Mohamad El Chamaa

Beirut, Lebanon

Education: American University of Beirut, Master of Urban Planning and Policy, Bachelor of Arts in History

Mohamad El Chamaa is a Beirut-based researcher and reporter for The Washington Post, covering Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and the Gulf. An urban planner by training, he previously worked on housing in post-disaster events and was a features reporter for L’Orient Today.
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Latest from Mohamad El Chamaa

Syrian rebels wrest control of most of Aleppo; U.S. and allies ‘urge de-escalation’ in joint statement

The offensive, led by rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, shifts the front lines of Syria’s civil war. Government forces appeared to withdraw from some areas.

December 1, 2024

Syrian rebels defend gains in Aleppo, push south

The insurgent offensive, shocking for its speed, has posed the most serious challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years.

November 30, 2024
Anti-government rebels patrol in central Aleppo on Saturday.

Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire appears to hold amid violation accusations

The Lebanese army said Israel violated the cease-fire agreement, while the IDF said it was responding to violations by Hezbollah.

November 29, 2024

Syrian rebels breach Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, in startling advance

The lightning assault on Aleppo by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham abruptly redrew the front lines of Syria’s civil war.

November 29, 2024
Syrian rebel fighters kneel to pray in a street in Aleppo on Saturday.

Lebanon’s army moves south as part of cease-fire deal, as U.S. weighs more arms to Israel

The cease-fire deal is set to stop fighting for 60 days between Israel and Hezbollah. Regional neighbors hope it will lead to a wider de-escalation.

November 27, 2024

Israel and Hezbollah agree to cease-fire, halting year-long conflict

The deal would include a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, as well as the retreat of Hezbollah fighters to north of the Litani River.

November 26, 2024
Israeli soldiers near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel on Tuesday.

Israeli cabinet to meet Tuesday to discuss cease-fire deal with Lebanon, officials say

Intense negotiations over the past week have brought Israel and Lebanon closer to a deal, but it has not yet been finalized.

November 25, 2024

Can Lebanon’s army secure the south? A cease-fire deal could depend on it.

The readiness of Lebanon’s army is a matter of growing urgency as the Biden administration makes a new push for an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

November 20, 2024
The Post embedded with the Lebanese army on Nov. 11 as it patrolled Beirut's southern suburbs.

    Dispatch: Rescue workers face attacks in southern Lebanon

    The Post's Louisa Loveluck traveled to southern Lebanon on Oct. 26, where rescue workers are increasingly in the crosshairs of Israeli airstrikes.

    November 7, 2024

    Lebanese first responders say they are being targeted by Israeli strikes

    At least 178 Lebanese emergency workers have been killed in Israeli attacks since last October. Three-quarters of the deaths have occurred in the past six weeks.

    November 6, 2024