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.

By late Wednesday, the number of displaced people in Gaza had risen by an additional 75,000 people from the figure given 24 hours earlier, reaching 338,934, it said. The announcement came as Israel pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip -- a densely populated enclave of 2.3 million people --...

Demanding that aid be immediately allowed to go into the besieged enclave, Arab foreign minister condemned Israel's siege of Gaza in the wake of the shock attack by Palestinian militants on Israel. It has imposed a "complete siege" on the Gaza Strip, cutting off the water supply, food, electricity and...

Reports about "40 babies murdered" have been reposted massively on social media sites since Tuesday, and used to condemn Hamas's armed offensive against Israel, which began on Saturday.

The three-member "war cabinet" would include Netanyahu, Gantz and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, according to the statement. It said Gadi Eisenkot, also a former army chief from Gantz's party, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will serve as observers.

"Soldiers are responding with artillery and mortar shells toward the origin of the launching in Syria," an Israeli military statement said, on the fourth day of a war with Gaza-based Hamas militants that has sent regional tensions soaring. The military said there had been "a number of launches from Syria...

Fierce fighting has left thousands dead on both sides since Hamas launched a surprise assault on Saturday, spurring Israel's reprisal bombing campaign. "Over 263,934 people in Gaza are believed to have fled their homes," said UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update Tuesday, warning that "this number is expected...

Beirut, Lebanon -- In mosques, football stadiums and towns across the Arab world, pro-Palestinian sentiment has surged after a shock Hamas attack on Israel, sparking a groundswell of solidarity for the Palestinians. From Ramallah to Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo, people have distributed sweets, danced and chanted prayers in support...

Tensions in the Middle East bubbled up in New York City Monday, where hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered to denounce the Israeli government and demand that the United States stop its support, while supporters of Israel convened for their own counter-protests and prayers. A heavy police presence and security barriers...

Geneva, Switzerland--Israel's total siege of the Gaza Strip, depriving civilians of goods essential for survival, is banned under international law, the United Nations human rights chief said on Tuesday. Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said people's dignity and lives had to be respected as he called for...

Dubai, UAE--Condemning Israel's relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Qatar's top diplomat has urged Western countries to exert pressure on the Tel Aviv regime to immediately stop its attacks against Palestinians. According to Mehr News Agency, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held talks over the...

Israel is reeling under a deadly attack by Hamas fighters who stormed the border fence under a barrage of rocket fire on Saturday morning and killed more than 900 people inside Israel. In response Israel is carrying out a massive air and artillery bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza...

Potential talks on the fate of as many as 150 individuals held by Hamas gained greater urgency as the group threatened to start executing its hostages if Israel carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip without prior warning to residents. But a source said Qatar is leading efforts to...

Anguished at the horrifying images coming out of the Gaza Strip and Israel, celebrities like Madonna and Mark Ruffalo have pleaded for dialogue to end differences.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tells Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas that he was working to prevent an expansion of conflict between Israel and Gaza.

Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip and cut off the water supply as it kept bombing targets in the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise assault it has likened to the 9/11 attacks. Israel has counted over 700 dead and launched strikes on Gaza that...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to achieve its monumental goal of planting 10 billion trees under the Saudi Green Initiative. The announcement was made during the second annual MENA Climate Week, held for the first time in Saudi Arabia from October 8 to 12,...

The attack and Israel's declaration of war in response to it have raised concerns that a potential broadening of the conflict could draw in the United States and Iran. "Key for markets is whether the conflict remains contained or spreads to involve other regions, particularly Saudi Arabia," said ANZ Group's...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Clean Development Mechanism Designated National Authority (CDMDNA) announced on Monday the operation of Saudi Arabia's domestic market mechanism, Greenhouse Gas Crediting and Offsetting Mechanism (GCOM), at MENA Climate Week 2023 here.  This step reflects the Kingdom’s role in addressing climate challenges and enabling institutions to...

The 77-year-old Harvard professor, who is the third woman to be awarded the prestigious economics prize, was given the nod "for having advanced our understanding of women's labor market outcomes," the jury said. Goldin's research showed that female participation in the labor force had not always followed an upward trend.

In its 2023 annual report, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries forecasts demand for crude to reach 116 million barrels per day (mbd) by 2045 under its main scenario, a 16.5 percent increase from the 99.4 mbd in 2022. That is an increase of 6 mbd from its estimate...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE Cybersecurity Council will organise the Regional Cybersecurity Week 2023 from October 8-12, under the title "Cybersecurity Innovation and Industry Development." The event will be held in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Arab Regional Cybersecurity Centre (ARCC). More than 100 experts and speakers...

The UN's World Food Programme expressed concern over the mounting challenges civilians, including vulnerable children and families, face in accessing essential food supplies, with food distribution networks disrupted by hostilities. The WFP is concerned about stocks in food shops and the impact of power cuts in the Gaza Strip.

Caught unawares by the surprise attack, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israelis to prepare for a "long and difficult war" with Hamas, raising concerns of a much wider conflict.

Washington, United States -- US President Joe Biden has ordered "additional support" for Israel after the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, the White House said Sunday, without giving further details. "The President directed additional support for Israel in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas," the White House...

PARIS, FRANCE - The Gaza Strip is an impoverished Palestinian enclave that has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. It is ruled by Hamas (the Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement), now at war with Israel for the fifth time in 15 years. Here is what you need to know about Gaza:...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here in electrical interconnection, green/clean hydrogen, and supply chains. The MoU was signed by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and India’s Minister of Power and New and Renewable...

The policeman fired "at random" at an Israeli tour group visiting Alexandria using "his personal weapon", the state-affiliated private television Extra News said quoting a security source. A fourth person was wounded and the policeman was "immediately arrested", it added.

Air France-KLM group's low-cost carrier Transavia announced it was cancelling all flights from Paris and Lyon to Tel Aviv up to and including Monday. Spanish airline Iberia announced that its budget subsidiary Iberia Express was cancelling its Tel Aviv flights as the war intensifies between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch ‘Waste to Zero’, a global initiative to mobilize and advance waste decarbonization efforts, and to establish a circular economy platform. The initiative is...

The opening of the Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church marks an important cultural and political moment for both Turkey and its powerful leader, who laid the first stone for the church's construction for Istanbul's 17,000-strong Assyrian Christians in 2019. The new Istanbul church can accommodate 750 worshippers.

President Joe Biden said US support for Israel was "rock solid and unwavering". "The United States stands with Israel," Biden said in a televised statement at the White House, flanked by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Cairo, Egypt--An Egyptian court on Saturday denied an appeal by prominent dissident Hisham Kassem against his jail sentence, his lawyer said, after lawmakers rejected a European Parliament resolution urging his release. "The court has decided to uphold the judgement that was under appeal," Kassem's lawyer Nasser Amin said on Facebook. Kassem...

Rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi "celebrated" her Nobel Peace Prize with fellow detainees in their Tehran prison cell, her family said. "Narges learned that she had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday afternoon from messages sent from the men's unit, where they have easier access to telephones on Fridays,"...

Moscow, Russia - Russian Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced the start of gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, a boost for Russia's industry hit by a flurry of Western sanctions over the offensive in Ukraine. Despite being home to a wealth of natural  resources including gas, the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan has faced energy shortages. Moscow meanwhile...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Emiratis are casting their votes on Saturday, the main day of the Federal National Council elections, to select 20 candidates for the 40-member FNC. This is the first time that Emiratis have been able to vote online, and many have shared their joy at being able...

Beirut, Lebanon - Shelling by government forces targeting several locations in rebel-held northwest Syria killed seven civilians including four children on Saturday, a war monitor said. The Damascus regime has been bombing opposition-held areas in apparent retaliation for an attack on a military academy graduation ceremony in Homs on Thursday...

Hamas militants fired barrages of rockets at Israel from multiple locations across the Palestinian territory, according to the accounts of many journalists from Gaza City. Palestinian militants have begun a "war" against Israel, the country's defense minister said, adding "troops are fighting against the enemy at every location."

Slamming the Nobel Committee for what he called as "false claims", Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the committee awarded the Peace Prize to a person convicted of repeated violations of laws and criminal acts. He said it indicates the approach of some European governments to falsify information to produce "deviant...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed discussed how to deepen strategic alliance with the US in a meeting with US Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa in Abu Dhabi on Friday. During the meeting at Qasr Al Shati, the two sides exchanged views on a number of regional and...

Human rights office spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell said at a press briefing that the Nobel award for Mohammadi "highlights the courage and determination of the women of Iran". Mohammadi's husband, Taghi Rahmani, said the prize was "an award for all the men and the women who fight for Woman, Life, Freedom"

Moscow, Russia - Russia will soon discuss revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the speaker of the lower house of parliament said Friday. Vyacheslav Volodin made the announcement a day after President Vladimir Putin evoked the possibility of such a move, which could further escalate tensions between...

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Dry conditions, particularly in China, caused a "historic" global drop in hydropower in the first half of 2023, a new analysis shows, highlighting the effects of climate change. The research by renewable energy think tank Ember argues the drop is a "warning shot that hydro output could negatively...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - King Fahad Industrial Port has successfully shipped 5,500 tons of bitumen to South Africa onboard bulk carrier IANTHE last month, making it the first ever shipment of the oil byproduct from the Yanbu-based hub. The South Africa bound cargo also marks the resumption of bitumen exports...

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - A delegation led by President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej has concluded its participation in the Saudi-Brazilian International Aviation Conference held here from October 2 to 4.    Under the theme "Going Further Together", the conference saw several...

Mohammadi's award comes after a wave of protests that swept Iran after the death in custody a year ago of a young Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating Iran's strict dress rules for women. Mohammadi, a 51-year-old journalist and activist, has spent much of the past two decades in...

The Palestinian health ministry named the two men killed as Abdul Rahman Atta, 23, and Huthaifa Faris, 27, saying they died as a result of "occupation (Israeli) bullets". Hamas identified them as members of its armed wing. A third Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli soldiers later on Thursday after...

US troops observed drones carrying out strikes early Thursday, some of them inside a "restricted operating zone" (ROZ) near Hasakeh, about a kilometer (less than a mile) from American troops, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told journalists. A few hours later, a Turkish drone returned to the ROZ and...

"I am gravely concerned by the escalating violence in Syria today," Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, said in a statement issued in Geneva. The conflict in Syria has killed more than half a million people since it began in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests,...

Moscow, Russia - President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia's mission was to create a "new world" and blamed Western hegemony for Moscow's grinding offensive in Ukraine. Putin has portrayed Russia's full-scale military intervention in Ukraine -- launched in February 2022 -- as part of a long-standing confrontation with the West....