Middle East

Middle East

Israeli forces kill 15 in south Lebanon

Israeli forces killed 15 people in south Lebanon yesterday as a deadline for their withdrawal passed and thousands of people tried to return to their homes in defiance of Israeli military orders, Lebanese authorities said.

7h ago

Trump floats plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza

US President Donald Trump floated a plan to “just clean out” Gaza, and said he wants Egypt and Jordan to take Palestinians from the territory, as a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas aimed at permanently ending the war entered its second week yesterday.

7h ago

Second hostage-prisoner swap: Four Israeli soldiers, 200 Palestinians freed

Palestinian militants and Israel carried out a hostage-prisoner swap yesterday under a Gaza ceasefire deal, but a last-minute dispute blocked the expected return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to devastated northern Gaza.

1d ago

Gaza development put back 60 years by war: UN

The Israel-Hamas war has put back development in Gaza by 60 years and mobilising the tens of billions of dollars needed for reconstruction will be an uphill task, the United Nations said.

1d ago

Violence in West Bank imperils Gaza truce

Israeli operations in the West Bank have killed at least 12 Palestinians since Tuesday and could threaten the newly agreed ceasefire in Gaza, United Nations Human Rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said yesterday.

2d ago

Israel continues West Bank raids after Gaza carnage

A Palestinian official said hundreds of residents of the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp were leaving their homes yesterday, days into a large-scale Israeli raid in the area.

3d ago

‘My children are still under rubble’

Guns may have fallen silent in Gaza, but for Mahmoud Abu Dalfa, the agony is not over. He is desperately searching for the bodies of his wife and five children trapped under the rubble of his house since the early months of the war.

4d ago

Israel presses on with raid in West Bank

A Palestinian official reported shooting and explosions in the flashpoint West Bank town of Jenin yesterday as Israeli forces pressed on with a raid that the military described as a “counterterrorism” operation.

4d ago

‘That’s not our war’

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered a third day yesterday, while US President Donald Trump said he doubted the fragile deal would hold.

5d ago

Fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire holding

A fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was holding yesterday, following the dramatic exchange of three hostages for 90 Palestinian prisoners in an agreement aimed at ending more than 15 months of offensive in Gaza.

6d ago

‘Should we grieve, rejoice, or cry?’

Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their home areas yesterday after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas took effect following an initial delay.

1w ago

Ruined, Gaza hopes for respite

A ceasefire in the Gaza war will begin today morning, mediator Qatar said after Israel’s cabinet voted to approve the truce and hostage-prisoner release deal.

1w ago

Two judges shot dead at Iran’s SC

Two judges were killed in a shooting attack yesterday at the Supreme Court building in Tehran, state media reported.

1w ago

Saudi Arabia’s dilemma: Recognise Israel before a Palestinian state?

With a pending Gaza ceasefire and Donald Trump returning as US president, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader must now decide whether to recognise Israel before a Palestinian state is created.

1w ago

Two judges killed outside Iran's supreme court: media

Two judges were killed in a shooting attack on Saturday outside the Supreme Court building in Tehran, state media reported

1w ago

Israeli security cabinet okays Gaza truce deal

The Israeli security cabinet has ratified the Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal, ahead of a full cabinet meeting expected later yesterday, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.

1w ago

Release of Gaza hostages expected to begin Sunday: Israel PM office

The release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel is expected to begin on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday

1w ago

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 77 after truce accord

Israel airstrikes killed 77 people in Gaza yesterday, residents and authorities in the enclave said, hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced to bring an end to 15 months of offensive.

1w ago