Sunday, December 21, 2025

Middle East

Trump-Netanyahu rift widens over potential agreement between US, Iran: NBC

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “worried about any deal” the administration of US President Donald Trump might strike with Iran, according to NBC News.

New Pope urges Gaza ceasefire in first Sunday message

Pope Leo XIV called for genuine peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff.

1,500 Gazans lost their eyesight during war

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has announced that around 1,500 Palestinians have lost their eyesight in the besieged enclave as a result of the ongoing Israeli war while about 4,000 others are threatened with the same fate.

Israelis in Tel Aviv demand an end to Gaza war

Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv, calling on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war on the Gaza Strip and secure the immediate release of Israeli captives held in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

UN committee warns world could witness ‘another Nakba’ in Palestine

The world could be witnessing “another Nakba”, or the expulsion of Palestinians, a United Nations special committee warned on Friday.

65,000 Gaza children facing death due to Israeli starvation policy

The Gaza government has warned that more than 65,000 children are at immediate risk of famine because of Israel's siege and two-month blockade of essential supplies to the Gaza Strip as part of its genocidal campaign on the Palestinian enclave.

Qatar searches for bodies of Americans killed by Daesh in Syria

A Qatari mission has begun searching for the remains of US hostages killed by Daesh in Syria a decade ago, two sources briefed on the mission stated, reviving a longstanding effort to recover their bodies.

Israel intercepts missile launched from Yemen

Air raid sirens were heard in Israel as a missile was launched towards the occupied territory by Yemen’s Houthis, who say they are retaliating against Tel Aviv in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Trump has increasingly grown frustrated with Netanyahu amid Gaza war: Report

US President Donald Trump has increasingly grown frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Tel Aviv’s resistance to Washington's directives regarding the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to a report published by Yedioth Ahronoth.

Gaza aid operation to begin soon without Israeli involvement: US envoy

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has stated that a food aid operation for the Gaza Strip is set to begin soon and will proceed without Tel Aviv's involvement, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Israel dropped 100,000 tons of explosives over Gaza since start of war, wiped out 2,200 families: Report

Israel has dropped 100,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip since launching its war on the besieged enclave 19 months ago, killing or leaving missing over 62,000 Palestinians and committing more than 12,000 massacres, the Gaza government media office said.

UN warns of ‘annihilation’ as Gaza deaths mount

United Nations experts have demanded action to avert the “annihilation” of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, after rescuers announced Israeli strikes across the territory killed dozens of people.

Saudi civil nuclear talks delinked from Israel recognition under Trump: Reuters

The United States is no longer demanding Saudi Arabia normalise ties with Israel as a condition for progress on civil nuclear cooperation talks, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East.

Documentary uncovers identity of Israeli soldier who shot Al Jazeera journalist

Filmmakers behind a new documentary on the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli soldiers say they have uncovered the identity of the soldier who pulled the trigger.

Washington, Tel Aviv discuss possible US-led administration for Gaza: Reuters

The United States and Israel have discussed the possibility of Washington leading a temporary post-war administration of Gaza, according to five people familiar with...

Syria’s new president confirms indirect talks with Israel amid soaring tensions

Syrian’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has stated that his government has engaged in indirect talks with Israel in an attempt to ease escalating tensions between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

Qatari financing of Syrian salaries gets US greenlight: Reuters

The United States has greenlighted a Qatari initiative to bankroll Syria's public sector, three sources told Reuters, offering a financial lifeline to the new Syrian government as it seeks to rebuild a state shattered by conflict.

Dozens of pro-Palestinian students arrested at Columbia University

Police detained dozens of Columbia University students who seized part of the school's main library on Wednesday in one of the biggest pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus since last year's wave of protests against Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza govt. warns of Israeli plot to create ‘forced isolation camps’ for Palestinians

The Gaza government has Wednesday of Israeli plans to create camps for Palestinians modeled after the "Nazi ghettos” using the mechanism of aid distribution promoted by Tel Aviv.

Yemen’s Houthis say attacks on Israel not in US ceasefire accord in ‘any way’

A ceasefire agreement between Yemen’s Houthis and the United States does not include any military operations against Israel, the group’s chief negotiator has announced.

UK continuing to dispatch arms to Israel despite ban: Report

A wide range of UK-made military goods and arms, including F-35 fighter jet parts, have continued to be sent to Israel even after the British government suspended 30 arms export licences in September, Israeli import data revealed in a report suggested.

Almost half of Gazans willing to leave enclave: Poll

Almost half of Gazans may be willing to apply to Israel to help them leave to other countries, according to a survey that also showed significant support for anti-Hamas protests.

Israeli plan to expand Gaza war means ‘sacrificing’ captives: Hamas

The Palestinian group Hamas has warned that an Israeli plan to expand its onslaught on the Gaza Strip would mean “sacrificing” its hostages.

Trump plans to announce name change for ‘Persian Gulf’: AP

President Donald Trump plans to announce while on his trip to Saudi Arabia next week that Washington will now refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, two US officials told The Associated Press.

US loses another military aircraft off Yemen: CNN

The US Navy has lost another military aircraft in the Red Sea, marking the second incident involving an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Harry S. Truman in just over a week, and the third such loss since Washington intensified operations against Houthi fighters in Yemen.

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