Category: 2. Middle East

Israeli authorities evacuated several towns in central Israel on Wednesday amid wildfires caused by high temperatures and strong winds, Anadolu Agency reports.

A statement by the Fire and Rescue Service said the communities of Neveh Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, Nachshon and Mesilat Tzion were evacuated.

The evacuations were triggered by raging fires that erupted in several areas due to soaring temperatures and strong winds, as 63 fire-fighting teams and 11 aircraft…

Russia told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday that Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) are leading to a “crisis of legality and humanity,” as public hearings on Israeli obligations continued for a third day, Anadolu has reported.

“Today, we confront the crisis of legality and humanity in light of systematic undermining of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees [UNRWA] by Israel and…

Israeli closure orders for six UN-run schools in Occupied East Jerusalem risk depriving some 800 Palestinian students of their right to education, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Israeli authorities ordered the schools in the Shu’fat Refugee Camp to close by 8 May, citing the lack of a license. Under the orders, no one will be allowed into the schools, including principals, teachers and other…

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A new Swiss law banning Hamas and related organisations will come into force on 15 May, the government said today, aiming to prevent the Palestinian resistance group from using Switzerland as a safe haven by making entry bans or expulsions easier to arrange, Reuters reports.

The law, which was approved by parliament last December, gives Swiss authorities “the necessary tools to take action against Hamas activities or support for the organisation in…

The Netherlands saw record low asylum applications in the first quarter of this year, largely attributed to the fall of Syria’s Assad regime in December, official data showed on Wednesday.

In the first quarter of 2025, over 4,500 individuals of various nationalities applied for asylum in the Netherlands, plummeting 37 per cent from the previous quarter and approximately half the number compared with the same period last year, as reported by NL Times, citing…

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to deploy on Wednesday to support firefighters battling rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem, calling the situation a “national emergency”.

The country’s Magen David Adom rescue agency reported hundreds of civilians were currently at risk from the fires.

Sixteen people were being treated for minor injuries from smoke inhalation, the MDA said, adding the alert level had been raised to the highest level.

Police closed the main…

Israel asked Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Croatia to help extinguish major wildfires that broke out Wednesday morning in several locations near Jerusalem and along Highway 1 leading to the city as communities along the road were instructed to evacuate. 

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar asked his counterparts in the four countries to send firefighting airplanes and helicopters to Israel, including supertankers.

The villages of Neve Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, Mevo Horon, Mishmar Ayalon and Nachshon…