Sunday, December 21, 2025

Middle East

Hamas expresses readiness for new round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Israel

Hamas has announced that it is ready to immediately enter a new round of indirect talks with Israel to resolve outstanding points of contention, with the aim of ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaching a permanent ceasefire there.

Envoy: Investment opportunities in Iraq’s energy sectors open to Iranian companies

The Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran, Nasir Abdul-Muhsin Abdullah, has invited Iranian companies to expand their investment footprint in Iraq, emphasizing the vast opportunities available across multiple sectors.

Israeli attack near Gaza aid delivery point kills 31

An Israeli attack near an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) killed at least 31 people in Rafah on Sunday.

Saudi FM says Riyadh will jointly fund Syria state salaries with Doha

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has said that the kingdom and Qatar will offer joint financial support to state employees in Syria.

Gaza ceasefire proposal offers ‘no guarantees’ for end to war: Hamas

Hamas has submitted its response to a United States-backed ceasefire proposal, while a leading official from the Palestinian group said the proposed deal offers “no guarantees to end the war” in the Gaza Strip.

Death toll from US-Israeli aid mechanism in Gaza climbs to 17: Health Ministry

At least 17 people have died, 86 have been injured, and five are missing due to the US-Israeli aid delivery mechanism in the Gaza Strip, the besieged territory’s health ministry has announced.

UNICEF: One child killed or wounded every 20 minutes in Gaza

More than 50,000 Palestinian children have been killed or wounded since the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip began in October 2023, according to the United Nations children’s agency, which warned that the scale of suffering is worsening by the day.

Israel says to block Ramallah meeting with Arab ministers

Tel Aviv will not allow a planned meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to go ahead, an Israeli official said on Saturday, after Arab ministers planning to attend were stopped from coming.

Saudi FM visits Syria for high-level negotiations

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah arrived in Damascus on Saturday for an official visit, accompanied by a high-level economic delegation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry has announced.

Turkeys orders detention of dozens of opposition officials in widening crackdown

Turkish authorities have ordered the detention of several opposition party members in Istanbul and raided opposition-run municipalities on Saturday, state media reported, as part of a widening legal crackdown against the opposition and city's jailed mayor.

Israel strikes western Syria despite recent indirect talks to calm tensions

Israel has attacked western Syria, according to the Israeli military and Syrian state media. This is the first such strike in nearly a month and comes a day after the U.S. envoy to Damascus said that the conflict between the two sides is 'solvable'.

Saudi FM to make rare trip to occupied West Bank

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan will visit the occupied West Bank within days, making him the highest ranking Saudi official to visit the region in almost 60 years, the Palestinian Authority (PA) revealed on Friday.

France may toughen stance on Israel if it continues blocking Gaza aid: Macron

Paris could harden its position on Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Friday, reiterating that his country was committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

US proposes 60-day ceasefire for Gaza

The U.S. plan for the Gaza Strip, seen by Reuters on Friday, proposes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - in the first week, in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians.

Over 300 celebrities urge PM Starmer to end UK arms sales to Israel

Nineteen months into the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, more than 300 British artists, doctors, activists and academics have signed an open letter urging British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to end UK complicity in potential war crimes and broker an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Persian Gulf leaders told Trump they oppose attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites: Axios

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have all argued against a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities during US President Donald Trump's recent visit and encouraged him to continue pushing for a new nuclear accord, three sources with knowledge of the talks have told Axios.

Over 310 UNRWA staff killed in Gaza: Agency’s chief

More than 310 staff from the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the agency’s chief has stated.

UN describes Gaza as “hungriest place on earth”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described the Gaza Strip as 'the hungriest place on Earth'.

US envoy says Trump to declare Syria ‘state that doesn’t sponsor terrorism’

US President Donald Trump will soon declare Syria a state that doesn't sponsor terrorism, US ambassador to Syria Thomas Barrack announced on Thursday.

Israel approves construction of 22 new settlements in occupied West Bank

Tel Aviv has approved the construction of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, including at previously dismantled sites.

Israel kills 10 desperate aid seekers in Gaza in 2 days

At least 10 Palestinians, desperately seeking aid from a contentious and heavily criticised United States-backed organization, have been killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza over the last 48 hours, according to the besieged enclave’s Government Media Office on Wednesday.

80% of weapons in south under state control: Lebanon PM

The Lebanese government has managed to bring 80% of weapons in southern Lebanon under its control, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has stated.

Israeli PM says Hamas Gaza chief Mohammad Sinwar has been killed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas' Gaza chief and the younger brother of the Palestinian group's deceased leader and mastermind of the October 2023 attack, Yahya Sinwar, had been killed.

Trump warns Netanyahu off Iran attack as negotiations continue

United States President Donald Trump says that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on any strike against Iran to give his administration more time to push for a new nuclear accord with Tehran, as several rounds of talks have been held in Oman and Italy.

Over 17k detained by Israeli military since Gaza war: Rights group

The Israeli army has arrested more than 17,000 Palestinians since October 2023, a prisoners’ affairs group announced on Wednesday.

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