The Eye

Lebanese daily @alakhbarnews reported that #SaudiArabia remains firm in its stance, maintaining economic pressure on #Lebanon. According to visitors to #Riyadh, the kingdom has conveyed that it will not contribute "a single penny" to Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts. Well-informed sources indicate that President #JosephAoun indirectly received this message during his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince #MohammedbinSalman earlier this month. Additionally, he was reportedly met with a firm Saudi refusal to lift the travel ban on its citizens visiting Beirut. During their discussions, bin Salman reportedly questioned Aoun on whether he could guarantee the safety of Saudi nationals traveling along Beirut’s airport road, which is lined with images of #Hezbollah and Iranian leaders. He remarked, “At the very least, remove the pictures.” Upon his return, Aoun relayed this request to Speaker of Parliament #NabihBerri, inquiring about the possibility of reducing the number of such images along the route. Why do you think Saudi Arabia cares about images displayed in another country? Share your thoughts with Hoopoe.

The @Middleeasteye reports, citing informed American and Palestinian sources, that #Jordan has proposed a plan to exile 3,000 members of #Hamas and Al-Qassam Brigades from #Gaza, disarm the resistance, and allow the Palestinian Authority to take control of the enclave—all in an attempt to "bring an end to the ongoing Israeli aggression". Do you think this is a viable option? Share your thoughts with Hoopoe. #Israel #GazaWar

In the latest expansion of its strict immigration crackdown, the administration of U.S. President #DonaldTrump is set to revoke the temporary legal status of 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The decision will take effect on April 24. This move effectively ends the two-year parole program introduced under former President Joe Biden, which allowed migrants from these countries to enter the U.S. by air if they had an American sponsor. Since taking office, Trump has ramped up immigration enforcement, including record deportations of undocumented migrants residing in the United States. #Immigration #Deportation #MigrantCrisis

Washington has approved a potential $100 million deal to sell advanced precision-guided weapon systems to Saudi Arabia. The deal includes 2,000 APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems), along with spare parts and missile software. In 2025, Saudi Arabia surpassed Egypt and Israel in the global ranking of air power among the strongest nations with military fighter jets, according to the U.S. State Department. #SaudiArabia #USArmsDeal

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed in an interview with Al Hadath TV channel that his government was formed without direct partisan representation, stressing that it will maintain neutrality among all political factions. Salam reiterated that the ministerial statement explicitly calls for exclusive control of arms by the state, a principle that all ministers are committed to. He declared that decisions on war and peace belong solely to legitimate state institutions, particularly the Council of Ministers, marking a shift away from previous policies. In a direct message, Salam stated that the "Army, People, Resistance" slogan is no longer relevant, calling for a new phase centered on reasserting state authority across all Lebanese territories. Share your opinion with Hoopoe. If resistance is dismantled in Lebanon, whom is capable pf standing in the face of continuous Israeli aggression? #Lebanon #NawafSalam #Hezbollah

The #Trump administration has already halved the department's work force since taking office. Completely shutting the department will likely require an act of Congress. It is, however, unlikely Trump has support from enough lawmakers to pass such a law. Trump said the move was "the popular thing to do" but a recent poll for Reuters found roughly 65% of Americans opposed the idea. Swipe to hear some of Trump's reasoning behind the order. #Education

The #UAE delivered a clear message during national security advisor Sheikh #Tahnoon bin Zayed's visit to the White House on Tuesday: Artificial Intelligence is in, and Israel's war on Gaza is out - on the UAE's list of top priorities with the #Trump administration. Trump hosted Tahnoon at a White House dinner on Tuesday, with Tahnoon reaffirming the UAE's interest in investing in sectors like Al, technology, infrastructure, and healthcare, Wam, the UAE's official news agency, said. Tahnoon, who has been dubbed the "spy sheikh", has a laser-like focus on Al. As the chairman of two Abu Dhabi wealth funds with an estimated net worth of $1.4 trillion, Tahnoon has more money than potentially any other investor in the world to channel into Al. He controls artificial intelligence group G42, which obtained a $1.5bn investment from Microsoft in Al data centres in the UAE.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip #Erdoğan has taken the unprecedented step of arresting his prominent political rival, Ekrem #İmamoğlu, the mayor of #Istanbul, who had been outperforming Erdoğan in opinion polls. The arrest, based on charges of academic fraud, corruption, and support for terrorism, has triggered massive street protests, reflecting the significant popular backing for the opposition, which commands nearly 50% of the Turkish electorate. With tensions running high, observers are now asking: Is this the beginning of a Turkish Spring? Could this mark the end of Erdoğan’s era? The opposition faces formidable challenges, yet the opportunity remains—especially with the possibility of Western support. The situation is still unfolding, and #Turkey’s political future hangs in the balance.

Alphabet, Google's parent company, has agreed to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup #Wiz in an all-cash deal worth $32 billion. This acquisition marks the largest purchase of an Israeli tech company in history, showcasing Israel's technological prowess amid wartime challenges. For #Google, this is its biggest acquisition ever, more than doubling its previous record— the $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in 2012. #Alphabet #Israel #Cybersecurity

U.S. envoy #SteveWhitkoff is pushing #Lebanon toward direct negotiations with #Israel, warning that reconstruction and military aid depend on compliance with Washington’s plan. The proposal includes a full #Hezbollah disarmament, territorial demarcation with Israel and #Syria, and a strict ban on displaced residents returning to border towns. Meanwhile, Israel will not negotiate over the 13 disputed points unless Lebanon follows the outlined roadmap. Gulf states have also been instructed to withhold funding until a political agreement is reached. The message is clear: Lebanon must align with U.S. demands or face continued pressure.

Thousands gathered in Istanbul's #Sarachane district on Wednesday, after #Turkiye authorities detained #Istanbul Mayor #Ekremİmamoğlu, President #Erdoğan’s main rival, on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group. The opposition calls it “a coup against our next president.” İmamoğlu, a two-term mayor and leading opposition figure, was set to be officially named as the #CHP ’s presidential candidate. He now faces multiple investigations, including accusations of leading a crime organization, bribery, and tender rigging. This comes amid a broader crackdown on opposition figures, with several elected mayors ousted and a nationalist party leader jailed. Critics say it’s a politically motivated move to weaken the opposition ahead of elections. #Turkey

The UAE is lobbying the #Trump administration to torpedo a post-war plan for the #Gaza Strip that Egypt drafted and which has been endorsed by the Arab League, claimed US and Egyptian officials. The split is becoming increasingly bitter, with US diplomats concerned that it is harming US interests in the region. It reflects growing Arab competition over who calls the shots in the Gaza Strip's future governance and reconstruction, as well as different opinions over how much influence Hamas should retain there. The Emirati pressure poses a dilemma for Cairo because both the UAE and Egypt broadly back the same Palestinian powerbroker for Gaza, Mohammed Dahlan, an exiled former Fatah official.

According to Israeli website Walla, the pilot, Alon Gur, "confirmed his refusal to participate in the attacks on #Gaza, considering them driven by the government's political agenda." In a letter to his commander, the dismissed pilot wrote: "The government has crossed the line, abandoning its citizens in broad daylight for the sake of its extremist political considerations, which now overshadow all other priorities." He added: "We have reached a stage where human life has lost its value, and the king has become more important than the kingdom. That is enough."

U.S. President #DonaldTrump on Monday warned that #Iran will suffer dire consequences for further retaliatory attacks by the Ansarullah based in #Yemen. "Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!" he wrote. Trump also accused Iran of providing the Ansarullah with weapons, money and intelligence. Earlier on Monday, Alexus Grynkewich, the head of operations at the Joint Staff, said at a Pentagon press briefing that the United States struck 30 "#Houthis" targets at multiple locations in Yemen on March 15.

The White House ignited controversy on Monday by resharing a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) post about the deportation of a Lebanese doctor, adding the phrase 'bye-bye Rasha' alongside a photo of President #DonaldTrump waving from a drive-through window. The move came in response to the removal of Dr #RashaAlawieh, a kidney transplant specialist who had been working in Rhode Island.

Despite a #ceasefire being in place, Israeli Prime Minister #BenjaminNetanyahu 's office confirmed the resumption of the #war on #Gaza effectively ending the truce. Palestinian resistance factions called for international intervention and accountability, urging the United Nations and Arab organizations to act to put an end to the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of “blackmail”, as the feud between the pair reached an unprecedented level. The allegation was part of a statement issued by #Netanyahu in response to an interview given by Bar’s predecessor Nadav Argaman, who claimed to be sitting on a trove of information that would compromise Netanyahu and threatened to make it public if Netanyahu breaks the law. Netanyahu is widely reported to have been working for months to try and oust Bar, as he seeks to place the blame for the failures that allowed for the October 7 operation to unfold squarely on the security echelon, as opposed to the political leadership. #Israel #ShinBet

Yemeni Media reported that approximately 40 U.S. airstrikes targeting the capital, #Sanaa, as well as Saada and Al-Bayda, have resulted in an initial toll of 32 dead and over 100 wounded, the majority of whom are women and children. The strikes are expected to continue for weeks. Four airstrikes hit the Al-Jeraf neighborhood in northern Sanaa, killing ten people and injuring 13 others. Additional strikes targeted the Attan and Jarban areas in the Sanhan district of Sanaa province. In #Saada, reports indicate that airstrikes on two homes in the Qahza area, north of the city, led to a rising casualty count of ten dead and 13 wounded. Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (#CENTCOM) confirmed that it had carried out a series of airstrikes against "Ansarullah" targets across #Yemen. CENTCOM stated that the operations involved precision strikes, justifying them as measures to defend U.S. interests, deter adversaries, and restore freedom of maritime navigation. #RedSea #DonaldTrump

Lebanese Media reported that a child was killed and four others were injured due to shelling originating from the Qusayr countryside in Syria, targeting border towns in the eastern #Bekaa region of #Lebanon. On Sunday evening, rockets were launched from the Qusayr countryside inside Syrian territory toward the town of Al-Qasr on the Lebanese-Syrian border. Lebanese Media reported ongoing artillery shelling from positions held by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the Qusayr countryside, targeting the same town. Amid escalating artillery fire from the #Qusayr countryside, residents of Lebanese border towns were seen fleeing toward the city of #Hermel. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army, through the Red Cross, handed over to Syrian authorities the bodies of three HTS fighters who had been found in Al-Qasr.

Israeli officials and public figures gathered at the United Arab Emirates' embassy in Tel Aviv last night for a #Ramadan #Iftar. Among the attendees were Amir Ohana from the Likud party and Mansour Abbas, the chair of Ra'am. The UAE's relations with Israel continues amid Tel Aviv's crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, the attacks on Syria, and the starvation of nearly two and a half million Palestinians in the #Gaza Strip. #UAE #Israel