Category: 2. Middle East

US President Donald Trump held a meeting with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia today, according to a Washington Post pool report, after a surprise US announcement it would lift all sanctions on the country’s new government, Reuters reports.

Despite concerns within sectors of his administration over Syria’s leaders’ former ties to Al-Qaeda, Trump said yesterday during a speech in Riyadh he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift.

The…

Air Canada announced yesterday that the suspension of flights to Israel is being extended until 8 September and will not be resumed on 8 June as previously expected, Anadolu reported.

The airline suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv last year.

Air Canada and major international airlines suspended flights to and from Israel in the wake of air strikes carried out by Yemen’s Houthi group targeting Ben Gurion airport on 4 May.

Polish airline LOT, Germany’s…

Israel today issued evacuation warnings for three seaports in Yemen after saying the Houthis had fired a missile towards it, according to Reuters.

It reported the missile launch while US President Donald Trump was on a visit to three Gulf states – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The Israeli army said the Ras Issa, Hudaydah and Salif ports were being used by the Houthi group. Israel had said earlier that it had intercepted a missile launched…

Yemen’s Houthi movement yesterday announced that it had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. The group stated that the attack was conducted in solidarity with Palestinians and in protest against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree declared that the missile “successfully hit its target,” leading to widespread panic and a temporary suspension of…

France’s Foreign Ministry today summoned a senior Algerian diplomat to inform him that Paris was expelling Algerians holding diplomatic passports without visas in response to a decision by Algiers to expel 15 French officials, according to Reuters.

“France reserves the right to take additional measures depending on how the situation evolves,” the ministry said in a statement after summoning Algeria’s charge d’affaires.

It did not say how many people…

The sound of fireworks and applause rang out in Syria’s major cities overnight, as Syrians celebrated US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on the devastated country.

In Syria’s second city Aleppo, dozens of men, women and children took to the central Saadallah al-Jabiri Square, waving the new Syrian flag and singing.

Hours earlier in Riyadh, Trump announced he would lift sanctions on Syria, as the country seeks to rebuild after the December ouster of longtime president Bashar…

Armed clashes returned to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, today, witnesses said.

The violence erupted between armed groups in Ain Zara, Ras Hassan, and Bin Ashur neighbourhoods in the capital, they said.

No information was yet available about injuries.

Libyan media said flights were suspended at Mitiga airport due to the clashes, while the Education Ministry suspended classes at schools in the capital.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed concern over…

A number of Arab leaders and top officials arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh today to attend the Gulf-US summit, which will discuss regional issues, including the situation in Gaza.

The Saudi Al-Ikhbariya TV said Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived early today in Riyadh to attend the summit.

Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa also arrived in Riyadh, according to the Bahraini state news agency BNA.

Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed…

Hamas has warned that the Israeli occupation army is using false claims to justify the killing of civilians, following a wave of intensive air strikes on hospitals in Gaza.

The group described the attack on the Gaza European Hospital east of Khan Yunis as a “new crime” aimed at disabling what remains of Gaza’s hospitals, as part of what it called a continuing campaign of extermination against the population in the besieged Strip.

In a statement received by…