Hamas rejects ‘new’ Gaza truce conditions as Biden says deal closer than ever
Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators have been seeking to finalize details of a framework initially outlined by Biden in May,...Geostrategy
Explosions reported near two ships off Yemen
Two ships reported nearby explosions on Tuesday off the coast of Yemen, maritime security agencies said, though neither event resulted...Geostrategy
Hamas says US strikes in Iraq and Syria is putting ‘oil on fire’
Palestinian group Hamas condemned overnight US strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying Washington had poured "oil on the fire" in...The US launched air strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq and Syria and promised more, in retaliation for a drone attack that killed its three soldiers in Jordan.
The strikes killed at least 23 pro-Iranian fighters in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said and in Iraq they killed 16 people including civilians.
US downed 8 drones off Yemen, hit 4 on ground
Washington, US - American forces shot down eight drones near Yemen and destroyed four more on the ground, the US military...A US Navy destroyer shot down one drone on Friday morning while F/A-18 warplanes and another ship downed seven later in the day.
"These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels," US said
Displaced Lebanese lament bombed homes, lost livelihoods
Tyre, Lebanon - When Ines Tehini and her family fled their south Lebanon village after Hizbollah and Israel began exchanging fire...In Srifa, less than 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the border with Israel, farmer Abbas Fakih is staying in a house rent-free thanks to the generosity of residents.
"I had 250 goats. I've had to sell 50 or 60... just to put food on the table and feed the remaining cattle," he said, surrounded by his four children and their cousins.
Civilians among 16 killed in Iraq by US strikes on pro-Iranian group
The strikes hit "locations in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, including areas where our security forces are stationed", Awadi said....The strikes hit "locations in the Akashat and Al-Qaim regions, including areas where our security forces are stationed", Iraqi govt spokesman Awadi said.
"This aggressive air strike will push the security situation in Iraq and the region to the brink of the abyss," the spokesman Awadi added.
UAE allocates US$5m for UN’s humanitarian efforts in Gaza
ABU DHABI, UAE – As per the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs...The UAE is keen to support the humanitarian operations being carried out by the United Nations in the Gaza Strip.
The UAE stressed on the need to prevent further loss of life and avoid inflaming the situation in the Palestinian territory.
No Middle East escalation, urges EU foreign policy chief after US strikes
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on all parties to avoid further escalation in the Middle East after...US President Joe Biden vowing more attacks in retaliation for a deadly drone attack on an American base in Jordan.
The EU is aiming to launch a naval mission in the Red Sea later this month to help protect international vessels from attacks.
Deadly strikes hit ‘pressure cooker’ Rafah ahead of Gaza truce push
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled south to Rafah since the outbreak of the war, with the former...An AFP journalist in the city heard powerful explosions shortly after midnight on Saturday, with the Hamas-run health ministry later reporting 14 people killed in two strikes there
Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East again in the coming days to press a new proposal involving the release of Israeli hostages in return for a pause in Gaza fighting
Damascus says US occupation of Syrian territory ‘cannot continue’
The United States has some 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in neighboring Iraq as part of an international coalition...The overnight strikes killed "a number of civilians and soldiers, wounded others and caused significant damage to public and private property", the Syrian military said
The United States blamed Sunday's drone attack in Jordan on Iran-backed groups, but did not strike inside Iranian territory
Yemeni Houthis claim missile strike on Israel
The attack was the latest in a series of drone and missile strikes launched by the Houthis since the start...Houthi forces "carried out a military operation against specific targets of the Israeli enemy in the Umm al-Rashrash area with a number of ballistic missiles", Yahya Saree said
The Israeli military had said earlier it had "successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile that approached Israeli territory in the area of the Red Sea"
Ex-Amazon economist to head Turkey’s central bank
Erkan resigned just a week after completing a historic series of interest rate hikes that have pushed the baseline rate...Fatih Karahan's appointment follows the resignation of Hafize Gaye Erkan after less than a year in office over a media scandal involving her family
The reshuffle appears to keep in place Erdogan's newfound commitment to market economics following years of financial turmoil