Category: 2. Middle East

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, said it had sold all of its shares in Israel’s Paz Retail and Energy PAZ.TA because the company owns and operates infrastructure supplying fuel to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reports.

The divestment, announced yesterday, was the second of its kind by the fund after its ethics watchdog in August adopted a tougher interpretation of standards for businesses that aid Israel’s…

The entire population of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine, with half a million Palestinian facing starvation in the enclave, a global hunger monitor said today, calling this a major deterioration since its last report in October, Reuters reports.

The latest assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysed a period from 1 April to 10 May this year and projected the situation until the end of September, according to a summary of…

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel today ahead of the expected release of Israeli-American captive Edan Alexander from Gaza.

The Israeli daily Maariv said Witkoff will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer during his trip.

Israeli Channel 12 also reported that US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler will arrive in Israel, escorted by Alexander’s mother.

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates discussed ways to deepen strategic cooperation and address regional security challenges, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said today.

During a phone call late yesterday, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan reviewed progress under their strategic partnership and explored prospects for joint work in bilateral and multilateral settings, the…

At least 52,862 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023, the Health Ministry said today.

A ministry statement said that 33 people were killed in the Israeli occupation’s attacks in the enclave in the last 24 hours, while 94 others were injured, taking the number of injuries to 119,648 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

The Israeli occupation…

US President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour this week will take him to Saudi Arabia, which he would like see recognise Israel, and the neighbouring UAE which has benefitted from Israeli ties but also paid a price.

During his first term, Trump oversaw a series of normalisation deals between close ally Israel and several Arab countries, stunning public opinion in the Arab world and breaking with the long-held convention that a just resolution to the plight of Palestinians must precede relations with…

More than 200 non-governmental organisations and around 15 UN agencies have rejected Israeli proposals aimed at dismantling the existing aid distribution system in Gaza, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The rejection comes after over nine weeks of a complete blockade imposed on Gaza’s population.

In a statement issued yesterday, OCHA warned of the escalating humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip. It…

France has called on the European Commission to urgently review the EU’s association agreement with Israel, citing the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and concerns over Israel’s compliance with human rights obligations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Info radio yesterday that the EU-Israel partnership must be reassessed in light of Israel’s role in obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

His remarks came as the…

Israeli media reported a new missile strike from Yemen today as tension continues to rise over Israel’s ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

The public broadcaster KAN said that the missile fell before reaching Israel.

There was no confirmation of the strike by the Israeli occupation army.

Yemen’s Houthi group said that Israeli warplanes carried out a series of air strikes on the coastal Hudaydah province yesterday.