Blinken meets Sisi in Cairo at start of Mideast tour
Blinken said his message to regional governments was that "if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say yes" to...Geostrategy
Gaza hospital says 37 dead in strike on UN school Israel says used by Hamas
"The government of Israel has said that they are going to release more information about this strike, including the names...Geostrategy
Palestinian journalist killed in Gaza bombing: network
"Our colleague Mohammed Abu Hatab fell as a martyr along with members of his family in an Israeli bombardment against...Since Israel began bombarding the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinian journalists have had to flee south from Gaza City
The Palestinian journalists' union says that 27 of its members have been killed in the territory since October 7
Blinken’s visit to Israel to focus on minimizing civilian casualties
Washington, United States - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who arrived in Israel today on a diplomatic visit will...Blinken also intends to focus on the future of Gaza post-Hamas, exploring avenues for humanitarian aid to reach the area and strategies to prevent the conflict from spreading
The conflict in Gaza, which began when Hamas militants breached the border on October 7, has resulted in a significant loss of life and an escalating humanitarian crisis
Hizbollah chief to break silence on Israel-Hamas war
The border tensions have revived memories of Hizbollah's devastating 2006 war with Israel that killed more than 1,200 people in...After Hamas militants launched an unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon's southern border has seen escalating tit-for-tat exchanges
The cross-border attacks heated up Thursday, as Israel responded with a "broad assault" after Hizbollah attacked 19 Israeli positions simultaneously, according to the group
Russian Foreign Ministry specifies conditions for resuming grain deal
Moscow, Russia - Moscow on Thursday reiterated the need to fully implement the provisions of the Russia-UN memorandum for the...The implementation of the grain deal, an agreement on a corridor for ships with Ukrainian grain concluded in July 2022, was terminated on July 17
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously noted that the terms of the deal with regard to Russia were not met, despite the efforts of the UN
Firing by Israeli troops kill two shepherds in Lebanon
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanon's army on Thursday retrieved the bodies of two shepherds killed by Israeli fire, official media said, raising...The two shepherds, aged 20 and 22, had been reported missing on Wednesday as they herded their flock through Wazzani, their home village near the border.
"They were found dead after the (Israeli) occupation forces opened fire in their direction," Lebanese state media reported.
Iraq event on ‘regional stability’ adjourned over Gaza war
Baghdad, Iraq - An international summit in Baghdad on "regional stability" planned for late November has been postponed due to the...The event "is postponed until further notice due to the regional events" in the Middle East, said Farhad Alaaldin, an Iraqi official.
Alaaldin noted "in particular what is happening in Palestine", referring to war that erupted after the October 7 attacks by Hamas members.
Tunisia’s parliament debates bill criminalizing normalcy with Israel
Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisia's parliament on Thursday began debating a bill that would criminalize any normalization of ties with Israel as...The draft bill defines "normalization" as "recognition of the Zionist entity or the establishment of direct or indirect ties"
The legislation was drawn up and approved in late October by a group of lawmakers who back President Kais Saied
Bahrain suspends economic relations with Israel
DUBAI, UAE - Bahrain has recalled its Ambassador from Israel and decided to suspend economic relations with Tel Aviv in...Bahrain took the decision to recall the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Israel back to the country, the Council of Representatives said.
It also demanded taking measures to preserve lives of people in the Gaza Strip and other regions of Palestine.
Putin revokes Russia’s ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
During parliamentary hearings, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the move to revoke the treaty was a response to the...The 1996 treaty outlaws all nuclear explosions, including live tests of nuclear weapons, though it never came into force.
The West has accused Russia of using reckless nuclear rhetoric since it launched its offensive on Ukraine last February.
US sanctions Turkey, China, UAE entities to disrupt Russia war
"Russia is dependent on willing third-country individuals and entities to resupply its military and perpetuate its heinous war against Ukraine...The latest sanctions involve 130 new targets. Among them are Turkish national Berk Turken for his role in a procurement network with ties to Russian intelligence services
A UAE-based network has been sanctioned for alleged involvement in Russian illicit finance, the department said.