The UN has described the situation inside Gaza as "beyond catastrophic" as Israel pounds the enclave from the air in reprisal for a Hamas attack that was the bloodiest in its 75-year history. More than 3,700 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in relentless Israeli bombardments...

"Egypt needs support, so let's support Egypt," said Michel, who is in Washington to attend a summit with US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday. He added that he would meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his weekend visit.

London, United Kingdom - European and US stock markets fell Thursday as investors worried over rising US Treasury yields and the Israel-Hamas crisis potentially growing into a wider conflict in the Middle East. Wall Street opened higher after falling the previous day, but slid into loss during morning trading, while Europe's...

Rafah, Palestinian Territories -- Eight sleeping children killed in one strike, doctors fighting but failing to save an unborn child -- such were the stories recounted by Gaza medics on Thursday as Israel stepped up its air strikes. Gaza's Hamas-run government said that children made up 1,524 of the 3,785 people...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The tragic developments in Gaza won't have a huge impact on the overall outcome of the FII summit in Riyadh, according to the CEO of the FII Institute Richard Attias. In a virtual press conference, Attias said the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII) will be very...

US president said the aid convoy would be allowed to go into Gaza from the Rafah crossing in a first batch of humanitarian aid. According to him, the shipment would likely not cross until Friday as the road at the crossing needed repairs. It became possible only after Egypt's president...

In announcing Biden's visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel had agreed to work with the United States on a plan to let aid into Gaza, which has been besieged and bombarded for 12 days and under an Israeli blockade for 16 years. Israel is threatening a ground...

"In light of (US) President (Joe) Biden's demand, Israel would not foil the supply of humanitarian aid via Egypt," the prime minister's office said, announcing a cabinet decision. The statement noted that aid to civilians in the southern Gaza Strip would be allowed "so long as these supplies do not...

Markets had enjoyed a healthy run Tuesday on optimism that while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing for a ground offensive in the blockaded territory, the crisis could be contained.

Antonio Guterres, speaking at an economic forum in China, condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people as "acts of terror" that could not be justified. "But those attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres said. He urged Israel to...

As Israel advises around 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza Strip to evacuate, concerns grow about the potential ripple effects on neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

Paris, France - Several technology industry leaders have decided to boycott one of the sector's biggest annual events after the organizer criticized Israel's actions following the Hamas attacks. Paddy Cosgrave, an Irish entrepreneur and co-founder of the Web Summit, wrote on social media platform X last week that he was "shocked...

The health ministry of the besieged enclave said between 200 and 300 people displaced by 10 days of heavy bombardment were killed in "occupation (Israeli) strikes" at the Ahli Arab hospital in cental Gaza. "Hundreds of victims are still under the rubble," a statement said, calling it a "war crime".

London, United Kingdom -- Fitch Ratings has placed Israel's Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) of 'A+' on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).This decision also extends to Israel's Short-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency IDRs of 'F1+' and the issue ratings of 'A+' on the nation's long-term foreign currency senior unsecured...

Amira, 44, and her children have moved to the courtyard of the Nasser hospital in the southern district of Khan Yunis. "Our bodies itch all over. It has been a week since we could take a shower," she told AFP as she prepared sandwiches for her children with some loaves...

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned in a live broadcast to state TV of the possibility of pre-emptive action by the resistance axis in "in the coming hours" while Israel prepares to invade the Gaza Strip. Tehran has repeatedly warned that invasion of Gaza would be met with a response...

Biden will visit Tel Aviv, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in Washington. He also announced that Biden would travel to Jordan where he would meet Jordanian King Abdullah II, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Blinken said that the United States also secured assurances...

If aid is not allowed into the besieged territory, doctors will have to "prepare death certificates for their patients," WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, Ahmed al-Mandhari told AFP. Monday marked 10 days of relentless Israeli air strikes on targets in the Palestinian enclave, in retaliation for an October...

Jerusalem, Undefined - The Israeli military on Monday raised the figure to 199 people confirmed to have been abducted by Hamas to the Gaza Strip in the militants' cross-border attacks which sparked a devastating war. "We have updated the families of 199 hostages," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing,...

At the top of the invitation list to China's Belt and Road Initiative forum is Russia's President Vladimir Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since the Ukraine invasion threw his regime into international isolation.

Israel launched massive bombardment on Gaza after Hamas broke through Gaza's heavily fortified border on October 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis. At least 2,750 Palestinians have been killed in relentless Israeli bombardment coupled with a complete siege of the tiny enclave.

Following an Israeli order to move to the south of the Gaza Strip, people have fled their homes in the north of the enclave to seek shelter wherever they can, including on the streets and in UN-run schools. Palestinians carrying whatever belongings they can, in bags and suitcases, or packed...

As Israel grapples with the surprise Hamas action and global community gauges economic ramifications, the future of Israel's relations with its neighbors hangs in the balance.

UN estimates that about one million people have been displaced since Israel began a relentless aerial bombardment of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas's deadly assault on October 7. The UN agency's director of communications, Juliette Touma, told AFP more people are likely to become displaced "as people continue to leave...

As Israel grapples with the surprise Hamas action and global community gauges economic ramifications, the future of Israel's relations with its neighbors hangs in the balance.

Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip have led to an "unprecedented human catastrophe" in the Palestinian territory, the United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees said. "Not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a liter of fuel has been allowed in the Gaza Strip for the last...

Wang's remarks, made on a call to his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday, came as Israel appeared poised for a ground offensive against Hamas fighters in Gaza. Israel should listen earnestly to the calls of the international community and the UN secretary general, and cease its...

Amidst the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict, an alarming number of journalists have been killed, injured, or missing, underscoring the importance of ensuring their safety.

Tens of thousands of US passport holders live in Israel and 29 have been confirmed killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7. Another 15 are missing and believed to be among hostages held by Hamas since the attacks.

The presence of the USS Eisenhower and its affiliated warships in the eastern Mediterranean signals Washington's "ironclad commitment to Israel's security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement. The Eisenhower joins the USS...

The envoy "will visit the Middle East next week to coordinate with various parties for a ceasefire, to protect civilians, ease the situation, and promote peace talks," a CCTV video report said. The report came as Israeli forces appeared poised for a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip already reeling...

Jerusalem - International aid groups and major powers have pleaded with Israel to set up safe zones in Gaza where thousands struggled on Saturday to get out of the north of the Palestinian territory, under threat of attack. With thousands of Israeli troops massed around Gaza's borders, uncertainty over when...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Egypt and Israel have agreed to let US citizens leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on Saturday as Israel carries out strikes against Hamas, a US official said. The two US partners agreed to keep the sole crossing from Gaza to Egypt open from 12:00...

Jerusalem - The Israeli military said on Saturday that Gaza City residents must not delay their departure before a military offensive starts, as people leaving the north of the territory again jammed roads south. Ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive against Hamas, which attacked southern Israel on October 7,...

Geneva, Switzerland - The World Health Organization said on Saturday enough basic health supplies to serve 300,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been flown to an Egyptian airport near the Palestinian enclave. The supplies were ready to go in once humanitarian access could be established through the Rafah crossing from...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the bombardment is "just the beginning" as Israel seeks to retaliate against Hamas after their fighters killed more than 1,300 people a week ago. At least 1,900 Gazans -- most of them civilians and including more than 600 children -- have been killed in...

Calling for an end to "Israeli occupation" and the "liberation" of the Palestinian territories, protesters took up multiple blocks in a city that serves as a crossroads for religions and nationalities spanning the world. The largely youthful protest -- which drew demonstrators of all origins, some sporting Palestinian flags and...

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Israel risked waging an "unacceptable" siege in Gaza comparable to the Nazi blockade of Leningrad during World War II, and called for mediation. Fears for Gaza's Palestinian inhabitants have grown since the Israeli army called for 1.1 million people --...

At least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank during rallies in solidarity with war-battered Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said. AFP correspondents and a security official reported clashes in Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron and other cities, nearly a week after Hamas attacked southern Israel.

"Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt," the group said in a statement.

"No to the occupation! No to America!" chanted demonstrators gathered in central Baghdad after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for a protest "in support of Gaza" and against Israel, an AFP journalist reported.

In 1948 more than 760,000 Palestinians either fled or were forced off land claimed by the new state as the Israeli military razed more than 400 towns and villages. The exodus accelerated after the April 1948 massacre of more than 100 Palestinian villagers at Deir Yassin, near Jerusalem, by two...

In Gaza, UN officials said the Israeli military, whose troops are massing at the border, had told them the evacuation should be carried out "within the next 24 hours". It later admitted it would take more time, however, and did not confirm it had set the deadline.

Qatar, where Blinken will head immediately after Jordan, has longstanding ties with Hamas and has been seen as an intermediary in freeing the hostages. "We'll continue pressing countries to help prevent the conflict from spreading, and to use their leverage with Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages," Blinken...

Israel's army said it has called for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the territory "for their safety". "The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said on...

Cairo, Egypt- The first shipment of humanitarian aid arrived in Egypt's Sinai on Thursday from Jordan, state-affiliated media reported, to be transported into Gaza, which Israel has been bombarding for days following a surprise Hamas attack. Israel's army has hammered Hamas with thousands of strikes ahead of what is widely expected...

The three countries are additional stops on his visit that included meetings with King of Jordan and Mahmud Abbas. Blinken said he raised with Israel the humanitarian needs of the Gaza Strip, while pledging unwavering support to Israel.

Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira has interrupted an Asia trip to travel "to New York to participate in a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, called by Brazil... to address the situation in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement.

Jerusalem--Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz vowed Thursday his country would not allow basic resources or humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas released the people it abducted during its surprise weekend onslaught. "Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no...

The latest fatalities bring to 29 the Palestinian death toll in the West Bank in violence related to the conflict since Hamas militants launched on Saturday an assault on Israel's south from the blockaded Gaza Strip.