Middle East
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.
Israeli forces battle Hamas in Gaza Strip
Israeli forces battled Hamas-led fighters in the northern and southern Gaza Strip yesterday, and Palestinian health officials said Israeli military strikes across the enclave had killed at least 31 Palestinians overnight.
Lebanon says Israeli airstrikes kill at least 492, residents flee from south
"Israel's war is not with you, it's with Hezbollah. For too long Hezbollah has been using you as human shields," Netanyahu said to the Lebanese people
Israel carries out new raids in Gaza
Israeli forces carried out new raids in the Gaza Strip yesterday, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to address the US Congress.
Iran seizes oil tanker, arrests 12 foreign crew
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a Togo-flagged oil tanker on Monday and arrested its 12 foreign crew members over alleged fuel smuggling, the Guards’ news website said.
Hamas announces ‘unity’ deal with Palestinian rivals
Hamas announced yesterday that it had signed an agreement in Beijing with other Palestinian organisations including rivals Fatah to work together for “national unity”, with China describing it as a deal to rule Gaza together once the offensive ends.
WHO sounds alarm over disease outbreaks in Gaza
A top WHO official said yesterday he was “extremely worried” over possible outbreaks in Gaza after poliovirus was detected in the sewage, warning that communicable diseases could cause more deaths than injuries.
On the run for 4th time
The Israeli military yesterday ordered Gaza civilians to leave the eastern part of Khan Yunis city, saying it was preparing to “forcefully operate” there after rockets were fired from an area designated as a humanitarian zone.
Israel strikes Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon
The Middle East was reeling from deadly violence yesterday with Israel bombing Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen in quick succession in response to attacks from Iran-backed militant groups.
Palestinian territories: Israel’s occupation violates int’l law
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is “illegal and should come to end as rapidly as possible.”
New Gaza strikes after Netanyahu warning
Palestinians yesterday mourned relatives killed in overnight Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s prime minister has vowed to intensify the pressure on militants even as demands grow for him to reach a deal that would free hostages.
More than 10m displaced by Sudan war
More than 10 million Sudanese, or 20 percent of the population, have been driven from their homes since the war there began, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said yesterday, as the world’s largest displacement crisis continues to worsen.
Nine killed in Oman Shia mosque gun attack
Nine people were killed, including three attackers, in an assault on a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman late on Monday, authorities said, in a rare breach of security in one of the most stable countries in the Middle East.