Middle East
Who is Nasrallah?
Slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was confirmed yesterday by his Iran-backed movement, wielded great power in Lebanon but led a life in hiding to avoid assassination by his group’s arch-enemy, Israel.
Khamenei moved to a secure location
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters.
Tens of thousands protest against Lebanon 'bloodbath' in Iran, Yemen
Tens of thousands protested in Iranian cities and in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Friday to condemn Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, AFP journalists and state media reported
Israel hits Hezbollah HQ in Beirut with heavy airstrikes
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs yesterday in an attack that shook the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke over the city.
Over 30,000 crossed into Syria from Lebanon
Well over 30,000 people, mainly Syrians, have crossed into Syria from Lebanon in the past 72 hours, the UN refugee agency said yesterday, amid an escalating conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon.
Israeli strikes kill 92 in Lebanon in past 24 hours: ministry
Israeli strikes have killed 92 people in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said late Thursday
Israel rejects truce proposal from US
Israel yesterday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the US and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
Iraqi Islamic Resistance drone hits Israel’s port
The pro-Iran Islamic Resistance in Iraq group said it attacked Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat Wednesday as another group urged more attacks amid soaring tensions over Gaza and Lebanon.
RSF files ICC case over journalists’ deaths in Gaza
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said yesterday it had filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over Palestinian journalists killed or injured in Gaza.
Egypt military says guard killed in 'shooting' at Rafah border
Egypt's military said today a border guard was killed in a shooting in the Rafah border area with Gaza, where Israeli forces are deployed, adding that a probe had been launched
Famine should be declared in Gaza Strip
At least 70 organisations are calling on relevant authorities and international institutions to officially declare a famine in the Gaza Strip, where there is a rapid spread of famine, according to the Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor yesterday.
Israel strikes Rafah defying ICJ’s order
Israeli air strikes and artillery pounded Rafah on yesterday, despite the International Court of Justice ordering an immediate halt to its military offensive in the southern Gazan city.
Paris court orders life terms for 3 Syrian officials in landmark war crimes case
A Paris court on Friday ordered life jail terms for three top Syrian security officials for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes in a landmark case
Iran denies foul play in Raisi helicopter crash
Iran’s army has so far found no evidence of criminal activity in a helicopter crash that killed the country’s president Ebrahim Raisi and seven others, state media reported.
Food bound for Gaza rots in the sun
Some of the food supplies waiting to enter the Gaza Strip from Egypt have begun to rot as the Rafah border crossing remains shut to aid deliveries for a third week and people inside the Palestinian enclave face worsening hunger.
Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza’s north, south
Israeli forces killed 35 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across the Gaza Strip yesterday and battled in close combat with Hamas members in areas of the southern city of Rafah, health officials and Hamas media said.
Ship targeted by ‘missile’ attack off Yemen
A missile attack targeted a commercial vessel transiting southwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah without causing any damage or casualties, maritime security firms said yesterday.
Palestinian State: Ireland, Spain, Norway announce recognition
Ireland, Spain and Norway yesterday announced that they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28, saying they hoped other Western countries would follow suit, prompting Israel to recall its ambassadors.