Middle East

Human rights groups call on US to intervene for release of Bahraini activist

More than a dozen human rights organizations penned a letter to United States President Joe Biden, urging Washington to press the Bahraini authorities to immediately release Abdul-Hadi al-Khawaja, a prominent rights activist.

US breaking pledge to help political prisoner arrested in Egypt: Family

The family of a prominent political prisoner, who is a permanent US resident in Egypt, has condemned the Biden administration, accusing it of abandoning him after the prisoner informed his family that he is facing death while in detention.

Israeli soldiers kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli forces have killed two young Palestinians during a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho, medical sources told Reuters.

Hezbollah threatens to return Israel to “stone age” in any war with Lebanon

The leader of Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has warned Israel that in case of a new war with Lebanon, the Zionist regime will be sent back to the “Stone Age.”

One killed in Istanbul shipyard blast

An explosion has rocked a shipyard in the Turkish city of Istanbul, leaving one person dead and another injured, local authorities have confirmed.

8,000 children killed during Saudi-led war on Yemen: Report

The Saudi-led military onslaught against Yemen has left at least 8,000 minors dead in the impoverished nation, Minister of Human Rights in Yemen's National Salvation Government Ali al-Dailami has confirmed.

No Jerusalem base for Saudi ambassador to Palestinian Authority: Israel

Israel rejected the idea of a diplomatic base in Jerusalem for Riyadh’s envoy to the Palestinian Authority (PA), who recently presented his credentials to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s diplomatic adviser Majdi al-Khalidi.

US ‘failing to challenge Egypt rights abuses’ since Rabaa massacre: Report

A new report has suggested that the United States is not doing enough to support human rights in Egypt since the killing of over 900 pro-democracy protesters a decade ago in Cairo.

Palestinian officials welcome first Saudi Arabia envoy

Palestinian officials have welcomed the first Saudi Arabian ambassador, even as Riyadh mulls over establishing formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israelis rally against hard-right cabinet’s policies for 32nd week

Israeli protesters have rallied for the 32nd straight week against the hard-right cabinet's policies, including its controversial campaign to shake up the judicial apparatus.

UN says number of Palestinians killed by Israel so far in 2023 exceeds previous year

The United Nations has announced the number of Palestinians killed in the occupied territories by Israeli soldiers so far this year has surpassed that of the whole year of 2022.

Syria accuses US of supporting terrorists

The United States is responsible for the military escalation in eastern Syria, where terror groups such as Daesh intensified their activities recently, the Syrian Foreign Ministry has announced.

Saudi Arabia seeking to join UK, Italy and Japan’s joint air combat programme

Saudi Arabia is lobbying the UK, Italy and Japan to join a partnership that would give it access to their next-generation fighter jet project by offering a “significant financial contribution” to the programme amid concerns with Russian weaponry's performance in Ukraine and frayed US ties.

Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian, wound several in West Bank raid

Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian man during an incursion into a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa has reported.

Daesh claims responsibility for deadly attack on Syrian army bus

Gunmen from the terror group Daesh ambushed a bus carrying Syrian soldiers in the country’s east, killing and wounding dozens of military personnel.

Lebanese defense minister survives assassination attempt in Beirut

Lebanese media reported on Thursday that the country's Defense Minister Maurice Sleem has survived an assassination attempt in Jisr Al Bacha area of Beirut.

Palestinian man killed by Israeli soldiers in West Bank

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man during a military raid in the occupied West Bank on Thursday morning.

Turkey seizes secret database of Daesh: Report

Turkish intelligence agencies have, in an operation, gained access to a secret database of the Daesh terrorist group with the names of almost 10,000 so-called lone wolf terrorists, a Turkish newspaper has reported, citing security sources.

Kuwait bans Barbie film as Lebanon calls for action, citing ‘homosexuality’

Kuwait has announced a ban on the film Barbie in a bid to protect “public ethics and social traditions”. It comes shortly after a Lebanese minister called for barring the movie from cinemas for “promoting homosexuality”.

Two young Palestinians killed in drive-by shooting

Two more young Palestinian men have been shot dead in the occupied territories amid rising levels of violence in their communities.

No framework agreed yet for Israel-Saudi Arabia normalisation deal: US

US President Joe Biden’s administration has announced more discussions need to happen before a potential agreement to normalise relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel can be reached.

Syria’s Assad refuses to meet Turkish President Erdogan ‘on his terms’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has stated he will not meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan under the latter’s conditions.

Syrian reporter, soldiers killed in Daraa blast

A Syrian reporter and two Syrian soldiers were killed on Wednesday by an explosive device in the country's southern Deraa governorate, Syrian state media reported.

Biden’s security adviser in UAE after Saudi visit

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan has traveled to the United Arab Emirates after a visit to Saudi Arabia. The trip came amid Washington’s efforts to mend ties with the two Arab states and a recent American military buildup in West Asia.

Syria’s envoy says US supplied terrorists with chemical weapons

Syria’s deputy permanent representative to the UN says that US forces have supplied terrorists in the strategic al-Tanf area in southern Syria with chemical weapons and trained them how to use the lethal tools to incriminate Damascus.

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