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Netanyahu offers 'phased' withdrawal if Lebanon disarms Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said Israel was ready to back Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah and offered "a phased" pullout of its troops if Lebanon followed through with plans to seize the group's weapons.

"Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations," said Netanyahu, according to a statement released by his office.

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UN Security Council to vote on embattled Lebanon peacekeepers

The United Nations Security Council will vote Monday on the future of the blue helmet peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon that has faced U.S. and Israeli opposition.

The Council will vote on a French-drafted compromise that would keep the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed in 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon, in place for one more year while it prepares to withdraw.

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Kneecap defy critics with 'Free Palestine' chant at Paris gig

Irish rap group Kneecap repeated their criticism of Israel's war in Gaza during a performance outside Paris on Sunday, despite objections from French Jewish groups and government officials.

The concert, which began shortly before 6.30 pm (1630 GMT) in front of several thousand people in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud, went ahead despite complaints from the Belfast trio's critics.

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Ukraine marks independence day with drone strikes on Russia

Ukraine launched a wave of drone strikes on Russia Sunday, triggering a fire at a nuclear power plant as it celebrated Ukrainian independence day against a backdrop of fading hopes for recent peace efforts.

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Netanyahu rival offers political truce to help secure Gaza hostage deal

Israeli former defense minister Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to forge a unity government along with members of the opposition in a bid to help release the hostages held in Gaza.

Netanyahu's coalition government depends on support from far-right members who oppose ending the war and making any deal with Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.

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'Far too late': Palestinians despair after UN declares famine in Gaza

Desperate Palestinians clutching pots and plastic buckets scrambled for rice at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Saturday, a day after the United Nations declared a famine in the war-battered territory.

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Hopes dim for Putin-Zelensky peace summit

The chances of a Russia-Ukraine summit faded as U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to tire of peace efforts and Moscow poured cold water on efforts to end the grinding war in Ukraine.

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Dutch foreign minister resigns over Israel sanctions showdown

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned on Friday after a cabinet meeting failed to agree to sanctions against Israel.

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US Defense Intelligence Agency chief among latest ousted officers

The head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and two other senior officers are being removed, officials said Friday -- the latest in a series of military firings this year.

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UN Libya mission reports attempted rocket attack on HQ

The U.N. Support Mission in Libya said Friday that its Tripoli headquarters had come under rocket attack without causing any casualties or damage.

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