Category: 2. Middle East

A Hebrew TV channel exposed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, revealing that his claims about the causes of the recent wildfires in the Jerusalem Hills area were false.

Channel 12 reported that “the main fires in the Jerusalem Hills, contrary to what Netanyahu said, were not started intentionally.” Estimates, according to the channel, indicate “they were caused by negligence.” It also clarified that “the three individuals who were…

Syria yesterday signed a 30-year deal with French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM that includes building a new berth at Latakia Port and investing another €230 million ($260 million) over the course of the partnership, a company official said, according to Reuters.

Latakia Port is Syria’s main maritime gateway. CMA CGM began managing Latakia’s container terminal in 2009, under now-ousted Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad. The contract was most recently…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that freeing Israeli captives from Gaza is “important” but defeating the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, is the “supreme objective” of the war, local media reported.

Speaking at the annual Independence Day Bible Contest in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel has “many goals, many goals in this war. We want to bring all our hostages home. The war has a supreme goal, and the supreme goal is…

Turkiye is ready to continue supporting Syria in many areas where it sees a need, within the framework of mutual agreements, Anadolu reported diplomatic sources saying yesterday.

Noting that Syria could choose to enter into an agreement with any country if it saw a problem with its security, the sources said that Ankara, in line with its own security and threat assessments in the region, is open to addressing any issue that would serve bilateral cooperation with…

The head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed Salah, and senior Druze elders have called for spreading and maintaining civil peace in Syria, stressing that the Druze “do not need external protection from anyone”.

This came in a statement read by Sheikh Raed Salah on Wednesday evening, following his meeting with prominent Druze figures in Israel.

“We believe in all of God’s prophets, and we do not differentiate between any of them. We respect…

The Israeli occupation army launched air strikes near the Syrian presidential palace in the capital, Damascus, in the early hours of this morning.

According to Syrian media, Israeli warplanes carried out the strikes shortly after midnight near the palace compound, following warnings from Israeli authorities against the Syrian army advancing towards Druze-inhabited villages in southern Syria.

In a joint statement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a new ‘influencer academy’ to help officially attract international tourism and business to the Emirates, in what critics insist is the Gulf state’s latest effort to “whitewash” its human rights record.

Starting this month in Dubai, the programme reportedly lasts three months, and provides successful applicants with flights and accommodation in a luxury serviced apartment, along with a liveable income for the…

Egypt’s Public Prosecutor has referred a complaint against political activist Dalia Ziada to the Supreme State Security Prosecution. She is accused of collaborating with Israeli entities and endangering national security by making public remarks justifying Israel’s war on Gaza and questioning Egypt’s historical support for the Palestinian cause.

The complaint cites her statements to international media outlets, including Israeli TV channels, where she…

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) yesterday claimed responsibility for two attacks in northern Iraq that targeted five Kurdish security personnel earlier this week.

On Monday and Tuesday two attacks targeted Peshmerga bases in Dohuk province in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region, which has seen repeated clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK, which is labelled a terror group by Ankara.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Tuesday that the…