Category: 2. Middle East

Dozens of Israeli reserve soldiers and officers are reportedly unwilling to report for military service as the army is calling up tens of thousands of reservists for an expanded offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip.

This came after the Israeli security cabinet approved expanding the war on Gaza yesterday evening, under the pretext of “forcing Hamas to agree to a prisoner exchange agreement without a ceasefire”.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the…

At Basel al-Sati’s souvenir shop in a central Damascus market, socks bearing caricatures that ridicule ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his once feared family now sell like hot cakes.

“I want to bring joy to people who’ve been deprived of happiness for so many days and years,” said Sati, 31, displaying pairs of white ankle-length socks.

“Everyone who comes from abroad wants to buy the socks — some to keep as a souvenir, others to wear mockingly and take pictures,” he told AFP.

“There…

A former Israeli captive has admitted that she felt more safe and protected in Gaza than in Israel, the Hebrew Maariv newspaper reported yesterday.

Mia Schem, 23, was released as part of a prisoner swap deal in November 2023.

Earlier this month, Schem identified herself as the plaintiff in a previously reported rape case against a famouse personal trainer in Tel Aviv, who is a prominent figure on social media and has several celebrity clients, including a…

A “major disagreement” broke out on Sunday evening between Israel’s army Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, and far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, regarding the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, Channel 12 reported yesterday.

“A heated discussion took place in the security cabinet meeting last night between Zamir and Ben-Gvir, after the latter declared that there was no need to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,” the…

The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack targeting the seaport and airport in the city of Port Sudan, eastern Sudan, today.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, fires broke out at Port Sudan city’s airport and seaport, following the sound of loud explosions that resulted from an apparent drone attack.

The Sudanese government has yet to comment on the attack.

Following the drone attack, several flights were delayed or…

The Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamad Al-Khalili, congratulated the Houthi group in Yemen after it attacked Ben Gurion Airport in the occupation state of Israel with a ballistic missile.

In a post on his official account on X on Sunday, Al-Khalili said: “We salute the heroic Yemeni commandos who were sincere in upholding the truth and confronting injustice and oppression, and God fulfilled His promise.”

“We congratulate them on…

The Palestinian Authority (PA) and Lebanon’s government are reportedly set to announce the demilitarisation and disarmament of Palestinian factions throughout Lebanon, amid a revived effort by Beirut to halt attacks into northern Israel.

According to the London-based news outlet Middle East Eye, which cited unnamed Palestinian and Lebanese sources, the PA’s President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to visit Lebanon on 19 May for an official trip, in which he will…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted a years-long travel ban on Lebanon, amid a warming of relations between Abu Dhabi and Beirut.

In a statement released on Sunday, the UAE’s Foreign Ministry announced that Emirati citizens will be allowed to travel to Lebanon from 7 May, following a four-year travel ban that was imposed in 2021 due to regional instability and security concerns.

The ministry stated that the decision is a step toward strengthening…

Hamas on Tuesday dismissed as pointless ceasefire talks with Israel, accusing it of waging a “hunger war” on Gaza as famine looms and Israel prepares for a broader assault on the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

The comments from a senior Hamas official followed Israel’s approval of a military plan involving the “conquest” of Gaza, where nearly all 2.3 million people have been displaced and a two-month Israeli blockade has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

“There is no sense in engaging in…

A senior Hamas official said Tuesday the group was no longer interested in truce talks with Israel and urged the international community to halt Israel’s “hunger war” against Gaza.

“There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,” Basem Naim told AFP.

He said the world must pressure the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the “crimes of hunger, thirst, and…