Category: 2. Middle East

The foreign ministers of five Arab countries, who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank this weekend, condemned on Saturday Israel’s decision to block their trip.

The ministers condemned “Israel’s decision to ban the delegation’s visit to Ramallah (on Sunday) to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas”, the Jordanian foreign ministry said.

Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had been expected to take part alongside Turkey…

The Israeli army carried out air strikes in Latakia and Tartus in northwestern Syria on Friday, targeting “storage facilities” containing “missiles,” resulting in one fatality and property damage, Anadolu reports.

An Israeli military statement said it “targeted components of surface-to-air missiles and weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles,” on claims that those targets “posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of…

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will lead a delegation representing the Arab-Islamic ministerial committee to visit Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Sunday as international efforts for Palestinian statehood intensify, Anadolu reports.

The Saudi-run Al-Arabiya television reported that Prince Faisal will lead the committee, tasked to mobilize international efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza and create political horizon for ending…

US President Donald Trump was optimistic Friday when asked about the potential for concluding an agreement to end Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip, as well as a long-elusive pact over Iran’s nuclear program, Anadolu reports.

“They’re very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow, and we have a chance of that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think we have a chance of making a…

Illegal Israeli settlers on Friday set fire to Palestinian olive fields north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, while establishing a new settlement outpost to the east, according to local media, Anadolu reports.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that illegal Israeli settlers set fire to olive groves in the Ras al-Deir area near Sinjil, with the extent of the damage being assessed.

Simultaneously, illegal Israeli settlers erected a…

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Friday that he intends to review and possibly restrict German arms deliveries to Israel over its brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.

One of the questions is “whether what is happening in the Gaza Strip is compatible with international humanitarian law. We are examining it, and based on this review, we will approve further arms deliveries if necessary,” Wadephul said in an interview with…

An unseasonal rainstorm battered the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Saturday, flooding roads and damaging seafront businesses in the latest bout of erratic weather to hit the region.

Hailstones pelted the city overnight, forcing people to flee cafes as gusts of wind blew the ice pellets through windows, according to footage posted on social media.

Lightning lit up the skies and underpasses were submerged.

Alexandria governor Ahmed Khaled Hassan raised the alert level and emergency crews worked…

A Tunisian appeals court on Friday toughened the sentences against 20 defendants accused of being involved in the 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Tunis, Anadolu reports.

Court spokesperson Habib Tarkhani told the country’s official news agency that the sentences ranged from 8 years and 3 months imprisonment, showing a significant increase from the original suspended two-year sentences issued in 2013.

Tarkhani said the court’s Criminal Chamber convicted the…

Israeli military operations endangered the lives of at least 54 Israeli captives in Gaza, 20 of whom were killed, according to a Haaretz investigation published Friday, Anadolu reports.

The report said that during 601 days of conflict, starting Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army’s actions, including airstrikes, led to captives’ deaths either directly or “executed by their captors due to military activity close to their whereabouts.”

Hamas is yet to comment on…

Hamas on Friday said it is holding consultations with Palestinian groups over the recent ceasefire proposal it received from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Anadolu reports.

Hamas is “holding consultations with Palestinian factions regarding the ceasefire proposal it recently received from Mr. Witkoff through mediators,” the group said in a brief press release, without giving further details.

Hamas confirmed on Thursday that it has received a new proposal…