Israel and Hamas near ceasefire talks, spy chief heads to Qatar as truce momentum builds
Israel’s Mossad chief will travel to Qatar for ceasefire negotiations as Hamas signals readiness to halt fighting, contingent on Israel...Geostrategy
Updates: Israel hits more targets in Lebanon as Blinken travels to Middle East to push for truce
Lebanon says four people were killed including a child in the latest Israeli strikes as Tehran says the United States...Geostrategy
Macron says fighting terror does not mean ‘to flatten Gaza’
President Emmanuel Macron told the France 5 broadcaster, "We cannot let the idea take root that an efficient fight against...Macron called on Israel "to stop this response because it is not appropriate, because all lives are worth the same and we defend them"
The bloodiest-ever Israel's invasion of Gaza which began on October 7 has killed over 20,000 civilians, mainly women and children
Israel orders more evacuations of Gaza’s main southern city: UN
The Israeli army said Wednesday that "ground, aerial and naval operations were carried out on dozens of terrorists and terrorist...UN said Israel had released maps showing new areas covering about 20 percent of the Khan Yunis city that had been marked for evacuation
The area includes 32 shelters that housed more than 140,000 internally displaced persons, the vast majority of whom were previously displaced
West Bank crisis escalates while focus stays on Gaza
With the world's eyes on the Gaza Strip, the escalating violence in the West Bank represents an underreported yet critical...With the world's eyes on the Gaza Strip, the escalating violence in the West Bank represents an underreported yet critical dimension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since the Oct 7 Hamas attack, the region has seen a sharp rise in settler violence, military operations, and Palestinian radicalization, a further setback in the quest for peace.
New Kuwaiti emir rebukes parliament and cabinet in inaugural speech
Officially taking over from his half-brother Sheikh Nawaf, who passed away on Saturday, Sheikh Meshal is faced with the task..."I have stressed in my previous speeches that there are national obligations that must be fulfilled," the 83-year-old ruler told lawmakers after he took the oath of office
Sheikh Meshal further pointed to public appointments and promotions that "don't meet the simplest standards of justice and fairness"
World Food Program transfers Gaza aid from Jordan via Israeli border
"Delivering food from Jordan, to Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing, will increase the volume and speed of food reaching the...The arrival of the 46-truck convoy, carrying more than 750 tons of goods, came after "weeks of coordination with all parties," WFP said
"Establishing a corridor through Jordan will increase the flow of aid and remove some of the pressure and congestion we are currently facing," said an official
Israeli strikes kill 12 in Rafah amid truce, hostage deal efforts
"Twelve martyrs and dozens of wounded, including women and children, were recovered from under the rubble when a house and...The Qatar-based Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo for discussions on the "aggression in the Gaza Strip and other matters", the group said in a statement.
Haniyeh -- who earlier met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian -- was heading a "high-level delegation" to Egypt, a frequent mediator between Israel and Palestine.
EU reaches agreement on reforming bloc’s migration laws
Spain, which chaired the lengthy negotiations in its role holding the EU presidency, said on X, formerly Twitter: "A political...The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, creating border detention centres, and accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants
The accord still needs to be formally approved by the European Council, representing the 27 EU member countries, and the European Parliament before it enters the bloc's lawbooks
Malaysia bans Israeli-flagged ships over Gaza war
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in a statement said that ships bound for Israel will also be barred from loading cargo...The Prime Minister said Malaysia was confident its trade would not be affected by the decision
Pressure is mounting on Israel to agree to a new truce that could ramp up aid to the Gaza Strip
Strong Russia ties a strategic choice, says Xi Jinping
The Chinese president called for deeper bilateral cooperation during a meeting with Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing. The...Xi said developing China-Russia relations is a strategic choice made by both sides
Russian PM said that ties between Moscow and Beijing had reached an "all-time high"
UN Security Council due to vote on delayed Gaza resolution
This week's back and forth comes after an impasse earlier this month, when the United States, despite unprecedented pressure from...The humanitarian situation in Gaza was rapidly deteriorating, with a senior UN official saying Israel's steps to allow in aid were "far short" of mounting need
Members of the council had grappled for days to find common ground on the resolution, a vote on which was pushed back throughout Tuesday, after being postponed Monday
