RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Israeli forces killed three Palestinians across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as violence surges across the territory during the ongoing war in Gaza. More than 110 Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed in the West Bank since the war between...

Internet and phone access had been cut off across Gaza since Friday, as Israel bombarded the territory. Relentless Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 8,000 people, half of them children, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said Saturday.

Dubai, UAE--The New York Times's Gaza hospital blast investigation does not conclude in any way who is responsible for the deadly explosion at the al-Ahli hospital on October 17. Nevertheless, they assert that the projectile seen in the Al Jazeera live footage, cited by many as central to the investigation,...

The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said wheat, flour and other supplies had been pillaged at several warehouses. "This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege," said UNRWA's Gaza chief Thomas White.

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Belgium have stressed the importance of coordinating regional and international efforts to protect civilians and intensify efforts to restore regional security and stability. The sentiments were expressed in a meeting between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Hadja...

Israel and Turkey -- an overwhelmingly Muslim nation that forms the bulwark of NATO defenses on the edge of the Middle East -- had only just agreed to reappoint ambassadors last year. But their relations unraveled as Erdogan began to pick up the pace and venom of his attacks on...

Leading Arab opposition to Israel's planned invasion of the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia has denounced "any ground operations" due to the threat posed to Palestinian civilians. The kingdom's foreign ministry cautioned against the danger of continuing to "carry out these blatant and unjustified violations of international law against the brotherly...

Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the ICRC spoke of her shock at the " intolerable level of human suffering" and called for a de-escalation. She said that it is a "catastrophic failing" that the world must not tolerate as Israel said its war on Hamas had entered a new phase.

Gaza City -- Hamas's armed wing said on Saturday it was ready to release the hostages it abducted during its shock attack on October 7 if Israel freed all Palestinians held in its prisons. "The price to pay for the large number of enemy hostages in our hands is to...

Paris, France - Billionaire Elon Musk said on Saturday that his Starlink satellite service would support internet access for "internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza," which have faced a telecommunications blackout since Friday. Starlink is a network of satellites in low Earth orbit that can provide internet to remote locations, or...

Nablus, Palestinian Territories - One Palestinian was killed on Saturday by an Israeli settler near the northern city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. Bilal Abu Salah, 40, was "shot in the chest by a settler" in the village of Sawiya near Nablus, a ministry...

After air strikes and artillery fire rained down for hours overnight, much of the Gaza Strip has become an indistinguishable wasteland of rubble, with residents likening the devastation to that of a natural disaster. The intense bombardments "changed the landscape", Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the Gaza Civil Defense said.

Hamas is trying to locate eight Russian-Israeli dual citizens among nearly 230 taken hostage during its members' attack on Israel after Moscow's request to free them, Russian news agencies reported. Russia has good relations with Hamas and has launched a diplomatic effort to try to free hostages held in Gaza.

TEHRAN, IRAN – The Iranian head of Solyanka Port in Russia said that the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a key element of the transportation network in Eurasia. Speaking in a specialized meeting of INSTC- New Concept, which was held in Astrakhan Port of Russia, Dariush Jamali pointed to the...

The International Organization for Migration said in an update that 28,965 people have been displaced, mainly in the country's south, adding that the figure had risen by 37 percent since October 23. Some have found refuge with family members elsewhere in the country, while those who can afford it have...

The United Nations said it was concerned that war crimes were being committed on both sides in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The UN human rights office cited forcible transfer, collective punishment and the taking of hostages as the war continued into its 21st day.

"In the past, the five, six cycles of conflict in the Gaza Strip, these figures were considered as credible and no one challenged these figures," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in Jerusalem. Lazzarini's comments came days after US President Joe Biden said he had "no confidence" in the figures provided...

"Without policy intervention, direct and indirect emissions from air conditioning and refrigeration are projected to rise 90 percent above 2017 levels by the year 2050," a UN report warned in 2020.

New York, United States-- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Friday announced the selection of Saudi Arabia to the UN Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which consists of 39 members representing government and private and civil-society organizations and the academic community from various countries around the world.Shura Council member Dr....

Jerusalem - Hamas's armed wing said on Thursday that "almost 50" Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks have been killed in Israeli bombing raids on the Palestinian territory. "(Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners who were killed in the Gaza...

NEW DELHI, INDIA  -  India said on Thursday that eight of its citizens had been sentenced to death by Qatar in a case that media reported involved high-ranking ex-naval officers accused of spying. New Delhi said it would "take up the verdict with Qatari authorities" and would continue to "extend all...

Hamas released a list of around 7,000 names of people in Gaza it said had been killed in Israeli strikes. The list was produced a day after US President Joe Biden said he had "no confidence" in the militant group's death toll figures. Israel says 1,400 people were killed in...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The seventh Future Investment Initiative Institute forum, which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday, saw the attendance of more than 6,700 people, 510 of them speakers. The forum, dubbed as the 'Davos of the desert' hosted 241 live sessions from Oct 24-26. The next FII Priority Summit...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai has retained its leading position in the MENA region on Kearney's Global Cities Index, ranking 23rd globally and claiming a spot in the top 25 for the third consecutive year. According to the report, prominent emerging hubs around the world, particularly in the Middle East, have...

New York, US-- Kuwait's permanent envoy to the UN, Tareq Al-Bannai, has affirmed Kuwait's continuous efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear and weapons of mass destruction-free zone. The remarks were made during an event organised by Kuwait's permanent mission to the UN late Tuesday, and attended by Permanent...

Qatar's top diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the two governments -- both Western allies -- "reaffirm our complete rejection of responding to the crisis with double standards when it comes to human life". "It is not permissible to condemn the killing of civilians in one context and justify it...

Israeli strikes have now killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, a rise of over 700 since Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. One doctor said he was forced to perform emergency surgery on the wounded without anesthetic. Israel has cut off impoverished Gaza's usual water, food and other supplies,...

Erdogan had taken a more measured tone in the first day of war, condemning all attacks against civilians and urging Israel to be measured in its response to the deadly October 7 attacks by Hamas. But he became much more vocal after the deadly strike on Ahli Arab hospital in...

In the latest violence, four Palestinians were killed in Jenin and one in Qalqilya, both in the northern West Bank. One Palestinian was also killed in Qalandia, just north of Jerusalem. The health ministry blamed Israeli "bullets and missiles".

"The economic consequences of the current and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza are impossible to determine," Richard Kozul-Wright, the director of UNCTAD's globalization and development strategies division, told a press conference. Palestinian GDP per capita is "currently at just eight percent of that of Israel", the report added.

The World Bank President expressed deep concern over the widening wealth gap, while calling for more action on gender equality and women's rights.

Tehran, Iran--Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi believes the expansion of ties between Tehran and Riyadh will be effective in strengthening regional cooperation and solving the problem of the region and the Islamic world. The president made the remarks in a meeting with Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, the newly appointed Saudi Arabian...

According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), its jets hit military infrastructure and mortar launchers of the Syrian Army in retaliation for "the launches toward Israel yesterday." The strikes were inside Syria. Fears are growing that Israel's war with Hamas will create wider regional turmoil, and especially further inflame existing...

United Nations, - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law as Israel pounds Gaza, and urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to bring in relief. "I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear:...

Tel Aviv, Israel - Yocheved Lifshitz "went through hell" when abducted by Hamas, the 85-year-old Israeli said Tuesday, recounting her experience before being released from Gaza and criticizing her government for failing to prevent the October 7 attack. The softly-spoken but determined Lifshitz sat in a wheelchair at a Tel Aviv...

"A united and unified position in the Muslim world could have prevented the oppression and aggression of the Zionist regime and the excesses of its Western supporters in a more effective way," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. Raisi also called for "strengthening co-operation" between countries in the...

Ajay Banga was speaking at the annual Future Investment Initiative, often referred to as "Davos in the Desert". More than 6,000 delegates are registered for the three-day event that will feature appearances by global banking chiefs and the presidents of South Korea, Kenya and Rwanda, organizers say.

The French head of state was also due to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid in Jerusalem. And in Tel Aviv, he was due to meet the families of French and French-Israeli nationals killed in the Hamas attack or being held...

Deforestation last year was over 20 percent higher than it should have been to meet the leaders' pledge, with 6.6 million hectares of forest lost, much of it primary forest in tropical regions. The Forest Declaration Assessment, overseen by more than two dozen environmental groups and research organizations, also warns...

Tehran, Iran--A treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran is about 85 percent ready, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "The work on a new big treaty is at an advanced stage. I would say that it is 85 percent agreed. Several specific issues are yet...

Volker Turk exhorted for a ceasefire as the first step in order to save the lives of civilians through the delivery of quick and "effective humanitarian aid" in the Gaza Strip. He asserted that violence will never end unless leaders stand up and "take the humane choices that are required...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Monday for "unhindered access" for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, in a telephone call with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Kremlin said. According to a readout of the call from the Kremlin, the two leaders "expressed serious concern...

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members yet to ratify Sweden's membership request, which came after Stockholm dropped its long-standing policy of non-alignment last year after Russia launched its war on Ukraine. Erdogan agreed at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July to put the ratification of Sweden's membership...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – A total of 52 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed at the Saudi-Korean Investment Forum here. The MoUs were signed by both government and private entities. Government agencies signed four MoUs with the private sector in areas such as real estate development, automotive, and water. President...

There have also been increasing cross-border exchanges of fire along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, between Israeli troops and Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas.

ABU DHABI, UAE – Emirati Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri has announced that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will roll out a unified Gulf tourist visa within the next two years which will grant travelers, access to six countries. Al Marri said the seventh meeting of...

Washington has said it hopes China's friendship with Hamas-backer Iran could help calm the conflict, particularly after Beijing brokered a detente between long-time foes Tehran and Riyadh this year. China has refrained from explicitly condemning Hamas for the attacks that sparked the war.

The White House statement the Western leaders voiced commitment to coordinate "to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs." They also pledged close diplomatic coordination "to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work...

Describing the entry of a few dozens trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt as "not enough", EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that it was important to send in the basic things that make water and electricity supply being restored. He made the comments ahead of a...

Around 40 organizations joined the rally, including Heilbronn's as well as the Jewish French Union for Peace and an association of France-based Muslims. The rally took place amid tight security after recent days brought bomb threats to several French airports and the Versailles palace tourist hotspot west of Paris.