Page 35 - Latest Updates on Iran-Israel conflict: What to expect next

Oil prices rise 1% as tensions in West Asia heighten supply concerns

Oil prices have gained about 4 per cent this week after shedding more than 7 per cent last week on concerns of oversupply and weak demand and a perceived calming of Middle East tensions

France to provide 100 million-euro aid package to support Lebanon: Macron

France pledged to provide a 100-million euro (USD 108-million) package to support Lebanon at an international conference Thursday, as President Emmanuel Macron said massive aid is needed to support the country where war between Hezbollah militants and Israel has displaced a million people, killed over 2,500 and deepened an economic crisis. In the immediate term, massive aid is needed for the Lebanese population, both for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war and for the communities hosting them, Macron said in his opening speech at the conference. French organisers hope participants' financial pledges of humanitarian aid will meet the USD 426 million the United Nations says is urgently needed. Italy this week announced new aid of 10 million euros (USD 10.8 million) and Germany on Wednesday pledged an additional 60 million euros (USD 64.7 million) for people in Lebanon. Macron condemned Israel for continuing its military operations in Lebanon, "in the South, in ..

Israel may use a secret stealth drone against Iran. Here's what we know

US reportedly investigating last week's leak of its highly classified intelligence about Israeli plans for retaliation against Iran's October 1 missile barrage

Israel, Hezbollah exchange heavy violence as Blinken pushes for peace

The port is typically bustling - with fishermen, tourists and even U.N. peacekeepers on a break from deployments. Israel's evacuation orders this week have for the first time encompassed swathes

Israel strikes capital Damascus, military site near Homs: Syrian defence

Israeli strikes targeted the central Damascus neighbourhood of Kafr Sousa and a military site in the Homs countryside, killing one soldier and injuring 7 other people, the ministry said in a statement

Paris conference aims to get military, humanitarian support for Lebanon

France on Thursday hosts an international conference for Lebanon to rally military and humanitarian aid for the country where war between Hezbollah militants and Israel has displaced a million people, killed over 2,500 and deepened an economic crisis. Paris also seeks to help restore Lebanon's sovereignty and strengthen its institutions. The country, where Hezbollah effectively operates as a state within a state, has been without a president for two years while political factions fail to agree on a new one. But the international conference comes as critics say French President Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic approach in the Middle East has been blurred by his apparent evolving approach and sometimes chaotic communication. Still, France's historic links with Lebanon, a former colony, and its influential diplomacy give Paris momentum to coordinate a proper response to the massive challenge that the war in Lebanon now poses, said Middle East expert Rym Montaz, editor in chief of Carnegie

Israel accuses 6 Al Jazeera journalists of being Palestinian militants

The Israeli army on Wednesday accused six Al Jazeera journalists covering the war in Gaza of also being current or former paid fighters for Palestinian militant groups. Al Jazeera rejected the claims. Israel cited documents it purportedly found in Gaza, and other intelligence it gathered, in making the accusations against the journalists, all of whom are Palestinian men. It said four are or have been affiliated with Hamas, and two with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al Jazeera said the accusations were fabricated and part of a wider pattern of hostility toward the pan-Arab network. It said the claims were a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide. The AP has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents Israel posted online to support its claims. Al Jazeera is based in the energy-rich nation of Qatar, where many senior Hamas officials are based. The Gulf Ara

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