BEIRUT: Clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army in recent days have caused widespread damage to civilian properties in Lebanon’s border area, with hospitals in the capital and southern region finalizing emergency plans in case of war.

Israeli bombardment on Friday evening and Saturday damaged many houses in border towns, as well as power grids.

Sirens were sounded more than once in many Israeli settlements along the Blue Line after they were evacuated, according to Israeli media.

LONDON: A video showing students at a school in Kuwait carrying fake guns and parading around a courtyard in an apparent display of support for the Hamas militant group in Gaza has been slammed on social media.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida on Thursday published a clip lasting nearly a minute-and-a-half featuring students from several schools in the country demonstrating their solidarity for Palestine as part of a nationwide initiative called for by the Ministry of Education.

GAZA, Palestine: Gaza’s Hamas rulers released two Americans on Friday among some 200 hostages they abducted in brutal October 7 attacks in Israel and indicated that more could follow.
Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan were back in Israel late Friday, the Israeli government said.
No details were given on their condition but US President Joe Biden quickly said he was “overjoyed” at the news.
And Hamas said it was working with Qatar and Egypt to free its “civilian” hostages, in a sign that more releases could follow.

RIYADH/JAKARTA: The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations adopted on Friday a cooperation road map during their inaugural joint summit in Riyadh, which also called for a ceasefire in the wake of Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

The gathering of the leaders of the GCC and ASEAN in the Saudi capital was the first top-level engagement between the two blocs since they established relations in 1986, when the GCC Ministerial Council decided to initiate contact with the political and economic union of 10 Southeast Asian nations.

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines, said it was cutting more than half of its flights as tensions along the border with Israel prompted more Western countries to warn against travel to the country.

Mohammed El-Hout, chairman of MEA, said only eight of the company’s 22 planes would operate as of next week, with the rest relocated to other airports.