Recent reports indicating that Israel and Syria are indirectly engaged in Turkish brokered peace talks suggest a major (albeit overdue) development in the Mid-East peace-making process. Since the collapse of the Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations in May 2000, I have consistently been advocating the need for Israeli-Syrian reconciliation specifically because there is not a single dispute in the region that is not affected in one form or another by this conflict.

Lebanon's US-backed government in Beirut has reversed measures against Iran ally Hezbollah that set off the worst violence since the country's 1975-1990 war.

Prime Minister Fuad Saniora called on the army today to restore law and order across Lebanon and remove gunmen from the streets, accusing Hezbollah of staging an armed coup.

A Hezbollah lawmaker in Lebanon says the U.S. deployment of warships off the Lebanese coast is a threat against the country.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to avenge the assassination of his top commander, accusing Israel of carrying out the killing and seeking a new war with the Shi'ite militant group.

The leader of the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah says he is ready for "open war" on Israel, following the assassination of a top Hezbollah commander wanted for deadly attacks against Western and Israeli targets.

An Israeli commission is set to release its final report Wednesday about Israel's conduct during the 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hezbollah would regard the possible building of a U.S. military base in Lebanon a "hostile act" against the country, a Lebanese newspaper reported Monday.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday said the return of two soldiers captured by Hezbollah guerrillas is far off, dashing hopes that the latest deal with the guerrilla group would pave the way for a bigger prisoner swap.

Lebanese President Emile Lahud has urged the United Nations to enforce a promised cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel. Addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York Friday, Mr. Lahud accused Israel of 500 violations of a U.N. resolution ending last year's war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militants.

Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah and its allies say they will boycott a parliamentary session called for Tuesday to elect a new president.

Special envoy to Mideast peace process Blair has met 21 countries diplomats on Friday to give momentum to the process. Brown, British premier, has appointed at UN envoy to represent Mideast peace plan to be finalized this year.