.The war ended in November 2024 with a ceasefire brokered by the U.S.Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since then, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but also killing at least 127 civilians, according to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
SIDON, South Governorate —
Israel’s air force struck areas in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and early Tuesday, including in the country’s third-largest city.
A strike around 1 a.m. Tuesday leveled a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal city of Sidon, a few days before Lebanon’s army commander is scheduled to brief the government on its mission of disarming militant group Hezbollah in areas along the border with Israel.
An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the area was in a commercial district containing workshops and mechanic shops and the building was uninhabited.
At least one person was transported by ambulance and rescue teams were searching the site for others, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.
On Monday, the Israeli army hit several sites in southern and eastern Lebanon saying they held infrastructure for the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Those strikes took place nearly two hours after Israel’s military Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted warnings on X that the military would strike targets for Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas groups in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two others in southern Lebanon. The later strike in Sidon was unannounced and the Israeli army did not immediately issue a statement on it.
Mohammad Zaatari
Lebanese Red Cross volunteers search for possible victims in a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, early Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said a home struck in the village of Manara in the Bekaa Valley belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024.
The areas were evacuated after the Israeli warning and there were no reports of casualties in those strikes. Earlier Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braikeh earlier Monday wounded two people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.
The Lebanese army last year began the disarmament process of Palestinian groups while the government has said that by the end of 2025 all the areas close to the border with Israel — known as the south Litani area — will be clear of Hezbollah’s armed presence.
The Lebanese government is scheduled to discuss Hezbollah’s disarmament during a meeting Thursday that will be attended by army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal.
Monday’s airstrikes were in villages north of the Litani river and far from the border with Israel.
The disarmament of Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups by the Lebanese government came after a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in which much of the political and military leadership of the Iran-backed group was killed.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon in September 2024 that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.
The war ended in November 2024 with a ceasefire brokered by the U.S.
Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since then, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but also killing at least 127 civilians, according to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
Israel’s air force struck areas in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and early Tuesday, including in the country’s third-largest city.A strike around 1 a.m. Tuesday leveled a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal city of Sidon, a few days before Lebanon’s army commander is scheduled to brief the government on its mission of disarming militant group Hezbollah in areas along the border with Israel.An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the area was in a commercial district containing workshops and mechanic shops and the building was uninhabited.At least one person was transported by ambulance and rescue teams were searching the site for others, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.On Monday, the Israeli army hit several sites in southern and eastern Lebanon saying they held infrastructure for the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.Those strikes took place nearly two hours after Israel’s military Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted warnings on X that the military would strike targets for Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas groups in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two others in southern Lebanon. The later strike in Sidon was unannounced and the Israeli army did not immediately issue a statement on it.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said a home struck in the village of Manara in the Bekaa Valley belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024.The areas were evacuated after the Israeli warning and there were no reports of casualties in those strikes. Earlier Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braikeh earlier Monday wounded two people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.The Lebanese army last year began the disarmament process of Palestinian groups while the government has said that by the end of 2025 all the areas close to the border with Israel — known as the south Litani area — will be clear of Hezbollah’s armed presence.The Lebanese government is scheduled to discuss Hezbollah’s disarmament during a meeting Thursday that will be attended by army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal.Monday’s airstrikes were in villages north of the Litani river and far from the border with Israel.The disarmament of Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups by the Lebanese government came after a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in which much of the political and military leadership of the Iran-backed group was killed.The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon in September 2024 that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.The war ended in November 2024 with a ceasefire brokered by the U.S.Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since then, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but also killing at least 127 civilians, according to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
SIDON, South Governorate —
Israel’s air force struck areas in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and early Tuesday, including in the country’s third-largest city.
A strike around 1 a.m. Tuesday leveled a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal city of Sidon, a few days before Lebanon’s army commander is scheduled to brief the government on its mission of disarming militant group Hezbollah in areas along the border with Israel.
An Associated Press photographer at the scene said the area was in a commercial district containing workshops and mechanic shops and the building was uninhabited.
At least one person was transported by ambulance and rescue teams were searching the site for others, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.
On Monday, the Israeli army hit several sites in southern and eastern Lebanon saying they held infrastructure for the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Those strikes took place nearly two hours after Israel’s military Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted warnings on X that the military would strike targets for Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas groups in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two others in southern Lebanon. The later strike in Sidon was unannounced and the Israeli army did not immediately issue a statement on it.
Mohammad Zaatari
Lebanese Red Cross volunteers search for possible victims in a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, early Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said a home struck in the village of Manara in the Bekaa Valley belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in May 2024.
The areas were evacuated after the Israeli warning and there were no reports of casualties in those strikes. Earlier Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braikeh earlier Monday wounded two people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.
The Lebanese army last year began the disarmament process of Palestinian groups while the government has said that by the end of 2025 all the areas close to the border with Israel — known as the south Litani area — will be clear of Hezbollah’s armed presence.
The Lebanese government is scheduled to discuss Hezbollah’s disarmament during a meeting Thursday that will be attended by army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal.
Monday’s airstrikes were in villages north of the Litani river and far from the border with Israel.
The disarmament of Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups by the Lebanese government came after a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in which much of the political and military leadership of the Iran-backed group was killed.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon in September 2024 that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.
The war ended in November 2024 with a ceasefire brokered by the U.S.
Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since then, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but also killing at least 127 civilians, according to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
Dec 20 (Reuters) – Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday, as the country races to fulfil a key demand of its ceasefire with Israel before a year-end deadline.
The U.S.-backed ceasefire, agreed in November 2024, ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the Iran-aligned militant group, starting in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.
Lebanese authorities, led by President Joseph Aoun and Salam, tasked the U.S.-backed Lebanese army on August 5 with devising a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year.
“Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion,” a statement from his office said.
“The state is ready to move on to the second phase – namely (confiscating weapons) north of the Litani River – based on the plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government,” Salam added.
The statement came after Salam held talks with Simon Karam, Lebanon’s top civilian negotiator on a committee overseeing the Hezbollah-Israel truce.
Since the ceasefire, the sides have regularly accused each other of violations, with Israel questioning the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Israeli warplanes have increasingly targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and even in the capital.
Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group, has tried to resist the pressure – from its mainly Christian and Sunni Muslim opponents in Lebanon as well as from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia – to disarm, saying it would be a mistake while Israel continues its air strikes on the country.
Israel has publicly urged Lebanese authorities to fulfil the conditions of the truce, saying it will act “as necessary” if Lebanon fails to take steps against Hezbollah.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Ahmed Tolba;Editing by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones)
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that Israeli forces fired multiple bursts of machine-gun fire near a UN peacekeeping patrol along the UN-demarcated Blue Line, causing no casualties.
The Israeli military later said that the shots were not aimed at the peacekeepers but at a suspect.
UNIFIL said peacekeepers in vehicles were conducting a routine patrol near the village of Sarda on Tuesday when an Israeli Merkava tank opened fire.
“One burst of 10 rounds was fired over the patrol, followed by four additional 10-round bursts landing nearby,” the statement said.
The mission said the peacekeepers immediately contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through UNIFIL liaison channels to demand an end to the shooting.
“Attacks on or near peacekeepers constitute a serious violation of Resolution 1701,” the statement said, urging Israel to halt what UNIFIL called aggressive behaviour toward forces mandated to maintain stability along the frontier. UN Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 Lebanon War.
UNIFIL noted that both the tank and the patrol were located inside Lebanese territory at the time.
Israel: Warning shots by soldiers at suspect
The IDF said in a statement that soldiers had identified a suspect approaching an Israeli base and fired warning shots at him.
“During the warning fire, UNIFIL forces contacted the IDF claiming they heard gunfire in their direction. It was clarified to them that the fire was not aimed at them or in their direction, but at the approaching threat in the area,” the IDF said.
The military emphasized that it was not acting against UN troops and would continue to cooperate extensively with their representatives.
Repeated violations of ceasefire
The incident comes amid a period of Israeli military activity along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Israel has been carrying almost daily strikes against pro-Iranian Hezbollah positions.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of cross-border fire, though both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal since then.
A key element of the ceasefire agreement is the disarmament of Hezbollah, a politically sensitive process that has been sought unsuccessfully in Lebanon for decades.
Israel and its northern neighbour remain formally in a state of war. Lebanon’s president recently signalled openness to new negotiations with Israel.
UNIFIL reiterated that its personnel remain committed to preventing further deterioration and maintaining channels of communication between the parties.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that Israeli forces fired multiple bursts of machine-gun fire near a UN peacekeeping patrol along the UN-demarcated Blue Line, causing no casualties.
“Attacks on or near peacekeepers constitute a serious violation of Resolution 1701,” the statement said, urging Israel to halt what UNIFIL called aggressive behaviour toward forces mandated to maintain stability along the frontier. UN Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 Lebanon War.
According to a statement, peacekeepers in vehicles were conducting a routine patrol near the village of Sarda on Tuesday when an Israeli Merkava tank opened fire.
“One burst of 10 rounds was fired over the patrol, followed by four additional 10-round bursts landing nearby,” the statement said.
The mission said the peacekeepers immediately contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through UNIFIL liaison channels to demand an end to the shooting.
UNIFIL noted that both the tank and the patrol were located inside Lebanese territory at the time.
The incident comes amid a period of Israeli military activity along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Israel has been carrying almost daily strikes against Pro-Iranian Hezbollah positions.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of cross-border fire, though both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal since then.
A key element of the ceasefire agreement is the disarmament of Hezbollah, a politically sensitive process that has been sought unsuccessfully in Lebanon for decades.
Israel and its northern neighbour remain formally in a state of war. Lebanon’s president recently signalled openness to new negotiations with Israel.
UNIFIL reiterated that its personnel remain committed to preventing further deterioration and maintaining channels of communication between the parties.
ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan praised Pope Leo’s stance on the Palestinian issue after meeting him in Ankara on Thursday, and said he hoped his first overseas visit as Catholic leader will benefit humanity at a time of tension and uncertainty.
“We commend (Pope Leo’s) astute stance on the Palestinian issue,” Erdogan said in an address to the Pope and political and religious leaders at the presidential library in the Turkish capital Ankara.
“Our debt to the Palestinian people is justice, and the foundation of this is to immediately implement the vision of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. Similarly, preserving the historic status of Jerusalem is crucial,” Erdogan said.
Pope Leo’s calls for peace and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine are also very meaningful, Erdogan said.
In September, Leo met at the Vatican with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and raised the “tragic situation” in Gaza with him.
Turkey has emerged as among the harshest critics of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, in its conflict there with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Daren Butler)
BEIRUT — When Pope Leo XIV visits the Middle East this week, he comes to a conflict-weary region struggling to find peace even as the specter of war stalks it once again.
In his first international trip since assuming the papacy in May, the Chicago-born pope will travel Thursday to Turkey, where he will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed — a foundational declaration of Christian belief and unity — was written in AD 325.
But perhaps the real test of Leo’s international debut lies in Lebanon. His coming fulfills a promise to visit the country made by his boldly charismatic predecessor Pope Francis, who raised the papacy’s international profile with dozens visits abroad and a propensity for frankness in his commentary that endeared him to the faithful, especially in the Middle East.
But Christians — estimated to be about 30% of Lebanon’s population — are not the only ones looking forward to Leo’s arrival.
A view of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, which Pope Leo XIV will see during his visit to Turkey, which begins Nov. 27, 2025.
(Arif Hudaverdi Yaman / Anadolu / Getty Images)
Many here hope his visit will be a portent for peace, bringing attention to this tiny Mediterranean nation as it contends with a Job-like succession of crises: First the economy, which crashed in 2019, tanking the banking system and the currency with it; then the port explosion in 2020; and the war between the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah and Israel, which flared in 2023 before intensifying late last year and left thousands dead and wide swaths of Lebanon’s south and east pulverized.
Despite a ceasefire brokered last November, Israel has launched near-daily attacks on its northern neighbor, justifying its strikes as a bid to stop Hezbollah from reconstituting itself, even as the United Nations tallied more than 10,000 air and ground violations in Lebanese territory and 127 civilians killed in the year since the ceasefire took effect.
Israel’s attacks have also paralyzed reconstruction efforts, meaning most residents of Lebanese border towns — whether dominated by Christians, Muslims or Druze — have been unable to piece back their prewar lives. The U.N.’s human rights office says around 64,000 Lebanese remain displaced.
The Israeli army launched more than 10 airstrikes on the town of al-Musaylih in southern Lebanon, causing extensive damage, on Oct. 11.
(Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Safety concerns for the pope have been paramount in people’s minds for months. In October, in what appeared to be a hot mic moment, Jordan’s Queen Rania asked the pope during a photo-op at the Vatican whether it was safe to go to Lebanon. “Well, we’re going,” Leo gruffly replied.
Alarms were raised again over the weekend when Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs, barely two miles away from where the pope would be landing on Sunday. The attack, the first one in months near the capital, killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander and coincided with a general uptick in Israeli strikes and drone activity in recent weeks — all indicators, observers say, of an impending all-out assault.
Nevertheless, the trip is still on, Lebanese officials say.
For Oumayma Farah, development director of the Order of Malta Lebanon, which aids communities of all religions and nationalities through humanitarian projects, that’s a “sign of courage and resilience to the Lebanese population and Christians in the region as a whole.”
“Whatever happens, the pope will come,” Farah said.
“The Church teaches us to not be afraid, so he’s the first example.”
A woman walks her dog past a billboard in Beirut touting Pope Leo’s upcoming visit to Lebanon.
(Anwar Amro / AFP/Getty Images)
Like most of the countries where Christianity first took hold, wars and economic lethargy — not to mention a relatively easier path to emigration — have dwindled Lebanon’s Christian population over the decades.
Across the Middle East, the number of Christians has gone from 20% of the population to a mere 5%; Lebanon remains the Arab country with the highest proportion, with Christians making up about 30% of the population, according to estimates from various research groups and the U.S. State Department.
The pope’s insistence on coming to Lebanon, Farah said, was “re-centering the importance of this country” and a “wake-up call” for its politicians. After spending three days in Turkey, the pope will arrive in Lebanon on Sunday and depart Tuesday.
In the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and other areas on the pope’s itinerary, signs abound of furious logistical activity and preparations: Police and security personnel have intensified their presence. A two-day holiday was announced to allow participation in public prayer events, even as parishes and schools across the country have been involved in bringing the faithful to attend Mass near the site of the Beirut port blast, which was deemed an accident caused by negligence, and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, roadworks and maintenance, all but abrogated in recent years due to the government’s financial woes, have been in full swing. The joke around town is that people want another papal visit if only so the government finishes repaving all the country’s pothole-stricken streets. A bitter corollary is another joke that the refurbished roads will last only till the pope leaves — because they’ll be destroyed in a new Israeli campaign.
Along with visiting the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Pope Leo will travel to the Turkish city of Iznik, ancient Nicaea, to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
(Arif Hudaverdi Yaman / Anadolu / Getty Images)
The gallows humor reflects the uncertainty of the moment, with the U.S. and Israel pushing the Lebanese army to fully disarm Hezbollah, even as the group insists it will disarm only in the country’s south.
Lebanon’s government, in turn, says that it cannot persuade Hezbollah to give up its arms so long as Israel keeps occupying Lebanese territory, and that doing so by force would lead to civil war.
The hope is that the pontiff can help break the logjam. But though few expect change to come so quickly, the visit is still important, said a Maronite parish priest, Father Tony Elias, from Rmeish, a village located just across the border from Israel.
“When the pope visits a country that has been in pain for so long, this is truly enough to lift that pain,” Elias said.
Rmeish, which maintained a resolutely neutral stance during the war, is relatively unscathed, an exception in the wasteland that has become Lebanon’s border area after years of Israeli bombardment.
Elias said he would have wanted the pope to visit the south, but he wasn’t disappointed, as he and about 200 others from the village would travel to Beirut and join the pontiff.
“If he can’t come to the south, we can come to him,” Elias said.
ANKARA (Reuters) -A maritime demarcation deal signed between Lebanon and Cyprus violates the rights of Turkish Cypriots on the island and is therefore unacceptable, Turkey said on Thursday.
Lebanon and Cyprus on Wednesday signed the long-awaited deal, which aims to pave the way for potential exploration of offshore gas fields and deepen energy cooperation in the Mediterranean.
Turkey, a NATO member, does not recognise the Greek Cypriot government on the ethnically-split island of Cyprus, and is the only country to recognise the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It has repeatedly complained that Greek Cypriots were disregarding and usurping Turkish Cypriot rights.
‘NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO ACCEPT’
“It is not possible for us to accept any agreement in which the rights of the TRNC are disregarded,” the Turkish Defence Ministry said at its weekly press briefing, using an acronym for the Turkish Cypriot government.
“We evaluate that this accord, which disregards the TRNC’s rights, is also in violation of the interests of the Lebanese people, and tell our Lebanese counterparts that we are ready for cooperation on maritime issues,” it added.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said the deal was another example of Greek Cypriots disregarding the rights of Turkish Cypriots, and said the Greek Cypriot administration was not the sole representative of the island and therefore did not have the authority to take decisions concerning the whole island.
“We call on the international community, namely countries of the region, not to support these unilateral steps by the Greek Cypriot Administration and not to become instruments in attempts to usurp the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots, who are sovereign and equal elements of the island,” Keceli said on X.
Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. The last round of peace talks between the two sides collapsed in 2017, with efforts to revive them at a stalemate since.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Conor Humphries)
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT TO ANKARA (Reuters) -Like many Americans on the annual holiday of Thanksgiving, Pope Leo was travelling on Thursday, flying from Rome to Turkey for his first overseas trip as leader of the Catholic Church.
While the first U.S. pope may not have a chance to enjoy a meal with turkey, stuffing and the other traditional dishes this year, several journalists aboard his papal flight from Rome tried to make sure he had a taste of the annual feast.
As Leo greeted journalists aboard his three-hour flight to Ankara, two members of the press handed him pumpkin pies, home-made and carried through the airport and on to the plane just for the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.
The journalists, Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service and Elise Allen of Catholic website Crux, suggested Leo could share the desserts with his travelling entourage.
The pope, smiling, responded: “I’ll share some.”
Leo is visiting Turkey, the country, for three days before heading on to Lebanon, for a trip where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the Middle East and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.
Speaking to journalists at the beginning of his flight, Leo told them he was grateful this year for the work they do in covering the Church and the first months of his papacy.
“To the Americans here, Happy Thanksgiving,” said Leo. “I want to begin by saying thank you to each and every one of you, for the service that you offer … to the whole world.
“It’s so important today that the message be transmitted in a way that really reveals the truth and the harmony that the world needs.”
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Daren Butler and Alex Richardson)
ISTANBUL—After a low-profile start to his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV is stepping into the limelight.
The first American pope begins his first foreign trip on Thursday, touring Turkey and Lebanon. It is a chance for him to set out his spiritual and geopolitical vision after six months as pontiff, notable for its relative quiet after years of turbulence in the Catholic Church.
The UN human rights office said that at least 127 civilians had been killed in Lebanon in strikes by the Israeli military since the ceasefire’s implementation.
Following a series of Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the UN and Lebanese Health Ministry on Tuesday reported casualty estimates for those wounded and killed in the country since the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and the terror group nearly a year ago.
The UN human rights office said that at least 127 civilians had been killed in Lebanon in strikes by the Israeli military since the ceasefire’s implementation, and called for an investigation into the matter and for the truce to be respected.
“Almost a year since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was agreed, we continue to witness increasing attacks by the Israeli military, resulting in the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian objects in Lebanon, coupled with alarming threats of a wider, intensified offensive,” Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, said at a Geneva press briefing.
He said the number included deaths the UN had verified using its own strict methodology, but that the actual level could be higher.
Women Hezbollah members mourning during the funeral procession on November 24, 2025 in Beirut, Lebanon. Hezbollah confirmed that its top military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai was killed yesterday in an Israeli air strike on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. (credit: Adri Salido/Getty Images)
Lebanese Health Ministry reports 331 ‘martyrs’ since ceasefire start
Earlier on Tuesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that 331 “martyrs” had been killed since the start of the ceasefire and that another 945 had been wounded.
The ministry did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
GENEVA (Reuters) -The U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday that at least 127 civilians had been killed in Lebanon in strikes by the Israel military since a ceasefire nearly a year ago, and called for an investigation and for the truce to be respected.
“Almost a year since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was agreed, we continue to witness increasing attacks by the Israeli military, resulting in the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian objects in Lebanon, coupled with alarming threats of a wider, intensified offensive,” said Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office, at a Geneva press briefing.
He said the number included deaths it had verified based on its own strict methodology but that the real level could be higher.
(Reporting by Emma FargeEditing by Madeline Chambers)
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon. Here is a history of papal foreign visits, which have become a major part of the agenda for the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
POPE PAUL VI (1963 to 1978)
Pope Paul VI was the first leader of the Church to leave Italy in 150 years. He made nine foreign visits, with the first a trip to Israel and Jordan in 1964. He travelled to the U.N. headquarters in New York in 1965, where he addressed the General Assembly in French, pleading: “No more war, never again war!”
POPE JOHN PAUL II (1978 to 2005)
Pope John Paul II, whose pontificate spanned nearly 27 years, made 104 foreign visits, logging well over one million km (600,000 miles) and visiting 129 countries. Elected pope at age 58, he was known for energetic, non-stop itineraries and for emphasizing international diplomacy. On a trip to Asia in 1984, he made a stopover in Alaska, where U.S. President Ronald Reagan travelled to welcome him and discuss world issues.
POPE BENEDICT XVI (2005 to 2013)
Pope Benedict XVI, from Germany, made 25 foreign visits, largely to European countries. On a trip to Germany in 2006 he caused widespread anger among Muslims by suggesting Islam was violent, quoting a passage by a 14th-century Byzantine emperor. Later that year, he made a trip to Turkey to foster reconciliation between Christians and Muslims. Benedict’s last visit was to Lebanon, in September 2012.
POPE FRANCIS (2013 to 2025)
Pope Francis made 47 foreign visits to 66 countries, often choosing places with non-Catholic populations to highlight people and problems in what he called the “peripheries” of the world. He was the first pope to visit Mongolia, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Iraq, among others. A visit to the Philippines in 2015 included the largest papal event to date, with crowds estimated as high as seven million for a Mass in Manila.
POPE LEO XIV (Elected in 2025)
Pope Leo, 70 and in good health, is widely expected to undertake many foreign visits. A trip to Peru, where he served as a missionary for decades, is all but certain during 2026. Leo said he would also like to visit Portugal, Mexico, Uruguay and Argentina, in comments on November 18.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the region and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, will give his first speeches to foreign governments and visit some sensitive cultural sites as part of a crowded itinerary during the November 27 to December 2 trip.
His predecessor Pope Francis had planned to visit both countries but was unable to because of his worsening health. Francis died on April 21 and Leo, originally from Chicago, was elected pope on May 8 by the world’s cardinals.
“A pope’s first foreign trip is an opportunity to capture and hold the world’s attention,” said John Thavis, a retired Vatican correspondent who covered three papacies.
“What’s at stake for Pope Leo is his ability to connect with a wider audience, in a region where war and peace, humanitarian needs and interfaith dialogue are crucial issues,” said Thavis.
PAPAL VISITS DRAW WORLD ATTENTION
Leo goes first to Turkey, from November 27 to 30, where he has several joint events with Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians, who is based in Istanbul.
Peace is expected to be a key theme of Leo’s visit to Lebanon, which has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Israel killed the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah’s top military official in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut, despite a U.S.-brokered truce a year ago.
Leaders in Lebanon, which is also host to one million Syrian and Palestinian refugees and is struggling to recover after years of economic crisis, hope the papal visit might bring global attention to the country.
An off-the-cuff moment in October raised possible security concerns about Leo’s visit in Lebanon. Queen Rania of Jordan, visiting Leo at the Vatican, asked the pope if he thought it was safe to go to the country. “Well, we’re going,” Leo responded.
Travelling abroad has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes attracting international attention as they lead events with crowds sometimes in the millions, give foreign policy speeches and conduct international diplomacy.
Francis, who made 47 foreign visits over his 12-year tenure, often grabbed headlines during his trips with surprise comments.
The late pope was also known for giving unusually frank answers during traditional in-flight press conferences with his travelling press corps, one of the few times the leader of the Church interacts at length with journalists.
Leo has a more reserved style and tends to speak from prepared texts. He has only given one exclusive interview in his six months as pope.
“What we’ve seen so far is a pope who’s very careful when he speaks,” Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and commentator, said. “But every trip is a risk. There can always be mistakes or fumbles.”
In Turkey, Leo and Bartholomew will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of a major early Church council, which took place in Nicaea, now Iznik, and created a creed that most of the world’s 2.6 billion Christians still pray today.
Orthodox and Catholic Christians split in the East-West Schism of 1054, but have generally strengthened their ties in recent decades.
Rev. John Chryssavgis, an adviser to Bartholomew, said the event is “especially meaningful as a sign and pledge of unity in an otherwise fragmented and conflicted world”.
Several other Orthodox Christian leaders are expected to attend the anniversary, but the Vatican has not said which.
The Moscow Patriarchate, an Orthodox community closely allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin that severed ties with Bartholomew in 2018, is not expected to take part.
POPE TO COMMEMORATE BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSION
Leo will also visit Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, his first visit as pope to a Muslim place of worship, and will celebrate a Catholic Mass at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.
Rev. Nicola Masedu, pastor of Istanbul’s Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, said interest in the new pope’s visit led organizers to move the Mass from the cathedral to the arena, which can hold around 5,000 people.
Turkey, a Muslim-majority nation, has about 36,000 Catholics out of a population of around 85 million, according to Vatican statistics.
Leo’s schedule in Lebanon includes a prayer at the site of the 2020 chemical explosion at the Beirut port that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage.
The pope will also host an inter-religious meeting and lead an outdoor Mass on the Beirut waterfront. But Leo, visiting five towns and cities in the country, will not travel to the south, the target of Israeli strikes.
Rev. Michel Abboud, who leads the Catholic Church’s charity network in Lebanon, told the Vatican’s media outlet the pope’s visit was one of “solidarity.”
“The people will know that, despite all the difficult situations they have gone through, they must not feel abandoned,” he said.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; additional reporting by Daren Butler in Istanbul and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
