Blinken presses Hamas to back Gaza truce but sees gaps with Israel
Doha, Qatar - Top US diplomat Antony Blinken appealed Tuesday to Hamas urgently to accept a ceasefire plan to ease suffering...Geostrategy
Unnerved and exposed, Trump struggles to regain campaign mojo
Washington, United States - Donald Trump has never lacked for self-confidence, but his presidential campaign has been sent into a tailspin...Geostrategy Politics
Israel’s AI-enabled tech usage in Gaza sparks new fears
New defense technologies including artificial intelligence-powered gunsights and robotic drones form a bright spot in an otherwise dire period for...In a first, the army has used an AI-enabled optic sight, made by Israeli startup Smart Shooter, which is attached to weapons such as rifles and machine guns.
A senior defense official said the technology was destroying enemy drones and mapping Hamas's vast tunnel network in Gaza.
Jordan, Tunisia to enhance trade, investment relations
AMMAN, JORDAN - The Chairman of the Amman Chamber of Commerce Khalil Haj Tawfiq has called on Jordanian and Tunisian...The trade between the two nations has seen significant growth over the past two years, with a notable balance in exports and imports.
Trade volume over the last 10 months reached US$30 million, equally distributed between Jordan and Tunisia.
Gaza medics say Israeli forces raid Khan Yunis hospital
Hospitals are granted special protection under the laws of war, but they have been repeatedly hit in Gaza over the...PRCS said Israeli forces had arrested eight of its team members at Al-Amal hospital, including "four doctors, as well as four wounded individuals and five patients' companions
The medical organization has in recent days made repeated pleas for supplies and protection, reporting severe shortages of oxygen, medicines and fuel to power the hospital
NATO chief calls on Europe to ramp up arms production
Ahead of a key meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels and the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, Jens...Stoltenberg's comments came amidst growing pleas for shells, ammunition and other military aide from Ukraine as it battles Russian forces into a third year
NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels on February 15, one week ahead of the second anniversary of Russia's offensive in Ukraine
Planned Israeli offensive in Rafah ‘alarming’: EU’s Borrell
Rafah is the southernmost city in the Palestinian enclave that has been hit by a fierce Israeli offensive since the...Netanyahu said this week he had ordered troops to prepare to move into Rafah, and that "total victory" against the fighters would come in months
Israeli air strikes and a ground offensive in response of October 7 attacks have killed at least 27,947 people in Gaza, mostly women and children
Palestinian group says Israeli troops raid Gaza hospital
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to prepare to "evacuate" hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza's..."The occupation (Israeli) forces stormed Al-Amal hospital and started searching it. We're finding it difficult to communicate with our crews inside the hospital," the group said
Al-Amal has been caught in fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, with the Red Crescent reporting "intense artillery shelling and heavy gunfire"
Law, politics hamper UK museum return of artifacts
LONDON, UK - British museums, like others across Europe, are under pressure to return artworks taken during the colonial era, including...Politicians have little appetite to change the legal framework that is currently blocking full restitutions by national museums, campaigners say.
British laws dating from the 1960s and 1980s prevent national museums, such as the British Museum and the V&A, from making returning artifacts.
Crippling Israeli restrictions throw West Bank life in disarray
The number of checkpoints and barriers in the Palestinian territory has greatly increased since October 7, adding hours to already...Recently, an AFP team left Jerusalem at 8 am for the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem -- normally a trip of just two hours -- and arrived there at 1:30 pm.
Israel first erected military checkpoints in the West Bank following the first Palestinian uprising or intifada in 1987, but the number increased after the second intifada.
Saudi hosts Arab diplomats for Gaza talks after Blinken tour
Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, has never recognised Israel, though officials were considering doing so before...The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, as well as a senior Palestinian official
Two diplomats briefed on preparations for the meeting told AFP it was intended to promote a unified Arab position on the war, now in its fifth month
Saudi foreign minister meets UNRWA chief in Riyadh, promises support
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the...Prince Faisal reaffirmed the Kingdom's backing for the agency and called on all UNRWA donors to contribute to humanitarian efforts for the Palestinians
16 donor countries, including major contributors like the US and Germany, have suspended their funding amid allegations of misconduct within the UNRWA