and when i went to beirut, i thought, "i'll stay in beirut for a year."f syria for 11 years now, and only now i manage to come back. so, i was in beirut covering the war on hezbollah and on lebanon... well, our middle east correspondent, lina sinjab, is in beirut. ..and all of a sudden there was a ceasefire... the ceasefire started into effect almost four hours ago. ..and just that day, in the evening, the news started to come that the rebels have reached aleppo. in the next morning, the rebels have captured aleppo, and it's really hard to believe that the regime is not going to respond fiercely. in a matter of days, you know, city after city started falling. by midnight on saturday, homs had fallen to the rebels and i thought, "oh, my god, that's impossible! "that's incredible." and by 4am in the morning, the news came that he's gone. 0ur headlines for you today, the syrian president, bashar al—assad, has fled the country and reportedly sought asylum in russia after rebels... he left. i'm having goose bumps now, like i did when i heard the news. i though

and when i went to beirut, i thought, "i'll stay in beirut "for a year." of syria for 11 years now, and only now i manage to come back. so, i was in beirut covering the war on hezbollah and on lebanon... well, our middle east correspondent, lina sinjab, is in beirut. ..and all of a sudden there was a ceasefire... the ceasefire started into effect almost four hours ago. ..and just that day, in the evening, the news started to come that the rebels have reached aleppo. in the next morning, the rebels have captured aleppo, and it's really hard to believe that the regime is not going to respond fiercely. in a matter of days, you know, city after city started falling. by midnight on saturday, homs had fallen to the rebels and i thought, "oh, my god, that's impossible! "that's incredible." and by 4am in the morning, the news came that he's gone. 0ur headlines for you today, the syrian president, bashar al—assad, has fled the country and reportedly sought asylum in russia after rebels... he left. i'm having goose bumps now, like i did when i heard the news. i thou

there is a special here in beirut and the place where the presences in the southern suburbs for his, but of damage, this country before the war was struggling to recover from years of economic crisis of this is a population, a country really exhausted from years of economic crisis and now by the suffering and destruction caused by the work. right up until it was announced i went to southern lebanon, i was in the largest city in the south of the country, there was widespread damage caused by weeks of intense israeli air strikes. 1.2 million people had been displaced because of the conflict, more than 4000 people were killed so really what this country is hoping for is the end of hostilities between israel and hezbollah— and the full withdrawal of israeli troops from the country. the chancellor, rachel reeves, has set out details of proposed changes to the planning system in england, aimed at boosting economic growth. the reforms include streamlining environmental impact assessments for new homes and infrastructure, to help developers save time and money. the chancellor also hinted th

first point, in 1982, if you can remember, sharon invaded lebanon, pushed all the way in beirut. because in 78 he pushed all the way to the river and order to prevent the palestinians from getting into israel. and then in 82 he went all the way to beirut in order to basically decimate the palestinian resistance. if you remember, he sent -- to exile. so what happened? from 1981-1987 islamic jihad was born in 81. 81. hezbollah was born in 82, and hamas was born between 85 and 87. so i wouldn't suggest anybody to start rejoicing over destroying hamas, hezbollah, or the palestinian resistance or to cutting iran's arms. because the resistance will stay as long as the occupation stays, as long as repression stays. resistance to israel, to a friend occupation, to apartheid, to genocide existed before the iranian revolution. it came to being reinforced exact at the time that israel and sharon believed that it wiped out the resistance. i think right now as you look at gaza, hamas is still there. israel, netanyahu did not achieve his goal of destroying hamas. hamas is still there. israel h

simona foltyn reports from beirut. simona: beirut's southern suburbs are once again in ruins.aeli bombardment, dahiyeh's residents returned last november to find their homes, shops and lives reduced to rubble. husam's apartment block was still standing. it narrowly escaped an israeli strike that flattened several high-rise buildings, leaving hundreds of his neighbors homeless. >> the tyrannical israeli enemy is sowing lies that there hezbollah fighters here, but there are only peaceful civilians. they are destroying the environment that loves the resistance. simona: the idf said it hit around 360 -- quote -- "terrorist structures" in dahiyeh before the cease-fire went into effect on november 27. these strikes decimated hezbollah's top echelon, but they also killed scores of civilians and wreaked havoc on civilian infrastructure, which is forbidden under international law. dahiyeh is considered a hezbollah stronghold, but it's also a sprawling suburb, home to around a million people, many of whom support the group. there's a sense here that israeli strikes did not just target h

our correspondent in beirut is hugo bachega. he sent this update.s that thousands of residents tried to return to their homes in the south of the country, despite warnings from both the lebanese and the israeli armies and the united nations that it wasn't safe to do so. this happened after the end of a deadline for the withdrawal of all israeli troops from the south, also for the removal of hezbollah fighters and weapons from there. now, israel says lebanon hasn't really fully implemented the deal, which also includes the deployment of thousands of lebanese soldiers to the south of the country. so the situation now is that israeli soldiers remain in the country, today they opened fire. they say that they had fired warning shots. they didn't really explain those incidents that happened today. we still don't know how many israeli soldiers remain here in lebanon, how long they're planning to stay, but this is a country with memories of past foreign occupation. so the presence of israeli soldiers here is seen as unacceptable and a source for concern. me

now, from beirut, user error strikes, come, i'm a hyphen tim says to yours, war between has the law and as well. families have returned to what's left of their homes and shops, but it will take a while before life returns to normal. we respected all the agreements that were reached for that they did not. we will allow israel to decide what happens next. it has the lowest, the most powerful political and military player in the country, even stronger than the state. but the war created a new reality. in this village alone, 60 of its fighters are still buried under, but i'm glad you little saw them in there. i might and somebody else to move and hold on a huff he is of these really genocide, the time is come for us to resend to the davis called deval homeland in laws. and because despite the destruction found it so homeland that you are the rightful owners of the law, have you this all i had seen roads is the road northward uses, still having to do the major roads. uh, so that had been, it took us at least 2 hours on that rod road just to get away from the inspection at point on the we jus

we also met with a lebanese armed forces and the caretaker prime minister in beirut. from what i observed and what was shared the lebanese authorities are committed to upholding their commitments under resolution 1701. i reiterated the united nations, including -- is absolutely committed to supporting the parties in this regard. the lebanese armed forces have deployed to 93 locations south of the river as of january 15, compared to the estimated location on november 27. supporting the lebanese army in its appointment to many locations. as part of a plan to deploy an additional 6000 troops to the south, the lebanese armed forces have recently sent 262 personnel to the sector while another 673 recruits are undergoing training. an additional 600 individuals are undergoing free recruitment screening. the efforts of the committee with the participation of several countries, which is also supporting the lebanese armed forces in its recruitment and deployment efforts. to facilitate closer coordination with lebanese armed forces there is an officer stationed in the sector hea

so i know how the reports from beirut, lebanon has a new president ending a power vacuum that lasted for more than 2 years. it's army commander, joseph, fall and received the majority of the votes. and he says, this is a new beginning. in his 1st speech, the parliament on said he would fight corruption poverty, promote economic engineers over for a while, investing in the army. he promised to build a functional state. i have a little modest my pledge is to exercise my role. let's come under in chief of the armed forces and chairman of the supreme defense council, through which i will work to offend the states right to monopolize the bearing of homes. this was seen as a message that has the law whose arms wing has long been stronger than the army own . was not the groups candidates, but this is an 11 on isabel's devastating war. and the fall of the regime and neighboring syria weekend has the law. and this alex, it's a big change in the whole region, not on the 11th. and the indian uh, uh, influence on the own lebanon is going away. lebanon's lawmakers returned to parliament on thursd

called you guys to join us today to speak about this connection. ricardo, you are joining us from beirut, lebanon, being israel, 2nd front, and we've seen what is doing to sites there as well. here, a village in southern lebanon, the location of a 2000 year old trying, going 1st, how does that make you feel as a lebanese, and what are the implications of damaging sites instructor such as ball back entire, on the lebanese people. but also what does that mean to all of us to the rest of the world? and i believe i belong to the generation that has decided to do you mean, and rather than despite all the attractions we have and or degree and offers. i personally have to pursue my cree somewhere else and i've decided to remain here. i live in them is not a new state and then is visited by itself. it's a pos, just 1002000 years of history of family. shared a part of these and the willingness to the meal, we had the, the 2 different kinds of what was in lebanon and always made it. and the mean here at this so, so it's, so i'm making to see villages for the part to see people scattered to see thi

and i know you have family in beirut, in amman, in nazareth, in the galilee. and so know that this for you and i imagine for in the room this is also deeply personal. and so i think let's just before we turn it over to you just a brief moment of silence to remember all whose lives have been cut short, completely, unnecessarily and sadly, with the complicity of the us government. thank you. so i want to just go to the title and helena, we'll start with and then we'll go to rami and say, understanding hamas and does this matter? so maybe you could just like answer that question. it comes out of a of webinars from last may. it's amazing the turnaround so maybe just why does this right now to have book and what's in it with the folks you interviewed. so first. okay. well, thank you so much, david, for with us. it's always a pleasure. be next to you on any panel. big thanks to colin and the rest of the team at all books for working us. i'm here in my capacity as the president of just world educational which is actually quite separate. the publishing company. just w

but it was surprising that that could happen in beirut. the, the green line, of course, and the civil war was a place with flowers and trees grew a bundle and savings that reference to that. but it's also a way of envisioning some bryan, so future kind of sense of height that might spring up in the ruins of the cost the today around $3.00 decades on from the end of the civil war, the complexity of lebanon, sectarianism, and the geo politics of the region means of the country and its people are still struggling to recover from its effects. the majority of the hotel district has been rebuilt. the numerous shell of the holiday inn still towers over downtown, awaiting its fates. no more green line for it to look down on today. the but the monument to 15 years of struggle continues to attract visitors, historians, artists, and filmmakers. all seeking to understand the events of the seventy's and eighty's, the move in any of the ravaged building, surviving the conflict. it surely deserves the title. more hotel. a report has retreat in a brutal c

delayed the white house as a cease far extension. 11 is urgently needed to know how that has more from beirut, the hours before the 60 day deadline for the israeli army to leave lebanese territory. the office of prime minister benjamin nothing apple announced troops will be staying longer because it says loving on, hasn't fully enforced. it's part of the agreement. is there any troops have been present in border villages? so it's a ceasefire, and that is rouse war with has been law in late november since then. this way the army has been destroying, as well as infrastructure tunnels and confiscating its weapons in recent weeks is ready. troops have pulled out of dozens of villages in southern lebanon, but others remain closed military zones. and when they go, they leave behind a trail of destruction and a bite to get them. but on the model, i shall be completing my homes exterior was damaged during the war, but it was still standing like i could have gone back and repaired it and lived in it. but unfortunately after the ceasefire and these relays entered and did whatever they wanted to offer,

in beirut, the incursion into southern lebanon, and now the cease-fire to pull back out, the destruction of miles and miles of tunnels and rocket systems, which, by the way were within earshot of the u.n. peace keeping force that was there. we could have a real conversation about the future and efficacy of that, of that f orce. it is incredible, it is an incredible opportunity for lebanon. it is a moment. i give a lot of credit to the effort that went behind the new election. working with our gulf partners and with the saudis in particular. it is moment to translate into some political headwinds now that we have seen that tremendous military victory. hamas is incredibly isolated number they always thought that calvary was coming from the north and frankly every time they got the news, these anti-semitic protests on our college campuses -- uh, and, uh, fact that hezbollah could be coming in and seeing the calls for regime change, against the israeli government, they thought they were winning. they thought they continued to sacrifice their own people to turn world opinioni against the isra

meanwhile, our bbc world service correspondent in beirut carine torbey has been to one of the towns whichom their villages in defiance of israeli occupation. here is her report from tyre, the historic lebanese port city. people gathered here are among those who tried to cross into their occupied villages further in the south. they are here to hear news about others who were injured after the israeli army opened fire to disperse them. they were brought to this hospital. translation: we were heading to our village and we found - the israelis there. we remained there. they started firing in the air, but they didn't scare us. then a drone threw sound bomb on us and the soldiers started firing at us. a guy standing next to my brother got shot. people started panicking, not knowing in which direction to head. one of the villages where people tried to go to is just two minutes' away from where we are standing here — on top of this hill over there. basically, people who were trying to cross today knew that they were taking a big risk, but they told me this didn't stop them. translation: i was jus

so i know how the reports now from beirut of lebanon's political map is being assured in the country has a new prime minister. after parliamentarians held consultations with the recently elected president, joseph phone, and most chosen man who doesn't belong to the traditional political class that governs the country for decades. now, wife, son of diplomat, lawyer, and presiding judge and the international court of justice represents change. a new beginning to thousands of cost. what the shop and given in i told the president the in his no real speech outlined the demands of the people. i hope he can implement these, but he meets a partner in the executive authority, willing to call the reforms. and that is why i named now of salon because he is not part of the old george or in recent years. so lambs candidacy was blocked. now, there is a new balance of power, has the law and its allies are believed to have wanted the incumbent. there's even a coffee to remain in the post, but they appear to be losing political influence after suffering military blows by as well as the law is accusin

hezbollah and the lebanese state. 0ur middle east correspondent hugo bachega has the latest from beirutulated the withdrawal of israeli troops from the south of the country and the removal of hezbollah fighters and weapons from the south. at the same time thousands of lebanese soldiers would be deployed to that part of the country. what the israelis are saying is that this hasn't implemented this fully and the lebanese military hasn't fully deployed to the south. in response, the lebanese are saying that there have been delays in this deployment because of what they described as israel's procrastination in pulling out from the country. i think at the heart of what is happening here is what the israelis have been saying and that is that they need more time to destroy and dismantle has a lower back infrastructure in the south of the country. there is still concern about lebanese military�*s ability or willingness to act against hezbollah in the south. this is a part of lebanon where for decades, has been the word—mac has been the dominant force. we don't know how many israeli troops are s

our correspondent hugo bachega is in beirut and gave us this update. deadline expired, we saw some dramatic images of thousands of residents trying to go back to their towns and villages along their towns and villages along the lebanese israeli border, and in recent days hezbollah�*s tv station actually encouraged residents to go back home. this is an area where hezbollah has a very strong presence, it still enjoys significant support, despite warnings from the lebanese military and the israeli military that it wasn't safe to do so. so in some places in the south, the israeli military store has a presence and we have seen —— still has a presence, and we have seen shootings happening, the israeli military confirming it had opened fire, confirmed it had opened fire, confirmed it had opened fire, confirmed it had hit people, it also said some people had been detained for interrogation, so it shows a very tense situation there is the israelis say that this withdrawal is going to continue gradually, it hasn't said how long these troops will remain in the co

then a holder has more from beirut. french president, am unaware, i'm a chrome says this is a new lebanon, and he's here to show support to the newly elected leaders who he believes, bring hope for change. friends like the us and saudi arabia played a role in breaking the political deadlock that led to the election of president joseph found and the prime minister outside the traditional political class, the government for decades, spring has returned. my crown set, it is for kendall the public key, and then we will continue to support your objective to assist sovereignty and state to authority of all of living on this as a central to maintain the ceasefire. keeping living on free from external interference is crucial for preserving piece of it. there's a new balance of power and 11 on after, as well as devastating war on has below. the army is being deployed in the groups, former stronghold in southern lebanon, and it is getting international support to implement the ceasefire deal. that's also benz anyone else, but the state to have arms. i'm going to say that i use, i hope you will test

crisis and more recently as well as offensive against has the law was then a whole, the has more from beirut. and the words of the french president's m on well, i'm across spring has arrived, and 11 on is referring to the new political reality and the country. there are new leaders, a new president's a new prime minister. men who do not belong to the old, traditional political class that have been governing this country for decades. these 2 men, according to my cro, bring about hope for change. and this is really what, what both the president and the prime minister designate is promising. they're promising to carry out the much needed reforms, whether it's in the judiciary, the public sector, the electricity sector, the financial sector reforms that the international community has been demanding really for years in order to help this country revive the economy. this is something my crohn talked about and just like in the past, these reforms really are conditional to unlock billions of dollars of age. and it's not just a, the money that this country needs there. they need billions to rebuild

killed at least 24 people on sunday, a 134. others were wounded saying a hold of it has moved from beirut. and there were concerns about the continued. so the, let's say of the ceasefire agreement between the hezbollah and as well that ended the war last year. but 11 on has confirmed that this will continue to adhere to that agreement, despite the fact that israel did not meet the deadline to withdraw its forces from lebanese territory along the border as well, was supposed to pull its troops out of 11 on by a 60 day deadline that ended early on sundays to allow the lebanese armies to fully deploy along the border and carry out its mission to this arm has the law and make sure has the lot. and it's a weapons are, are moved away from the board or the white house said that the deadline for the full implementation of the deal has now been extended to february, 8th teams. the white house did say a few days ago that there was a need for a short temporary extension of the deadline because quote, has been a lot still remains a threat. so that's the deal is supposed to see the is really army pull

let's cross live to beirut and join our correspondent there, hugo bachega.e with what we've heard about these deaths. 50 what we've heard about these deaths. , ., deaths. so this morning right after this deadline _ deaths. so this morning right after this deadline expired, l deaths. so this morning right. after this deadline expired, we saw some dramatic images of thousands of residents trying to go back to those towns and villages along the lebanese israeli border, and in recent days, his brother —— hezbollah's tv has encouraged residents to go back home. there are still enjoying significant support here despite one is for the lebanese military and israeli military that it was not safe to do so. so some places in the south, the israeli military still has a presence and we've seen those shootings happening, the israeli military confirming that it had opened fire, it also said that some people had been detained for interrogation, so it shows a very tense situation where is the israelis say that this withdrawal is going to continue gradually, it hasn't said ho

we have a report from beirut. southern suburbs are once again in peril. >> there are only peaceful civilians. reporter: thesis strikes decimated hezbollah's top echelon. this is considered a stronghold. many support the group. experts at the american university are calling the israeli bombardment the deliberate obliteration of urban fabric. >> we have seen massive destruction. reporter: israel coined a doctrine that says there will be large-scale destruction to pressure adversaries. back then, israeli jets leveled buildings. the latest strikes appear to be scattered over a much wider area. they set the goal was not just to degrade military capabilities. >> we are seeing an effort to create a division between hezbollah and the population. reporter: benjamin netanyahu addressed the lebanese people. >> for too long, hezbollah has been using you as human shields. please get out of harm's way now. once our operation is finished, you can come back safely. reporter: this continued long after the cease-fire went into effe

and is expected later in jordan of us special envoy, a most hawk stain, is expected to arrive in beirut on monday, in hopes of preserving a truce in lebanon. the deadline for is ready troops to withdraw from the southern 11 and its scheduled for the end of this month. spots is ready media, as report to the army may stay, policy agreed. the agreed upon withdrawal date. israel has repeatedly conducted as strikes while the ceasefire was in place by lightning, the agreement, hundreds of times to south korea where monday's miss all, it's going. so i did with the visit to us sector state to south korea and the joint briefing with it. i think president choice, i'm up until the blinking condemned to miss out on saying it violates un security council resolutions. he reaffirmed washington's commitment to the region and said he has full confidence in south korean institutions. today, the alliance between the united states and korea remains more essential than ever in shaping our shared future. and i believe it's also stronger than ever in taking on that task. we've enhanced as you are the minister

he on the new president a not from the old political class, but as they know how the reports from beirut, traditional parties appeared to want to protect the power the symbol of the revolution still stands and they do smarter. square, the uprising ended with a diesel crack down by those in power. a political class accused of nearly bankrupting the country. 5 years on change has come with new leaders from outside the system. men, the protest movement believed could speak for them and break from the past as they try to form a government of what is going on the buddy, i'm not a mailbox for politicians to inform me of the numbers and the names they want. it's my responsibility to form a government knows that sunday the represents the protest movement in parliament. she says the new administration must be independent of political parties and 11 on must move away from a consensus democracy. we have not had the practice of putting the right people in the right position just because the political party wanted to put their own people . so the people in the cabinet did not have a say on their own.

this in the backdrop of three israeli hostages finally reunited with their families after 15 beirut monthsy. chief foreign correspondent trey yingst joins us now from tel aviv, which is phase one has begun over the next 42 days of the prisoner hostage exchange. trey? >> brian, good morning. the cease-fire between israel and hamas appears to be holding after exchange overnight with three israeli hostages. we are getting the first images of those young women reuniting with family members hospital in central israel. such emotional moments after waiting 470 days for this to happen. all the women are up and walking on their own from the west bank we also got some of the first image thats of palestinian prisoners being released from israeli prison. 90 were exchanged overnight. people gathered around buses escorted from the red cross and waived hamas flags while exanting. wait six days until the next exchange for. girl four people expected to be released from gaza. the entire middle east waiting right now for the inauguration of president-elect trump. understanding there will be a new set of fore

and it had taken hostage --, american hostages in beirut. so this complex scheme where the reagan administration officials were negotiating with iran, agreeing to sell them arms in exchange for the release of these hostages, some of the funds from those sales and other fundraising activities would then translate to the support of the contras. so this that's that's that's what the iran contra scheme was. and the reagan administration had kept this secret. but then it became known and we can get into how that all occurred and what occurred afterwards, when when investigations ensued. well, how was it discovered? how was this plan discovered? well, it was sort of two phase is the what had been occurring with the funds that were being raised is that arms were being shipped and delivered to the contras in the nicaraguan countryside or in honduras, neighboring honduras and what members of the administration were doing was to work with retired military people to orchestrate these shipments, and they were delivered by airplane. one of those airplane