Thursday, December 25, 2025

Middle East

At least 10 killed in Israeli strike on Lebanon, among deadliest since Gaza war

Israel's air raid on southern Lebanon has killed at least 10 people, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health has announced, as the Israeli military claimed hitting a Hezbollah weapons storage facility.

UN urges ‘polio pause’ in Gaza war to tackle virus

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for humanitarian pauses in the war in the Gaza Strip in order to conduct a polio vaccine campaign after the virus was detected in the besieged territory.

EU threatens sanctions after Israeli settlers attack on Palestinian village in West Bank

EU foreign policy chief has condemned the latest attack by Israeli settlers against a Palestinian village near the city of Nablus in the West Bank, stressing he plans to propose further sanctions against their supporters, including those in the government.

Gaza ceasefire deal is closer: Biden

US President Joe Biden on Friday said "we are closer than we've ever been" to a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip "but we're not there yet", as talks in the region paused until next week.

US, Qatar and Egypt say to work to finalise Gaza ceasefire agreement

The United States, Qatar and Egypt issued a joint statement on Friday, saying the mediators have put forward a “bridging proposal” that would allow the “swift” implementation of a deal that would end the war in the Gaza Strip and see the release of Israeli captives.

US says Iran has not withdrawn threat to attack Israel

US intelligence indicates that Tehran has not backed down from its threat to attack Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated on Thursday.

Hamas: Mohammed Deif is alive

Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas' Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades, is alive, according to the Palestinian group official Osama Hamdan.

More than 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israel since start of war: Local authorities

The number of Palestinians killed in Israel's war on the Gaza Strip has surged past 40,000, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza cannot wipe out Hamas: US officials

In 10 months of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military has considerably weakened Hamas, but continued bombings are now yielding diminishing returns and exacerbating civilian suffering, according to senior US officials quoted by The New York Times.

Israel struck nearly every part of Gaza with US-made bombs: Report

Israel has attacked nearly every part of the Gaza Strip using American-made bombs, according to Jewish Voice for Peace, a US-based advocacy group that created a map showing over 70,000 bombs dropped on Gaza since 7 October, using UN satellite data.

Israel seeking to delay ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant: Report

Tel Aviv is pushing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to delay the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli media.

New round of Gaza ceasefire talks to start on Thursday

A new round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations are set to take place in Qatar's Doha on Thursday, involving officials from Israel, Qatar, the United States and Egypt, officials have stated.

2,100 Gaza babies under 2 years of age killed by Israel in Gaza: Report

The Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has reported out of nearly 17,000 Palestinian children Israel has killed in the Gaza Strip since October last year virtually 2,100 were babies under the age of two.

Report: Saudi crown prince says he fears assassination for pursuing normalization with Israel

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has told visiting US lawmakers that he is risking assassination by pursuing normalization with Israel, American online news magazine Politico revealed on Wednesday.

Hamas says not willing for new negotiations over Gaza war with Israel

The Palestinian movement Hamas has announced it “would not take part in new talks” with Israel on a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

Lebanon Health Ministry: 547 Lebanese killed in Israeli attacks since start of Gaza war

The Lebanese Health Ministry has announced the death toll from Israeli strikes on the towns and villages in the southern part of the country following the onset of the Gaza war now stands at nearly 550.

Five killed in Israel’s drone attack in West Bank

The Israeli army has killed one Palestinian in a dawn raid in the West Bank city of Tubas before launching an airstrike on the nearby town of Tammun that killed four people.

Israel added new conditions to Gaza ceasefire proposal: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added new conditions in late July to a Gaza ceasefire proposal delivered to the US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators, which has hardened Israel's position and complicated negotiations, according to documents seen by The New York Times.

UN Security Council deplores Israeli strike on Gaza school, blames US for weapons supply

The United Nations Security Council members have denounced the Israeli military's recent attack on a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip that killed at least 100 Palestinians, while Russia and China held the US accountable for the incident due to its military support to Israel.

US lifts ban on bombs sale to Saudi Arabia

Washington will send a $750m shipment of bombs to Riyadh, ending an embargo imposed in 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

US approves $20bn arms sales to Israel amid Gaza war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has approved a new batch of arms sales to Israel, totalling over $20bn in military equipment, according to the Pentagon.

Biden says Iran could hold off on Israel attack if Gaza ceasefire agreement reached

President Joe Biden has stated he expects Iran to hold off on possibly attacking Israel if a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal is reached in the next few days.

Hamas says Gallant’s admission Netanyahu hindering ceasefire deal confirms PM’s ‘lies’

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant's admission that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the one who is creating obstacles to reaching a cease-fire deal in Gaza confirms his “lies and intransigence”, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has announced.

President Abbas says UN failed to resolve Palestine issue due to US pressure

The United Nations has failed to resolve the Palestinian issue due to pressure from the United States, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated at a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Israeli settlers raid Al-Aqsa Mosque with police protection

Israeli settlers have raided occupied East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque with Israeli police protection, the Wafa news agency reported. The Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, also known as the Waqf, announced that thousands of settlers raided the mosque's grounds, and the Israeli police complicated Palestinians' entry to the holy site and were heavily present to ensure the settlers' movement.

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