Category: 2. Middle East

Members of the British Jewish community have warned that “Israel’s soul is being ripped out” by the genocidal military campaign in Gaza, an onslaught they say that is fundamentally at odds with Jewish values and is causing immense suffering while failing to achieve its stated goal of returning Israeli captives.

In a powerful open letter published in the Financial Times, 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a historically pro-Israel body,…

Two joint Somali-US air strikes killed 12 Al-Shabaab fighters in central Somalia and destroyed a ship carrying weapons for the Al-Qaeda-linked group, the Somali government said on Thursday, following recent advances by the Islamists, Reuters has reported.

The air strikes came hours after the group attacked the strategic town of Adan Yabal, which lies about 245 km (150 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, and has been used as an operating base for raids on…

Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and Middle East issues, on a trip that the Kremlin described as very important.

Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the two leaders would have a “serious conversation” on a range of issues and sign various agreements, Reuters reports.

“It is difficult to over-estimate the role of Qatar, as a whole, now in many regional and…

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, denied media reports they were involved in talks with the US over a possible land offensive by military factions in Yemen against the Houthi group that controls much of the country, Anadolu Agency reports.

A senior UAE official dismissed the reports, calling them unsubstantiated, while a Saudi official source said the reports were false.

The Wall Street Journal, on Monday, reported that Yemeni factions were…

The UN nuclear watchdog should play a role in nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said today, ahead of a second round of talks between the US and Iran, Reuters reports.

Grossi, who arrived in Tehran yesterday, held discussions with Iran’s foreign minister and nuclear chief over how the IAEA can support Iran-US nuclear talks. US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if the talks…

Israel’s ban on international media in the war-torn Gaza Strip fuels disinformation and the spread of dehumanisation, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said today.

“Since the war began 1.5 years ago, the Israeli Authorities have banned the entry of international media to Gaza to report independently,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

“This is fueling propaganda, disinformation, and the spread of…

A hard-line member of the Israeli parliament joined thousands of illegal Jewish settlers in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, marking the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to the Jerusalem governor’s office, thousands of illegal settlers entered the mosque courtyard and the ancient Bab Al-Rahma cemetery, where they performed Talmudic rituals.

Bab Al-Rahma is an ancient Muslim cemetery that has been a religious…

Syrian security agencies have foiled a planned coup attempt orchestrated by a group of former regime officers, Interior Minister Anas Khattab said, describing the plot as “a thing of the past” thanks to the efforts of security forces and public support.

Speaking during a presentation of the ministry’s operations, Khattab said officials had begun updating data systems in coordination with relevant institutions and were reviewing progress made in partnership…

Members of the largest organisation representing British Jews have said they can no longer “turn a blind eye” to the war in Gaza, adding “Israel’s soul is being ripped out”.

In a major break with the Board of Deputies of British Jews’ policy of supporting the Israeli leadership, 36 of its members criticised the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Gaza in an open letter published in the Financial Times.

“The inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable,…