Saudi king chairs cabinet meeting after ‘recovery’
The meeting comes nearly 10 days since the royal court said the king had a lung infection and was undergoing...Geostrategy
Hamas claims to have taken Israeli soldier ‘prisoner’
The armed wing of Hamas said it had taken "prisoner" at least one Israeli soldier in an ambush on Saturday....Geostrategy
Iran says US ‘can not renege’ on deal to transfer $6bn via Qatar
Tehran, Iran-- Iran said the United States "can not renege" on an agreement to transfer $6 billion in frozen funds through...Tehran has come under intense scrutiny since Hamas stormed across Israel's border.
Iran has insisted it was not involved, but celebrated the Hamas attack as a "success".
Hamas rejects Israel order to evacuate north Gaza
"Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes..."We are steadfast on our land and in our homes and our cities. There will be no displacement," Hamas said.
The United Nations said an order by Israel to flee within 24 hours risked a "calamitous situation".
Thousands protest across the world in support of Palestinians
"No to the occupation! No to America!" chanted demonstrators gathered in central Baghdad after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for...In the Gulf state of Bahrain, hundreds of worshippers chanted "Death to Israel!" and "Death to America!" ahead of Friday prayers at Diraz mosque
A few hundred people also gathered in the Afghan cities of Kabul and Jalalabad for pro-Palestinian rallies organized by Taliban authorities
Israel’s Gaza assault renews fears of second Nakba
In 1948 more than 760,000 Palestinians either fled or were forced off land claimed by the new state as the...The Israeli army went on to expel Palestinians from the areas newly under its control, notably the central towns of Lod and Ramle, and Galilee in the north.
According to the UN there are now 5.9 million Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Thousands flee north Gaza after Israel evacuation warning
In Gaza, UN officials said the Israeli military, whose troops are massing at the border, had told them the evacuation...But the United Nations described the immediate movement of some 1.1 million people -- nearly half of the 2.4 million in the Gaza Strip -- "impossible".
Aid agencies have warned mass evacuations would stretch support to the limit, as fuel, food and water dwindled due to an Israeli blockade.
World’s biggest sustainable farm in Saudi enters Guinness Records
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – A farm in Saudi Arabia has entered the Guinness World Records as the world's largest sustainable...The farm is one of the extension farms of the rejuvenated water farming research unit of the Bin Heshbal Valley in the Asir Region.
The total area of the farm is 3.2 million square meters, divided into two sections, each with a concrete tank with a capacity of 500 cubic meters.
Gazans must ‘remain on their land’: Egypt’s Sisi
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza is the only passage in and out of the coastal enclave not...Egypt is committed to ensuring the delivery "of aid, both medical and humanitarian at this difficult time", Egyptian president said
Egypt, historically a key intermediary between Hamas and Israel, has called for donors to send humanitarian aid bound for Gaza to El Arish airport
Blinken seeks Arab pressure on Hamas as Israel readies Gaza move
Qatar, where Blinken will head immediately after Jordan, has longstanding ties with Hamas and has been seen as an intermediary...Blinken will meet Jordan's King Abdullah II and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Amman and will then visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE
The top US diplomat spent Thursday in Tel Aviv where he promised unwavering solidarity to US ally Israel after the surprise October 7 offensive by Hamas
UN urges Israel to call off northern Gaza evacuation order
Israel's army said it has called for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the...Stephane Dujarric said the army's evacuation order applies to all UN staff and those sheltering in UN facilities - including schools, health centers and clinics
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is sheltering more than 60 percent of the 423,000 people displaced in recent days in the Gaza Strip
UN calls for $294m for ‘urgent needs’ in Gaza, occupied West Bank
Nearly 60 percent of households in Gaza were considered food insecure before the start of the new hostilities. As of...The funds would be used to help more than 1.2 million people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said
UN has previously estimated it would need $502 to fund operations to aid 2.1 million Palestinians in 2023, a goal that is less than 50-percent financed