Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Middle East

US intelligence analysis: Hamas’ influence and credibility has grown since its attack on Israel

A flurry of new analysis by US intelligence agencies has revealed that Hamas’ credibility and influence has grown dramatically in the two months since the October 7 military operation in the Middle East and beyond

Gaza residents face “toxic” combination of disease, hunger and lack of hygiene: WHO chief

The head of the United Nations' health agency on Thursday warned of the “toxic mix of disease, hunger and lack of hygiene and sanitation” faced by people in Gaza as he called for an immediate ceasefire in Israel's war on the strip.

Iran deplores Arab-Russian statement on Persian Gulf islands

Tehran has refuted the contents of a joint statement from several Arab countries and Moscow over the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf, describing the trio as inseparable and eternal parts of Iran’s territory.

Support for US military aid to Israel drops amid Gaza war

Voter support for the US military aid to Israel has dropped amid the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has killed about 20,000 people so far, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.

Almost 66% of jobs lost in Gaza since start of war: Report

Nearly 66 percent of jobs have been lost in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, new data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Palestinian statistics office show.

Iran president holds phone call with Kuwait’s new emir

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a telephone conversation with the new Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, expressing hope that relations between the two countries would expand further under his rule.

Houthi leader vows to hit US warships in Red Sea in case of strike on Yemen

Yemen's Houthi leader has warned that the Yemeni forces would attack US ships in the Middle East if Washington waged war against the war-torn country.

Gaza death toll tops 20,000

At least 20,000 people have been killed in the besieged Gaza Strip since Israel began bombarding the enclave more than 10 weeks ago, according to the Palestinian officials.

UNICEF warns children in Gaza have “barely a drop to drink”

Children in the Gaza Strip are getting only about 10% of the water they would normally use, leaving them with “barely a drop to drink,” UNICEF has announced in a statement.

Iraq’s governing Shia alliance leads in provincial elections

Iraq’s governing Shia alliance has reportedly emerged as the biggest winner in the country’s provincial elections. The "Iran-aligned" coalition wins 101 out of 285 seats, and is boosted in advance of Iraq's parliamentary elections in 2025.

90% of Gaza’s population displaced by Israeli offensive: UN

Israeli onslaughts against the besieged Gaza Strip have displaced more than 90% of the territory’s population, the UN Palestinian refugee agency has announced.

Iran FM meets Hamas chief in Doha as Gaza death toll nears 20,000

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with head of Hamas’ political bureau Ismail Haniyeh in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday in a show of support for Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip which has been under Israel's relentless bombardment for more than two months.

WHO says Gaza facing ‘massive risk’ of epidemics

The World Health Organization has warned of a massive risk of epidemics in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli onslaught, calling for a ceasefire in the besieged strip.

More than 70% of Gaza residents facing extreme hunger: Report

Seventy-one percent of the Gaza population faces extreme hunger as they continue to endure relentless Israeli bombardment, according to a study by the rights group Euro-Med Monitor.

Israel claims to have located around 1,500 tunnel shafts in Gaza since start of war

The Israeli military claims that it has located around 1,500 tunnel shafts and underground passages in the Gaza Strip since its military operation started in early October.

US worried about growing cost of deflecting Yemen’s attacks: Report

The Pentagon is “increasingly alarmed” not only about the threat of Houthi strikes in the Red Sea but also the “growing cost” of rebuffing those raids, reported US news website Politico, citing unnamed US officials.

Entire world enraged by Israel, US atrocities in Gaza Strip: Iran president

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi says the entire world has been enraged by Israel and the United States' atrocities against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Islamic Jihad releases video showing 2 Israeli captivates

The Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, released a video on Tuesday showing two male Israeli hostages in captivity.

Israel signals readiness for new temporary truce in Gaza Strip

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has stated Tel Aviv is willing to agree to a new temporary truce with Hamas in the Gaza Strip to secure the release of more captives held by the Palestinian group.

UNICEF calls for truce as disease threatens to kill even more children in Gaza

UNICEF has announced that without sufficient safe water, food and sanitation, child deaths in the Gaza Strip due to disease could surpass those killed in Israel's bombardments, urging a ceasefire in the besieged enclave.

Majority of US voters disapprove of Biden’s policies over Gaza: Poll

A new poll by The New York Times and Siena College shows strong American disapproval of US President Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict.

Yemen says to turn Red Sea into ‘graveyard’

Yemen’s Defense Minister Major General Mohammad al-Atifi has denounced the formation of a US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to protect the passage of merchant vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories, cautioning the Western alliance that any assault on Yemeni soil would have dire consequences.

US launches multinational operation in response to Houthi strikes in Red Sea

The United States has announced the formation of a multinational mission to counter attacks by Yemen's Houthis on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Hamas video shows Israeli captives pleading for release

Gaza-based Palestinian group, Hamas, has posted a video of three elderly Israeli hostages pleading for their immediate release.

Yemen says hit two more ships in Red Sea

The Yemeni armed forces have launched attacks on two more Israel-bound ships sailing in the Red Sea amid a campaign to pressure Tel Aviv and allies to end their war on Gaza.

Latest news