Category: 2. Middle East

In the war-devastated southern Lebanese village of Aitaroun on Monday, residents marked the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr among their dead.

Relatives crowded the village’s cemeteries to pray for the more than 100 residents, including fighters from Hezbollah, killed during the war between the militant group and Israel that ended with a fragile ceasefire in November.

“We defied the entire world by being here in Aitaroun to celebrate Eid with our martyrs,” Siham Ftouni said near the grave of her…

A senior Hamas official urged supporters worldwide on Monday to take up weapons and fight plans to displace Gaza’s people, as Israel issued a sweeping evacuation order in the territory’s south, stepping up its renewed offensive.

The idea of forcing Gazans to leave the devastated territory for neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan was first floated by US President Donald Trump, and has since been seized on by right-wing Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin…

The Israeli military on Monday ordered residents in and around the southern Gaza city of Rafah to evacuate their homes, suggesting it could return to ground fighting in the area.

In a post on X, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee addressed residents in areas covering all of Rafah and parts of nearby Khan Yunis.

“The IDF (military) is returning to fight with great force to eliminate the capabilities of terrorist organisations in these areas. For your safety, you…

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Monday the formation of a new, more representative transitional government in Syria is a possible step in the right direction nearly four months after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. 

“We recognize the struggles of the Syrian people who have suffered decades under despotic rule and oppression of the Assad regime, and we hope this announcement represents a positive step for an inclusive and representative Syria,” State Department spokesperson Tammy…

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified Monday in a probe involving alleged payments from Qatar to some of his aides, an investigation he denounced as politically motivated.

Israeli police arrested the prime minister’s two long-serving aides, Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein earlier on Monday, for their alleged involvement in the case local media have dubbed “Qatargate”.

The arrests ratchet up political tensions in the country, where the government is trying to fire both the…

Israeli police announced on Monday the arrest of two individuals, one of whom was confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party as a senior aide to the long-serving leader.

Israeli media identified the two men as Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, both reportedly aides to the prime minister and allegedly linked to what has been dubbed locally as the “Qatargate Affair.”

The arrests ratchet up political tensions in the country, where the government is trying to fire both the…

Cairo came to a near halt on Monday as Egyptians gathered to perform prayers. Following the prayers, thousands in Cairo and other Egyptian governorates held demonstrations against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.