Category: 2. Middle East

Amnesty International has today condemned an ultimatum given by the UK Foreign Office to civil servants who express concern over government policy on Gaza. A statement by the human rights organisation said that civil servants were told to consider resigning if they disagree with policy over Gaza

Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said: “It’s deeply troubling that Foreign Office staff raising legitimate human rights concerns about…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s point person for Syria says the administration is concerned that Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to promote inclusive governance and engage with the West could make him a target for assassination by disaffected militants. 

“We need to coordinate a protection system around [Sharaa],” Ambassador Tom Barrack told Al-Monitor in an interview. 

Barrack highlighted the threat posed by splinter factions of the foreign fighters who joined Sharaa…

Dubai-based conglomerate Al Habtoor Group is planning to invest in Syria as business opportunities open up with the lifting of economic sanctions on the wartorn country.

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, the company’s founding chairman, said in a statement Monday that he will visit Syria in the coming days to explore investment and partnerships. The businessman will lead a delegation of senior executives from his company to explore opportunities in automotives, education, hospitality, publishing and…

Iran announced on Monday that it has secret documents related to Israeli nuclear facilities and projects. The documents, according to Tehran, would enable it to strike Israeli nuclear sites and both economic and military infrastructure if its own nuclear facilities come under attack.

In a statement, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Iranian intelligence had acquired a large volume of confidential data, including thousands of documents concerning…

Israeli occupation forces on Monday evening issued demolition notices for more than 100 homes in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.

According to local sources, the Israeli army distributed a map showing the targeted homes across several neighbourhoods within the camp. The sources said the demolition process is expected to begin within 72 hours from the date the decision was issued.

The Israeli army had previously carried out demolition operations in…

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has held talks with leaders of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in a bid to prevent the dissolution of the Knesset and the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, according to an Israeli TV channel on Monday evening.

Earlier in the day, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party announced its intention to vote in favour of a preliminary bill to dissolve the Knesset, which is due for a first reading on…

The Democratic Reform Current, the Fatah branch led by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, has condemned a “gang” led by Yasser Abu Shabab in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip and accused it of operating as a field arm of the Israeli occupation army.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party said the militia aims to spread chaos in the Gaza Strip and obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, noting that it serves as an extension of “collaborative…

A spokesperson for the United Nations Security Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) denied on Monday claims regarding reducing the peacekeepers’ mission in southern Lebanon, adding that the Security Council, which has the sole authority over UNIFIL has not even begun talks regarding renewing UNIFIL’s mandate.

Andrea Tenenti told Cairo News on Monday evening, that the final decision regarding UNIFIL’s mandate rests with the Security Council member states,…

Italy and Israeli spyware maker Paragon said they have ended contracts following allegations that the Italian government used the company’s technology to hack the phones of critics, according to a parliamentary report on Monday.

Both sides said they had severed ties, giving conflicting accounts that triggered widespread criticism from opposition parties in Italy, while the journalists’ federation FNSI called on prosecutors to investigate to ascertain the…