Netanyahu’s refusal to yield on Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors key to reported collapse of Gaza ceasefire talks Fears of immediate wider regional war and retaliatory attacks by Iran and Hizbullah on Israel lessen for time beingFri Aug 23 2024 - 16:59
Distance between Israel and Hamas has not been narrowed by US amendmentsGaza ceasefire remains elusive following US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s ninth regional shuttleWed Aug 21 2024 - 14:50
UN warns of soaring child malnutrition in Yemen’s government-held areasSharp increase is due to the combined effects of epidemics, food insecurity, limited access to clean water, and economic decline, UN taskforce saysMon Aug 19 2024 - 21:50
Hizbullah leader holds back on retaliation against Israel and urges ceasefire in GazaHassan Nasrallah vows response for assassination of strategist Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, but says it will be incremental and gradualThu Aug 15 2024 - 20:28
Iran monitoring progress in Gaza ceasefire talks as it delays retaliation against Israel Iran's foreign ministry restates right under international law to respond to Israel’s violation of its sovereignty by assassinating Hamas leader in TehranWed Aug 14 2024 - 17:36
Diplomatic efforts continue to avert escalation of Gaza conflictTalks involving US, France and Iran aimed at securing a Gaza ceasefire and reducing the imminent threat of Iranian and Hizbullah retaliation for Israeli assassinationsMon Aug 12 2024 - 17:15
Harris’s choice of Walz inspires hope in Middle East of change in US policyMinnesota governor has demonstrated political independence on issue of Gaza warWed Aug 07 2024 - 18:01
Israeli rights group claims Palestinian prisoners are subjected to systematic abuseThousands of Palestinians arrested and detained without trial in a dozen overcrowded civilian and military prisons since start of Gaza warTue Aug 06 2024 - 16:18
Fears mount that counterstrikes against Israel over assassinations may spark all-out war Elements backed by Iran seeking to restore deterrence with measured actions that avoid devastating response from Jewish stateThu Aug 01 2024 - 18:27
Assassinations by Israel of Hamas and Hizbullah leaders leaves Middle East shocked and unsettledHamas, Hizbullah and Iran have vowed revenge, although a miscalculation could consign the region to all-out warWed Jul 31 2024 - 17:14
Turkish parliament passes law to round up stray dogs despite oppositionControversial legislation is aimed at tackling the estimated four million stray dogs across the countryTue Jul 30 2024 - 17:05
Wider Druze community reeling in shock over 12 deaths in missile strike Missile attack on Majdal Shams exposes the sensitive situation of the Levant’s Druze community across the entire region as Israel vows retaliation for deadly strikeMon Jul 29 2024 - 16:20
How Kamala Harris is viewed in the Arab worldHopes rise in Middle East that the potential election of Democratic presidential candidate could help to reset problematic Arab-US relationsWed Jul 24 2024 - 20:33
Hamas and Fatah among those signing accord on Palestinian control of Gaza after war endsChina brokers deal for temporary national unity government of factions to exercise authority ‘over all Palestinian territory’ occupied by Israel in 1967Tue Jul 23 2024 - 17:58
Cypriot memories jolted on 50th anniversary of Greek coupCyprus remains the EU’s sole divided country and Nicosia its only divided capitalSun Jul 21 2024 - 09:00
Trump’s Middle East policy laid bare by new documentRepublican Party policy document calls for resumption of Trump’s ban on the entry to the US of citizens from certain Muslim countriesWed Jul 17 2024 - 16:47
Israel to resume talks on ceasefire and release of hostagesIsraeli defence minister tells families of hostages that a deal is closeTue Jul 16 2024 - 18:22
Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza may reach 186,000, three academics sayThe Lancet warns ‘conservative estimate’ could be exceeded amid destroyed infrastructure, shortages of food, water and shelter, and losses of funding for UnrwaMon Jul 08 2024 - 16:28
Election of a reformist president brings hope for change in Iran Masoud Pezeshkian has promised closer ties with Iran’s Arab neighbours and the resumption of nuclear talks, but his room for manoeuvre will be constrained by the cleric-led regimeSun Jul 07 2024 - 19:00
Prisoners being tortured in Israel, says Palestinian hospital directorHospital director says abuse with batons and dogs occurs ‘almost daily’ in prisonsTue Jul 02 2024 - 18:23
Islamic State killed nearly 4,100 in Syria since collapse of caliphate in 2019 – reportOngoing operations show movement’s territorial defeat was only ‘symbolic’, says Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reportMon Jul 01 2024 - 21:19
Reformist Pezeshkian unexpectedly wins first round in Iranian electionIf Pezeshkian can convince Iranians to turn out and vote for him in next round, he could win - otherwise hardliner Jalili is likely to triumphSun Jun 30 2024 - 15:19
Diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent Israel-Hizbullah conflict turning to regional warFears rise over escalation as Israel’s military announces it has finalised plans for offensive in LebanonThu Jun 27 2024 - 19:00
More than 20,000 children missing in Gaza, report saysGaza has become ‘a graveyard for children’, Save the Children’s regional director saysTue Jun 25 2024 - 17:06
Muslim deaths at hajj pilgrimage spark criticism of Saudi governmentExtreme temperatures this year cause fivefold increase in fatalities due to lack of ‘shade or comfort’Mon Jun 24 2024 - 18:00
Hizbullah leader: Cyprus will be target if it lets Israel use its territory in conflictCyprus president Nikos Christodoulides denies republic is embroiled in warfare in Gaza and LebanonThu Jun 20 2024 - 13:22
US set to close $230m floating pier in GazaOfficials have reportedly warned aid agencies the temporary facility may be dismantledWed Jun 19 2024 - 17:05
Palestinians mark sombre Eid al-Adha amid devastation and deprivationInstead of enjoying family gatherings, many Gazans visited gravesMon Jun 17 2024 - 18:13
Palestinian support for Hamas risesPalestinian support for armed struggle to resist Israel’s 57-year occupation has climbed from 46 to 54 per cent over the past three monthsFri Jun 14 2024 - 16:25
US ceasefire plan welcomed by Hamas but mired by lack of confidence in Israel and Washington Netanyahu stalling on accord and insisting war in Gaza will continue until Hamas’s military and political capabilities eliminatedWed Jun 12 2024 - 18:06
Gaza: 90% of children in enclave not getting enough food for healthy growth, says UnicefReport from UN agency for children says Israel’s war has ‘brought the food and health systems to collapse’Fri Jun 07 2024 - 20:11
Civilians endangered by Israel’s use of outlawed white phosphorus, Human Rights Watch saysVolatile chemical use by Israeli forces ‘verified’ in at least 17 areas across south Lebanon since October 2023Thu Jun 06 2024 - 16:46
World Central Kitchen charity marks delivery of 50 million meals in GazaCharity has resumed operations since seven of its workers were killed in an Israeli strike in AprilWed Jun 05 2024 - 18:08
Iran elections: hardliners, reformists and women among 80 who have registered for presidential raceGuardian Council will narrow list down to between four and 10 candidates to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died in helicopter crash in MayTue Jun 04 2024 - 19:04
Israel’s continuing war in Gaza complicates Egyptian balancing act Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi among Arab leaders turning to China for supportThu May 30 2024 - 17:21
Gaza humanitarian crisis worsens as Israel continues attack on Rafah Famine looms, says Gaza health ministryTue May 28 2024 - 17:35
Israel-Hamas war: Unrwa says it cannot deliver aid to Rafah due to Israeli offensiveFood supplies running out in central Gaza where 900,000 Palestinians have taken refuge in ‘safe zones’, says World Food ProgrammeThu May 23 2024 - 17:38
Palestinians, Egypt, Saudi Arabia welcome Irish move to recognise statehoodPLO leader Mahmoud Abbas lauded Norway and Ireland for support over many yearsWed May 22 2024 - 17:37
Scramble to be Raisi’s replacement could be unseemly, but Iran’s regime won’t soften Reformists and candidates who do not enjoy the approval of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are certain to be disqualified from presidential electionMon May 20 2024 - 16:59
Arab League summit calls for UN peacekeeping force in Gaza, East Jerusalem and West BankMeeting of Arab heads of state and government in Bahrain concludes with call for immediate end to Israel’s war in Gaza and withdrawal of Israeli forcesFri May 17 2024 - 16:25
Gaza’s crumbling health services are now matched by parallel Rafah meltdown Palestinian flight from Rafah fuelled by fear of injury and illness as medical care dwindles during seven-month invasionWed May 15 2024 - 18:01
Israel has attacked aid workers and relief convoys ‘over and over again’, says Human Rights Watch report President Michael D Higgins says report demonstrates how attacks on aid workers ‘are not isolated incidents’Tue May 14 2024 - 21:55
Egypt joins South African case at ICJ accusing Israel of genocide in GazaEgypt’s foreign ministry said Israel carrying out ‘direct targeting of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure and pushing Palestinians to flee’Mon May 13 2024 - 15:56
US-built floating pier yet to be used for Gaza aid deliveriesHigh winds and rough seas delay installation of jetty but high-ranking US air force officer pledges structure in place ‘in very near future’Fri May 10 2024 - 19:59
Gaza: Tens of thousands flee Rafah towards ‘safe zones’ that lack water, food and medical care Israel's military offensive leading to another 'unbearable' forced displacementThu May 09 2024 - 15:43
Arab countries call for international intervention to stop Israeli ground offensive in RafahEgypt describe incursion into Rafah as ‘dangerous escalation’Wed May 08 2024 - 16:26
Relief agencies say closing Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings into Gaza has virtually cut enclave off from outside aid Israeli seizure of Rafah crossing has come despite weeks of calls from the US, other governments and international bodies for Israel to hold off from big offensive in Rafah areaTue May 07 2024 - 16:33
EU unveils €1 billion aid package for Lebanon amid effort to curb migration from SyriaCyprus has led EU effort to halt people trafficking from LebanonFri May 03 2024 - 16:00
US and Saudi close to agreeing ‘plan B’ defence pact without Israel dealWashington appears determined to reassert influence in the Middle East after recent disengagementThu May 02 2024 - 15:33
Unicef says conflict has forced 90,000 from their homes in southern LebanonThe UN children’s agency says a full-scale war with Israel would affect 1.3m children in LebanonWed May 01 2024 - 16:21
