Photo taken from the village of Shaqra, in southern Lebanon, showing an Israeli military convoy traveling in the neighboring region of Wadi Slouki, on Aug. 21, 2026. (Credit: Ammar Ammar/AFP)
Developments on the ground are overtaking politics and negotiations. For now, escalation appears to be setting the pace. Remarks made Wednesday by U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa at Dar al-Fatwa contained several signals.“We are waiting to see what happens in Ali Taher over the next two days,” he said.A few hours later, the Israeli military announced that Hezbollah had launched two drones in the Ali Taher area, the strategic hill at the center of the current battle between Israel and Hezbollah. The move appeared aimed at establishing new rules of engagement by preventing Israeli forces from advancing toward the area or taking control of it.Israel responded by stepping up its operations and strikes. The Israeli military now appears to favor a scorched-earth strategy, carrying out extensive destruction before any ground advance in an effort to...
Developments on the ground are overtaking politics and negotiations. For now, escalation appears to be setting the pace. Remarks made Wednesday by U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa at Dar al-Fatwa contained several signals.“We are waiting to see what happens in Ali Taher over the next two days,” he said.A few hours later, the Israeli military announced that Hezbollah had launched two drones in the Ali Taher area, the strategic hill at the center of the current battle between Israel and Hezbollah. The move appeared aimed at establishing new rules of engagement by preventing Israeli forces from advancing toward the area or taking control of it.Israel responded by stepping up its operations and strikes. The Israeli military now appears to favor a scorched-earth strategy, carrying out extensive destruction before any ground advance in an...
Getting diplomacy back on track 'not impossible,' Araghchi says
