Page 143 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

US Secretary Blinken calls for a measured Israeli response to Iran attack

Blinken said new formulations were being examined in an effort to win freedom for hostages held in Gaza and bring an end to the war

US Secretary Blinken urges Israel to use opportunity to end war in Gaza

'The focus needs to be on getting the hostages home, ending this war and having a clear plan for what follows,' he said

Sirens echo across Tel Aviv as projectiles intercepted near Blinken's hotel

Air raid sirens echoed across Tel Aviv on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to end a visit. Smoke, apparently from an intercepted projectile, could be seen in the sky above the hotel where Blinken was staying. Blinken said Israel needs to pursue an enduring strategic success after its recent tactical victories against Hamas, urging it to seek a deal to end the war and bring back dozens of hostages before leaving for Saudi Arabia, as part of his 11th visit to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. But both sides appear to be dug in. Netanyahu has pledged to annihilate Hamas and recover dozens of hostages held by the group. Hamas says it will only release the captives in return for a lasting cease-fire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel's security fence and stormed in, killing some 1,200 people - mostly civilians - and abducting another 250. ...

FBI investigates leak of classified Israel documents on Iran attack

The FBI said Tuesday that it is investigating the unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel's preparation for a potential retaliatory attack on Iran. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the Biden administration is still not certain if the classified information was leaked or hacked but that officials don't have any indication at this point of additional documents like this finding their way into the public domain." At the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has spoken with his counterpart, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, about the release of documents. But Ryder, who is press secretary, said he could provide no details or say when the conversation took place. The Associated Press reported Saturday that US officials were investigating the release. The FBI confirmed the investigation for the first time on Tuesday and said in a statement that it is working closely with our partners in the Department

It could take 350 years for Gaza to rebuild if blockade remains: UN report

UN agencies have long warned that it could take decades to rebuild Gaza after Israel's offensive against Hamas, one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns since World War II. Now, more than a year into the war, a new report speaks in terms of centuries. The UN Conference on Trade and Development said in a report released on Monday that if the war ends tomorrow and Gaza returns to the status quo before Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, it could take 350 years for its battered economy to return to its precarious prewar level. Before the war, Gaza was under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade imposed after Hamas seized power in 2007. Four previous wars and divisions between Hamas and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank also took a toll on Gaza's economy. The current war has caused staggering destruction across the territory, with entire neighbourhoods obliterated and roads and critical infrastructure in ruins. Mountains of rubble laced with

Crude oil can hit low $60s by 2025-end despite geopolitical conflict

Oil price outlook: Given the low level of oil inventories, there could be a sustained geopolitical premium in crude price until the conflict is resolved in the short-term

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel as Blinken returns to push for ceasefire

Experts say Hamas and Israel remain deeply at odds and are unlikely to make significant concessions before the Nov. 5 US presidential election, which could upend US policy

US election, UK budget, global tensions lower global vacancies: Survey

Companies in Singapore, the United States, Britain, Australia, and Germany reported the biggest falls in vacancies, with firms citing low business confidence as a key factor

UN failure reason for 600 aid trucks just sitting at Gaza border: Israel

COGAT also said that it has coordinated pick-up at various hours, expanded routes to improve traffic to the crossings, set up a tactical pause along the route

US Secy Blinken takes off in 11th attempt to reach Middle East ceasefire

President Joe Biden's decision to send Hochstein this week is signaling the urgency of a lasting cease-fire in Lebanon

Israel mourns killing of highest-ranking officer Ehsan Daqsa in war

Col. Ehsan Daqsa, who commanded the Israel Defense Force's 401st Armored Brigade, was killed in battle in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza

Israeli strikes on Gaza leave at least 87 dead or missing: Palestine

Israel's infantry has also carried out its deepest operation in Lebanon, as per the report

Israel targets Hezbollah intelligence headquarters, 3 key officials killed

Israeli army said the targeted strike killed Elhag Abbas Salameh, Racha Abbas Icha, and Ahmed Ali Hasin

US investigates leak of classified documents on Israel's attack plans

The US is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel's plans to attack Iran, three US officials told The Associated Press. A fourth US official said the documents appear to be legitimate. The documents are attributed to the US Geospatial Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and note that Israel continues to move military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran's blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the Five Eyes, which are the US, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted online to Telegram and first reported by CNN and Axios. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the US intelligence community or obtained by

Netanyahu warns Iran, Hezbollah after drone attack on his residence

Two other drones that were fired from Lebanon on Saturday morning were downed by Israel's air defences, triggering sirens in Tel Aviv

Iraq moves to revoke Saudi TV license after militia supporters' outrage

Iraq's commission governing media announced Saturday that it would take steps to revoke the license of a Saudi television station to operate in the country. That came hours after dozens of supporters of Iraqi militias stormed and looted the office of the broadcaster, MBC, in Baghdad in protest over a report that described a number of Iranian-linked militant figures including a prominent Iraqi militia leader as terrorists. The report on terrorists who had been killed this century mentioned former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden alongside a roster of Iran-backed figures. They included Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a veteran Iraqi militant who was the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Shiite paramilitaries and founder of the Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades. Iraq's Media and Communications Commission said in a statement th

Drone targets Netanyahu's house while strikes in Gaza kill more than 50

Israel's government said a drone targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's house Saturday, with no casualties, as fighting with Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Gaza-based Hamas showed no pause after the killing of the Hamas mastermind of last year's October 7 attack. Israel's military said dozens of projectiles were launched from Lebanon a day after Hezbollah announced a new phase in fighting. Netanyahu's office said the drone targeted his house in the Mediterranean coastal town of Caesarea. Neither he nor his wife were there. It wasn't clear if the house was hit. The proxies of Iran who today tried to assassinate me and my wife made a bitter mistake, Netanyahu said. Hezbollah didn't claim responsibility for the drone attack, but said it carried out several rocket attacks on northern and central Israel. The barrage came as Israel is expected to respond to an attack earlier this month by Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel in turn carried out at least 10 airstrikes on

Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel as Israeli strikes hit Gaza

Pledges from Israel and its enemies Hamas and Hezbollah to keep fighting in Gaza and Lebanon have dashed hopes that the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar might hasten an end to war

Netanyahu's residence targeted as tensions rise with Hezbollah, Hamas

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson confirmed that the prime minister was not in the vicinity during the incident, and there were no casualties

Bullet in head, finger cut: Sinwar's autopsy reveals brutal death details

Yahya Sinwar was killed in an intelligence-based ground raid by Israeli forces in southern Gaza earlier this week