Middle East
Middle East
Israel and Hamas agree to four-day ceasefire and exchange of 50 people held captive by Hamas as well as 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel after mediation by Qatar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that after the ceasefire, the war will continue until they have achieved their goals
Israel occupies Gaza's largest hospital, Al Shifa, and is looking for evidence that the site had a command center for Hamas, hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya says the hospital contains 5,000 refugees, 500 staff and 650 patients and according to the Hamas-controlled health authority 11,400 Palestinians have died since Hamas' attack on October 7
Turkish President Recep Erdogan says that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer a counterpart for them, that they erased and kicked him out, but adds there can be no such thing as completely severing ties, especially not in international diplomacy, wants a free Palestinian state with the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as the capital
The border between Gaza and Egypt opens up to foreign nationals and injured Palestinians after deal between Israel, Egypt and Hamas brokered by Qatar, Britain's Foreign Office expects its British nationals to be able to leave within the next few days
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a televised press conference that the ground invasion is expanding and that the goal is to defeat what he calls the murderous enemy and says the war is the country's second war of independence
Iraq sentences Saddam Hussein's daughter, Raghad Hussein, in absentia to seven years in prison for promoting her father's Baath party, which was banned after the US invasion in 2003, she lives in Jordan with sister Rana and their two brothers were killed by the US in Mosul 2023
Attack on the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza kills 471 Palestinians according to Palestinian authority, Palestine claims Israeli airstrike while Israel claims failed Palestinian rocket launch
Israel gives 1.1 million Palestinians 24 hours to evacuate from Northen Gaza but later deny the alleged deadline, UN says such movement is impossible without devastating humanitarian consequences, the only non-Israeli border still kept closed by Egypt
The only source of the news that Israeli children were beheaded by Hamas in the community of Kfar Aza near Gaza appears to come from Israeli Major David Ben Zion and Israeli journalist Oren Ziv on the ground says he neither saw any evidence on such a thing nor heard any soldier mention anything
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says they are cutting off access to electricity, food and fuel in the Gaza Strip where 2.3 million people live, the current blockade of the area has been in place since June 2007 and Israel controls the airspace, territorial waters as two of three border crossings and Egypt controls the third
Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan suicide bombing that killed 54 during pro-Taliban rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, a branch of Islamic State accuses the Taliban of not enforcing Islam strictly enough
Eleven dead after Israel's military on Monday begins an operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, where Palestinian militias have gained a strong foothold, and Palestinians retaliate with attack in Tel Aviv that injures seven people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during a visit near Jenin that it will continue as long as necessary to uproot terrorism
One of Muammar Gadaffi's sons, Hannibal, on hunger strike to protest his seven-year imprisonment in Lebanon without trial, was kidnapped in Syria in 2015 by Lebanese militants, according to his lawyer Paul Romanos he is serious and he will continue with it until the end
Railway that will link the Persian Gulf with the Mediterranean and pass through the countries of Iran, Iraq and Syria has been planned since 2018, despite signed agreements mixed reactions in Iraq have led to a lack of enthusiasm in moving the project forward
Prisoner exchange involving nearly 900 prisoners takes place between the Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, Saudi delegation traveled last week to Houthi-controlled Sana'a to discuss resumption of ceasefire in Yemen
One dead and six injured in Tel Aviv drive-by attack by father-of-six and janitor Yousef Abu Jaber, 45, who was shot dead by police as he appeared to be reaching for what appeared to be a weapon, the brother says it was an accident but surveillance footage suggests otherwise
The Taliban in Afghanistan ban women from universities according to Taliban government spokesman, they are also banned from parks, gyms and most professions
Turkey launches airstrikes over northern Syria and Iraq, targeting Kurdish groups it holds responsible for last week's bomb attack in Istanbul, Turkish defense ministry tweets picture of military aircraft taking off and that the hour of reckoning has come
Protesters in Iran set fire to Ayatollah Khomeini's childhood home, where founder of Islamic republic said to have been born, according to social media, regional authorities deny arson, has been a museum celebrating the late leader's life
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi responds to Joe Biden's statement on freeing Iran by saying during a speech that the country was liberated 43 years ago and is determined not to be occupied by the United States, pro-government demonstrations were held during November 4th, which marks the anniversary of the takeover of The American Embassy in Tehran in 1979
Benjamin Netanyahu is heading towards victory in the Israeli election and towards becoming prime minister for a third time, his Likud party is expected to form a majority in the Knesset together with ultra-Orthodox parties and the far right, including the Otzma Yehudit party with the anti-Arab and nationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir as party leader
Fire, gunfire and explosions at Evin prison in Iran, four dead and 61 injured, known to house political prisoners
Iraq's parliament votes for the 78-year-old Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as president and who in turn appointed Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as prime minister, the first step in forming a new government which has not been successful since the election last October, the vote took place shortly after nine rockets landed in the capital
Agreement between Israel and Libanon on disputed maritime border opens up for offshore energy extraction, final draft from US envoy Amos Hochstein satisfied Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid says it is a historic achievement that will strengthen the country's security, inject billions into the economy and ensure stability on the northern border
83 said killed in Iran during the protests that has been going on for two weeks since the 22 year old Iranian Kurdish girl Mahsa Amini died after being arrested and beaten by the morality police for allegedly violating the country's dress code
At least four Lebanese banks stormed by depositors demanding their trapped savings, all banks in the country to be closed for three days, protest group Depositors' Outcry says more break-ins are to be expected
Israel drops the threshold for cash transactions from USD 3,200 to USD 1,700 in accordance with the Law on Reducing the Use of Cash, tens of thousands of audit-raids on businesses have been conducted by the Tax Authority and 1.5 billion in fines have been collected since the law came into force in came into force in 2019, violations are punished with up to 30% of the transaction for businesses and 25% for private individuals, attempts at splitting payments is a criminal offense punishable by three years in prison
Turkish police detain at least 36 people in Ankara after dispersing a Pride march with teargas and pepper spray, follows last week's detaining of over 300 people during Pride march in Istanbul, widespread hostility towards homosexuality in the country and increasingly tougher police crackdowns on Pride parades which are banned in many cities
More than 100 arrested in Istanbul for participating in a Pride march, journalists' union says many were beaten by police, Pride marches banned in the city since 2015
Iran's state TV hacked to show a salute to Mujahedeen-e-Khalq leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi as well as a death threat to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Iran asks its population to wear warm clothes to cut gas use the next ten days, the country has the world's second largest gas reserves and subsidizes it heavily, Oil Minister Javad Owji thanks God and the oil industry for the stability so far but emphasizes that further efforts are now needed
Turkish journalist Sedef Kabaş detained for using the Turkish proverb "a bull does not become king just by entering the palace, but the palace becomes a barn" on live television, risks four years prison sentence, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Chief Spokesman Fahrettin Altun says a so-called journalist blatantly insulted the president with no goal other than spreading hatred
Iran agrees to replace damaged cameras at the Karaj nuclear facility after agreement with the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA
Turkey investigates 31 Syrians of which 11 is arrested and 7 to be deported on charges of provocatively eating bananas in social media posts, the viral trend began after a Turkish man complained about not affording bananas while the Syrians bought kilos, the arrested are charged with the crime of inciting or insulting the public to hatred and hostility
Israel's decision to label six Palestinian NGOs as terror organizations based on being PFLP fronts criticized internationally, UN Human Rights Office in Ramallah says the decision includes entirely peaceful activities and EU says the funding will continue, at least two of the organizations have denied the allegations
Turkey is building a wall along its border with Iran to prevent a new refugee flow, a 5 km section of the 3 metre-high wall is under construction and Turkey is aiming to build a 295 km-long wall on its Iranian border, beefed up by barbed wires and trenches
Hard-line Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi wins Iran presidential election in landslide victory amid lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic's history after a panel under the watch of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei disqualifies Raisi's strongest competition
Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid reach deal to form new governing coalition consisting of partners that span the Israeli political spectrum, ending the record-setting 12-year rule of Benjamin Netanyahu, the agreement still needs to be approved by the Knesset
Requests for permits to carry a weapon spike in Israel after the riots in Lod and Ramla, normally, 270 applications are made weekly, but between May 10 and May 16, 1,926 were received, all Israeli citizens can apply for a license to carry a firearm once they reach the eligible age
Israel Defence Forces announce it killed five senior Hamas leaders in targeted strikes, the dead include head of Hamas military intelligence security department and head of the military intelligence counterespionage department, adding "looks like our intel was better"
Israeli police in night-time clashes with thousands of rock-hurling Palestinians at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday amid potential eviction of Palestinians from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers, leaving 205 Palestinians and 17 Israeli officers injured
Saudi Arabia officially bans Turkish products, the Saudi government has been reported to contact individual businesses and order them not to trade with Turkish companies or buy any products made in Turkey, it has also launched a campaign to discourage its citizens from travelling to Turkey
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab set to announce the resignation of his government after the explosion in Beirut which killed at least 163 people and has stirred public outrage and spurred a string of ministers to step down
At least 10 dead and hundreds wounded in a massive explosion at Beirut's port, General Abbas Ibrahim said it appears the explosion was caused by highly explosive material confiscated years ago stored in a warehouse
Southern Yemen separatists Southern Transitional Council announces having seized government facilities and military bases on the main island of Socotra, Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi condemns the action as a full-fledged coup, Socotra governor Ramzi Mahroos accuses coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of turning a blind eye
Egyptian military in North Sinai kills 21 jihadi terrorists planning attacks later in May, the Armed Forces says 126 terrorists have been killed earlier this month in 22 raids and 12 operations in Central and North Sinai
19 Iranian sailors killed and 15 wounded when Iranian frigate Jamaran accidentally strikes support ship Konarak with a missile during an exercise in the Gulf of Oman
UAE-backed Yemeni separatists Southern Transitional Council declare state of emergency and say they will self-govern southern provinces, the Saudi-backed government says the move violates the November Riyadh agreement where the respective sides were to join a new national cabinet and place all forces under governmental control
Afghanistan to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners in coming days to pave way for peace talks, plans releasing additional 5,000 prisoners over 20 weeks if the talks make progress, demands written guarantee from all released Jihadists that they not return to the battlefield, according to Reuters
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan files 164,000 USD lawsuit against opposition MP Engin Özkoç (CHP) for "impudent remarks", Özkoç called Erdoğan dishonorable and a traitor for referring to a dead Turkish soldier as a "head" and accused the president of being responsible for the massacre of millions of Muslims in Syria, investigation regarding insulting the president also launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office where Özkoç risks four years in prison
Iran has tripled enriched uranium stockpile since November in breach of nuclear deal, refuses to answer questions regarding three locations where possibly nuclear material is stored or nuclear-related activities is undertaken without declaring it to international observers, according to IAEA
Turkish court approves Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak's request for ban on reporting about the ban on reporting about his property purchases along the planned shipping canal project Kanal İstanbul, the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan son-in law purchased 13 hectares of farmland in 2012 and the land is listed as residential zones in the mega project
Palestinians prefer Israeli employers over Palestinian ones due to higher salaries, better benefits, more extensive legal protection and absence of gender or religious discrimination
Up to 90% of the 11 million saplings planted in more than 2,000 sites in Turkey during National Forestation Day last November are dead according to the country's agriculture and forestry trade union – the ministry of agriculture and forestry denies the claim and says 95% of the saplings are healthy and growing, union head Şükrü Durmuş says the number is untrue as the normal success rate is about 70% and here the planting was done at the wrong time and not by experts
Afghan forces kill 51 Taliban during 24 hours of combined ground attacks and air strikes in nine provinces, 13 terrorists wounded and six arrested, the Taliban respond by killing 18 security force members and capturing large weapons cache in two attacks against checkpoints, escalation reported to signal renewed deadlock in peace talks
Israel to build network of seismic and acoustic sensors buried in the ground along Lebanese frontier to detect cross-border tunnel building, a year after Israeli military destroyed a series of infiltration tunnels dug by Hezbollah
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defends Revolutionary Guards in his first Friday prayers sermon in eight years, tells worshippers to take fight beyond Iran’s borders while footage from anti government demonstrations show protesters being beaten
Iranian anti-regime protests enter third day after Tehran admits it shot down passenger jet, with celebrities including film director Masoud Kimiai and singer Alireza Assar turning on regime and two state TV hosts quit over false reporting on crash
Israeli police officers impersonating Palestine technicians assaulted by teenagers in the illegal Jewish settlement Bat Ayin, RT reports recent uptick in anti-Palestinian violence in the region, officers only sustained light injuries
The US embassy in Baghdad urges all American citizens to depart Iraq forthwith
Iran restricts mobile internet access in several provinces, Iranian news agency reports, ahead of new protests expected to kick off on Thursday following calls for demonstrations on social media, unrest in November led to 1,500 people being killed in less than two weeks
Israel will see an unprecedented third general election within a year on March 2 after failing to establish a new government, comes as talks between Benjamin Netanyahu and his centrist rival Benny Gantz broke down ahead of deadline
39,8% of educated Saudis consanguineously married, usually with first cousin, equally common on all education levels but more common for people with family history of such marriages
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announces his resignation after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged lawmakers to reconsider support for the government, comes after more than 60 people were shot dead by security forces on Thursday
Tens of thousands Algerian protesters across the country demand presidential election canceled until old ruling guard step aside and army quit politics, 41st consecutive weekly protest in movement which made army jail top officials as well as force former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to quit in April
Reports of at least 30 people killed in Iranian Kermanshah province this week as Iranian troops and members of elite Revolutionary Guards helped police quell protests, with over 100 people killed nationwide, Iran blames anti-revolutionary groups and US intelligence services
Israeli aircraft struck dozens of Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria in response to rockets fired by Iranian force in Syria, local reports said loud explosions were heard in Damaskus, all four Iranian rockets said to have been intercepted by Israel
Israeli air strike kills senior commander of militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu says Abu al-Ata was a ticking bomb who was planning to carry out attacks on the country, PIJ responds by firing 150 rockets at Israel
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigns following two weeks of protests initially triggered by plans to tax WhatsApp calls, protests have led to closure of banks, schools and universities, Hariri says he has reached a dead end
Benjamin Netanyahu ends effort to form government, hands mandate back to President Reuven Rivlin, rival Benny Gantz of Blue and White alliance to attempt to create majority coalition
Turkey pressed its military offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria, shelling towns and bombing targets in operation forcing over 60,000 to flee their homes, at least 23 Kurdish fighters and eight civilians reported killed
British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero which was detained by Iran for 10 weeks docks in Dubai, the remaining 16 crew received medical checks before traveling home to their families
Iran seizes another tanker in Straits of Hormuz for allegedly attempting to smuggle 250,000 liters of diesel fuel into United Arab Emirates, crew of 11 reportedly been arrested by Iranian authorities, second such seizure this month after boat was detained and its 12 Filipino crew members arrested on September 7
Two major Saudi Arabia oil facilities set alight by drone attacks, the fires at the state-owned oil processing plants in Abqaiq and Khurais are said to be under control
Benjamin Netanyahu promises to annex all settlements in the West Bank if reelected, says the Trump peace plan offers a historic opportunity
Australia sends frigate and spy plane to Strait of Hormuz in the name of national security and economic interests, previously only UK and Israel have volunteered to join US-led flotilla