Middle East

Death toll in Gaza from Israel-Hamas war passes 44,000, Palestinian officials say

Palestinian health officials say the death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000.

Iraq launches its first national census in nearly four decades

US defense chief regrets China’s decision not to meet during Southeast Asian security talks

US support for Ukraine and Israel is eating into weapons stockpiles, Indo-Pacific commander says

UK hits Iran with new sanctions for supplying missiles to Russia

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Family and soldiers attend funeral for Israeli sergeant killed in fighting in northern Gaza

Hundreds of mourners gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday for the funeral of an Israeli sergeant who was killed during the military campaign in northern Gaza. Reservist Roi Sasson, 21, served in the Kfir Brigade, the Israeli military announced earlier in the day. (AP Video: Alon Bernstein)

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Brazil focuses G20 on fighting hunger, amid wars and Trump’s return

Hundreds of Iraqis protest against US, UK, and Israel during Friday prayers

Hundreds in Jerusalem attend funeral of sergeant Ivri Dickshtein killed in southern Lebanon

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Israeli airstrike hits central Beirut near key government buildings and embassies

An Israeli airstrike has struck a densely populated residential area in Lebanon’s capital close to the U.N. headquarters, Parliament, the prime minister’s office and several embassies.

Brazil’s G20 summit produces a broad declaration that’s short on specifics

The summit of the Group of 20 leading economies in Rio de Janeiro has produced a joint declaration that, while not totally endorsed by one of the group’s members, succeeded in addressing most topics host Brazil had prioritized addressing: both ongoing major wars, a global pact to fight hunger, taxat

Suspected attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen target a ship in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted a Panama-flagged bulk carrier traveling through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. No damage or injuries were reported.

An Israeli strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah’s spokesman, while a strike in Gaza kills at least 30

A rare Israeli strike in central Beirut has killed the chief spokesman for the Hezbollah militant group. It was the latest in targeted killings of senior Hezbollah officials.

Lebanon’s prime minister asks Iran to help secure a cease-fire in Israel-Hezbollah war

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, asked Iran to help secure a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

As airlines avoid Israel, UAE’s FlyDubai and Etihad keep up flights for both diplomacy and dollars

Since the Mideast wars began with Hamas’ initial Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, many international airlines have halted, restarted and halted again their flights into Israel’s main gateway to the rest of the world.

Israel demolishes village at the heart of Bedouin minority’s struggle over land

Israeli authorities have completed the demolition of a village at the heart of a yearslong struggle by the members of its Arab Bedouin minority against relocation plans.

Former VOA Farsi service journalist kills himself in Iran after demanding release of prisoners

Iranian authorities say a former journalist with the Voice of America’s Farsi service jumped to his death from a building in Iran’s capital in protest of the country’s supreme leader and an ongoing crackdown on dissent in the Islamic Republic.

Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump’s White House victory

After ripping higher for much of this year, the price of gold has suddenly become not so golden since Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election.

Head of UN’s nuclear watchdog visits Iran as Mideast wars and Trump’s return raise worries

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is warning that the “space for negotiation and diplomacy ... is getting smaller” over Iran’s advancing atomic program as wars in the Mideast rage on and as President Donald Trump will return to the White House.

French weapons system found in Sudan is likely violation of U.N. arms embargo, says Amnesty

Amnesty International said Thursday it has identified several UAE-made armoured personnel carriers on the ground in Sudan after verifying pictures shared on social media showing the vehicles captured or destroyed by the Sudanese army.

Protests erupt in Paris over pro-Israel gala organized by far-right figures

Protests have erupted in Paris against a controversial gala organized by far-right figures in support of Israel.

The United Nations faces uncertainty as Trump returns to US presidency

The United Nations and other international organizations are looking at new uncertainties with Donald Trump returning to the White House. The “America First” promoter has long been wary of global institutions and agreements.

Turkey’s Erdogan says he remains hopeful about reconciliation with Syria

Turkey’s president says he remains hopeful that a reconciliation with Syrian President Bashar Assad can be achieved.

CIA employee accused of leaking classified info on Israeli attack plans to face charges in Virginia

A CIA employee accused of leaking classified information assessing Israel’s earlier plans to attack Iran has been ordered by a federal judge to face felony charges in Virginia.

As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence

Donald Trump has long criticized America’s spy agencies, accusing them of trying to undermine his first administration and campaign to retake the White House.

Why is only limited aid getting to Palestinians inside Gaza?

A month has passed since U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivered an ultimatum to Israeli officials. It called on them to ramp up aid to Gaza within 30 days or risk them reconsidering arms shipments.

Head of UN nuclear watchdog: ‘Dire straits dynamic’ with Iran’s nuclear program amid Mideast wars

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog will travel to Iran this week to meet with officials including its new president.

France summons Israeli ambassador over diplomatic incident in Jerusalem

France’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Israel’s ambassador following an incident involving Israeli security forces during a visit last week by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Jerusalem.

UN force says Israeli work on Syrian frontier saw ‘severe violations’ of cease-fire after AP report

United Nations peacekeepers are warning that the Israeli military has committed “severe violations” of a cease-fire deal with Syria as its military continues a major construction project along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels launch drones and missiles at US warships near the Red Sea but do no damage

The U.S. Defense Department says Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted two U.S. Navy warships with multiple drones and missiles as they were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday. Maj. Gen.

US says it will not limit Israel arms transfers after some improvements in flow of aid to Gaza

The Biden administration says Israel has made some good but limited progress in increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and therefore it will not limit arms transfers to Israel as it had threatened to a month ago if the situation had not improved.

Israeli strikes kill 46 people in the Gaza Strip and 33 in Lebanon, medics say

Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 46 people in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, including 11 at a makeshift cafeteria in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone.

Israel’s military is building along UN-patrolled demilitarized zone in Syria, satellite images show

Israel has begun a construction project along a demarcation line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, apparently laying asphalt for a road right along the frontier.

Trump chooses New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, picking a loyal ally with little foreign policy experience to represent the U.S. at the international organization.

Traumatized by war, hundreds of Lebanon’s children struggle with wounds both physical and emotional

Four-year-old Hussein Mikdad survived an Israeli airstrike on his home in a Beirut suburb last month. His mother, three siblings and six relatives were killed.

UN nuclear head to visit Iran for talks on country’s nuclear program as next Trump presidency looms

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says he will travel to Iran in the coming days to hold talks regarding the country’s nuclear program.

Hungry Palestinians in north Gaza search for food, sealed off from aid for a month by Israeli siege

Palestinians in northern Gaza are rationing out their last supplies of food to survive, with no aid entering the area for the past month under an Israeli siege. Some have staggered out of the area, hungry and thin, into Gaza City.

Morocco limits preaching about war in the Middle East that invokes jihad

In Morocco, politicians and activists are questioning limitations imposed on preachers regarding what they may say about war in the Middle East during sermons.

Greece and Turkey press ahead with talks in effort to smooth often volatile relations

The foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey say that recent efforts to smooth the frequently volatile ties between the neighboring countries and regional rivals are bearing fruit, although significant differences remain, notably over maritime boundaries in the Aegean.