Yasmeen Altaji gives a round-up of today's trends
Trending Middle East
Israel strikes Beirut suburbs and Germany closes Iranian consulates
This is trending your daily rundown of news from the Middle East and around the world brought to you by the National. From Abu Dhabi, I'm Yasmin Altaji, here are today's headlines. At least 10 strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs at dawn on Friday, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. It showed explosions in the area, which is a Hezbollah stronghold, after the Israeli army ordered residents of several buildings to leave. The agency said the attacks caused "massive destruction" on "leveling dozens of buildings and causing fires to break out in the area." Germany on Thursday announced the closure of three Iranian consulates in the country. The move came after German Iranian activist Jamsheed Sharmaad was executed in Iran. German Foreign Minister Anilina Barabakh said the Iranian consulates in Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Munich are to shut with diplomatic relations between the countries at "more than a low point." The main Iranian embassy in Berlin will remain open, and German representatives remain in Tehran. Senior U.S. officials arrived in Israel and Egypt as they lead efforts to negotiate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. CIA chief William Burns met Egyptian President Abd al-Fattahal Sisi in Cairo. According to a statement from Mr. Al-Sisi's office, they reviewed ceasefire efforts in Gaza and a potential hostages for prisoners' "swap deal" between Israel and Hamas. U.S. envoys Brett McGurk and Amos Hakhstein arrived in Israel on Thursday, with Mr. McGurk set to discuss a Gaza ceasefire. Their arrival in the region marks the latest efforts by the U.S. alongside Egypt and Qatar to bring Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon to an end. (upbeat music)