Sunday, December 21, 2025

Middle East

Israel warns of more strikes on Lebanon if Hezbollah not disarmed

The Israeli army will continue to bomb Lebanon if Hezbollah is not disarmed, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned, stating “there will be no calm in Beirut” and “no order or stability in Lebanon” unless Israel’s security is assured.

Britain, France abandon plans to recognise Palestinian state at NY conference

The United Kingdom and France will abandon previous plans to recognise a Palestinian state at an upcoming conference in New York, according to diplomats.

Israel army lacking more than 10,000 soldiers: Spokesperson

Israel’s military has announced it lacks more than 10,000 soldiers, including about 6,000 for combat units, as it presses an intensified campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Trade unions from dozens of countries protest against Saudi Arabia’s treatment of migrant workers

Trade unions from 36 states have filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) over the treatment of migrant labourers in Saudi Arabia, according to a report by The Guardian.

Internal EU report shows Israel committing war crimes in Gaza

A confidential European Union report has found that Israel is committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war, according to Belgian public broadcaster VRT, which said the document has been circulating among top EU officials since November 2024.

Israeli military faces severe equipment fatigue, technical failures in Gaza: Report

The Israeli army is facing growing logistical and mechanical challenges amid the prolonged war in the Gaza Strip, with mounting technical failures affecting its tanks, armored vehicles, and weapons, according to a report.

Iran Envoy: US veto of UNSC Gaza resolution to lead to more catastrophic military campaign

Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, said the US veto of a UN resolution, calling for an end to the Israeli regime’s genocide in Gaza, has actively enabled the continuation of a catastrophic military campaign that has already killed tens of thousands of civilians, most of them women and children, and driven Gaza to the edge of absolute collapse.

US redirecting anti-drone tech from Ukraine to American forces in Middle East: WSJ

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is redirecting anti-drone technology earmarked for Ukraine to its own troops based in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported.

Most people across the globe have negative views of Israel: Survey

The majority of people across the world have a negative view of Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the war in the Gaza Strip, according to a Pew poll.

Majority of Brits support weapons embargo on Israel

A majority of British people support a full arms embargo on Israel amid the war in the Gaza Strip, according to a new poll commissioned by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Syria to give IAEA access to suspected former nuclear sites: Grossi

Syria’s new government has agreed to give inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to suspected former nuclear sites immediately, according to the atomic agency’s chief, as Damascus makes further inroads to rejoining the international fold.

US vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire

The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza because it was not linked to the release of hostages, saying it would embolden Hamas.

Public figures in Germany call on government to take clear stance against Israel

Numerous public figures in Germany have urged the government in Berlin to take a clear stance against Israel in an open letter obtained on Wednesday by the Der Spiegel news magazine.

Almost 2 million Muslim pilgrims begin annual Hajj pilgrimage

Nearly two million Muslim pilgrims started the soul-searching journey of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Turkey backing Syria’s military and has no immediate withdrawal plans: Ankara

Ankara is training and advising Syria's armed forces and helping improve its defences, and has no immediate plans for the withdrawal or relocation of its troops stationed there, Defence Minister Yasar Guler has told Reuters.

Israel bans Palestinians from approaching aid distribution centers in Gaza

The Israeli army has announced that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are prohibited from approaching humanitarian aid distribution centers in the enclave.

US warns Britain and France not to recognise Palestinian state

The United States has warned Britain and France against recognising a Palestinian state at a UN conference later this month, Middle East Eye reported.

US says to scale down its military bases in Syria

The United States will scale down its military presence in Syria to one base from eight and Washington's policies will shift in the country "because none of them worked" over the last century, the new U.S. special envoy has stated.

Gaza death toll tops 54,500

At least 54,510 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war against the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave announced on Tuesday.

Nearly 7 billion people worldwide lack full civil rights: Report

Just 40 countries representing 3.5 percent of the world’s population respect all civil liberties, a new study has shown, warning that “democracy and human rights are under attack worldwide in a way we have not seen for decades.”

Dozens of Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site: Medics

At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities announced, in the third day of chaos and bloodshed to affect the aid operation.

Israeli attacks on Gaza schools used as civilian shelters are part of deliberate strategy: The Guardian

A series of recent deadly air attacks on school buildings sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip were part of a deliberate Israeli military bombing strategy, with further schools identified as targets, the Guardian has learned.

US gives nod to Syria to bring foreign ex-militants into army: Reuters

The United States has approved a plan by Syria's new leadership to integrate thousands of foreign former rebels into the national army, as long as the process is carried out transparently, according to President Donald Trump's envoy.

Three more killed, dozens wounded near aid site in Gaza

Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians and wounded dozens of others near an aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, local health authorities confirmed on Monday.

Israeli settler violence in West Bank ‘at highest level’: UN

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has surged dramatically in 2025, with over 220 injuries recorded, averaging 44 per month, marking the highest monthly attack rate observed in 20 years.

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