Page 15 - Middle East

Israel strikes crossings with Syria for first time, says Lebanon minister

Strikes came moments after US President Joe Biden announced that a ceasefire would come into effect at 4 am local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday to halt hostilities

Israel-Hezbollah peace deal designed to ensure end of hostilities: Biden

President Joe Biden has announced that Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have accepted a US-brokered peace deal that is designed to be a "permanent cessation" of hostilities between the two sides. As part of the ceasefire, Israel will gradually withdraw its troops from Lebanon over the next 60 days, Biden said in his address to the nation from the White House on Tuesday, shortly after Israel's Security Cabinet approved the accord. According to reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented to the Security Cabinet the agreement aimed at ending months-long fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah which was ignited by the Gaza conflict and has killed and displaced thousands. Biden said he spoke with Netanyahu and Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati. "I'm pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the United States' proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. I want to thank President Macron of France for his partnership in ...

UN reports heavy clashes between Israeli troops, Hezbollah in south Lebanon

Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of UN peacekeepers. A spokesman for the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL told The Associated Press that they are monitoring heavy clashes in the coastal town of Naqoura and the village of Chamaa to the northeast. UNIFIL's headquarters are located in Naqoura in Lebanon's southern edge close to the border with Israel. We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said. Asked if the peacekeepers and staff at the headquarters are safe, Tenenti said: Yes for the moment. Several UNIFIL posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on October 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded. The fighting came a day after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister and a

More aid workers have been killed in 2024 than in any other year, says UN

Bloodshed in the Middle East has been the single-biggest cause of the 281 deaths among humanitarians globally this year

Trump fancies himself a skilled dealmaker, Mideast peace may be beyond him

Trump will have much difficulty balancing his ardent support of Israel and his other ambitions in the region

At least 11 killed, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon's Tyr region

The strikes in the Tyr region come weeks after Israel had conducted earlier military operations in the area

G20 resolution on Middle East must recognise our right to defend: Israel

Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that he held telephonic conversations with his counterparts participating in the forum regarding the matter

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of war crimes, forced exile in Gaza Strip

Human Rights Watch says Israel is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from parts of Gaza. Palestinians have been killed while evacuating under Israeli orders and in Israeli-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps, according to the report released Thursday by the New York-based rights watchdog. The report said the widespread, deliberate demolition of homes and civilian infrastructure throughout Gaza, particularly in a military road that cuts Gaza in half as well as a buffer zone along the border, was likely to "permanently displace" many Palestinians. Israel said the report distorts the facts and leaves out important context, blaming civilian casualties on Hamas operating in residential areas and emphasizing that Israel does not deliberately target civilians. Israel's blistering 13-month war in Gaza has killed

Lulu Retail Holdings shares fall on debut after $1.72 bn Abu Dhabi IPO

The hypermarket chain operator fell to as much as 1.99 dirhams ($0.54) per share in its Abu Dhabi trading debut, down 2.5 per cent from the offer price of 2.04 dirhams

Saudi Arabia important factor for stability in West Asia: EAM Jaishankar

EAM Jaishankar emphasised India's commitment to condemning acts of terrorism and hostage-taking while expressing deep concern over the continuing deaths of civilians

Trump names John Ratcliffe as CIA head, Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under his administration. He also picked former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as his ambassador to Israel. In a series of announcements on key positions, Trump also declared Congressman Mike Waltz his National Security Advisor who would serve in his Cabinet and asserted that his NSA pick is an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism. For the position of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Trump picked successful real estate investor and philanthropist Steven C Witkoff, giving him the mandate to restore peace in the region. He also declared his former White House cabinet secretary Bill McGinley as the White House Counsel in his second term beginning January 20 next year. Speaking highly of Ratcliffe, Trump said, "From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to ...

Soldier with Yemen's exiled govt opens fire on Saudi troops killing two men

A soldier for Yemen's exiled government opened fire on Saudi troops as they exercised in eastern Yemen, killing two of them and wounding another in a rare insider attack during the kingdom's nearly decadelong war there, officials said Saturday. The assault in eastern Hadramawt province comes as a yearslong cease-fire between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels largely has held despite the militants' ongoing attacks against shipping in the Red Sea corridor. While the Houthis did not claim the attack, at least one Houthi official praised it as being the beginning and an indication of a harsh future awaiting the invaders. Meanwhile, US warplanes carried out new strikes targeting Houthi positions that lasted into early Sunday morning, the American military said. The strikes come after the militants likely shot down yet-another American reconnaissance drone over the country. The attack on the Saudi troops took place Friday night in Seiyun, a city some 500 kilometers (310 miles) east o

Israeli Ambassador calls India key part of resolution of West Asia conflict

He also commented on Israel's expectations from the government of India when it comes to the tensions in West Asia. We are continuing our dialogue with the Indian government

Here's what Trump's victory means for Ukraine, Middle East, and China

On the war in Ukraine, Trump is likely to try to force Kyiv and Moscow into at least a ceasefire along the current front lines

Iranian-American held in Iran amid high tensions in Middle East, says US

An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a US government-funded broadcaster is believed to be detained by Iran for months now, authorities said Sunday, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over an Israeli attack on the country. The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh, acknowledged to The Associated Press by the US State Department, came as Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the American Embassy takeover and hostage crisis on Sunday. It also followed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatening both Israel and the US the day before with "a crushing response as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran. Valizadeh had worked for Radio Farda, an outlet under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that's overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media. In February, he wrote on the social platform X that his family members had been detained in an effort to see him return to Iran. In August, Valizadeh apparently posted two

Khamenei pledges 'crushing response' to US, Israel for actions against Iran

Sharing a post on X, Iran's supreme leader wrote, 'United States of America and the Zionist regime will definitely get a crushing response for what they do against #Iran and the #Resistance Front'

Israel kills Hezbollah's top commander, captures official in separate ops

Sharing a post on X, the IDF wrote, 'Commander of the Hezbollah Nasser Unit's Missiles and Rockets Array, Jaafar Khader Faour, was eliminated in the area of Jouaiyya in southern Lebanon'

US bolsters Mideast presence with missiles to promote de-escalation

Defence Secretary has reiterated his commitment that the United States will take all the necessary measures to defend its people

Israel hits Dahiyeh suburb in Beirut with airstrikes causing major damage

Israel's air force pounded Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh overnight, destroying dozens of buildings in several neighborhoods, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Friday. There was no immediate word on casualties. Recently, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on the northeastern city of Baalbek and nearby villages, as well as different parts of southern Lebanon. International mediators are ramping up efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, circulating new proposals to wind down the regional conflict. Lebanon's Heath Ministry said more than 2,800 people have been killed and 13,000 wounded since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah began firing rockets almost daily into Israel, drawing retaliation. The death toll from more than a year of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has passed 43,000, Palestinian officials reported this week, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, ..

Middle East: Israel pounds Beirut suburb Dahiyeh with airstrikes overnight

Israel's air force pounded Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh overnight, destroying dozens of buildings in several neighbourhoods, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Friday. There was no immediate word on casualties. Recently, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on the northeastern city of Baalbek and nearby villages, as well as different parts of southern Lebanon. International mediators are ramping up efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, circulating new proposals to wind down the regional conflict. Lebanon's Heath Ministry said more than 2,800 people have been killed and 13,000 wounded since October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah began firing rockets almost daily into Israel, drawing retaliation. The death toll from more than a year of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has passed 43,000, Palestinian officials reported this week, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7,