Palestine

Body of One of Last Three Hostages Held in Gaza Identified

Israel announced Wednesday that a body handed over by Gaza militants was that of Dror Or, one of the last three deceased hostages held in the Palestinian territory. The Islamic Jihad militant group located the body on Monday in the central Gaza Strip and on Tuesday transferred it to the Red Cross, acting as a neutral intermediary. The coffin was ...

Israeli Army Announces New Operation in Northern West Bank

The Israeli military on Wednesday announced a new "counterterrorism" operation in the north of the occupied West Bank. The military and internal security service said in a joint statement that they "began operating as part of a broad counterterrorism operation in the area of northern Samaria", using the Israeli biblical term for part of the West ...

Israel Says Islamic Jihad's Delay of Hostage Body Handover a Ceasefire 'Violation'

Israel said on Tuesday that a delay by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in handing over a hostage body, which the group said it had located on Monday during search operations in central Gaza, constituted a "violation" of the fragile ceasefire. A source in Islamic Jihad, who requested anonymity, confirmed the body belonged to one of ...

Israel Says Killed Man Responsible for West Bank Ramming Attack

Israel's armed forces announced late Monday that its personnel had killed a man they held responsible for a ramming attack in the occupied West Bank last year. "After a pursuit of a year and a half," the officers killed Ala Raouf Shetiyya, Israel's army, police, intelligence, and counterterrorism forces said in a joint statement. "The terrorist ...

J. Aoun Announces a Five-Point Plan to Reassert State Authority and Open the Path to Peace

On the occasion of the 82nd anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence, President Joseph Aoun delivered a speech Friday evening from South Lebanon, focusing on sovereignty, the state’s exclusive control over arms, and the need to turn the page on “mini-states.” The head of state unveiled a five-point plan aimed at fully restoring state ...

New Strikes on Gaza Kill Five

Gaza health authorities said fresh Israeli air strikes killed five people on Thursday, as ceasefire mediator Qatar warned the renewed attacks threatened to undermine the fragile weeks-long truce between Israel and Hamas. The new strikes came the morning after one of the deadliest days in the Gaza Strip since the truce began on October 10. Qatar, ...

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday with full protocol honors, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The U.S. president and the de facto leader of the Saudi kingdom made multiple announcements during a joint press conference, covering massive investments, the sale of advanced weaponry, and ...

One Killed, Three Wounded in West Bank Attack: Israel Emergency Service

One person was killed and three were wounded in a stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli emergency services said. Paramedics and an army medical force "established the death of a man aged 30 with a stab wound and referred three injured people" to two Jerusalem hospitals, Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's equivalent of the ...

Israel Says US Plan for Gaza to Deliver 'Peace and Prosperity' After UN Vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Tuesday hailed a US-drafted plan for Gaza after it was endorsed by the UN Security Council, saying it would lead to "peace and prosperity." The Palestinian foreign ministry also welcomed the 13-0 vote at the United Nations in New York and called for the resolution to be swiftly implemented on ...

UNIFIL Begins Withdrawal as Europe Weighs Replacement Force

No one can predict what southern Lebanon will look like after UNIFIL withdraws at the end of 2026. Will Lebanon have succeeded in disarming Hezbollah? Will it be able to fully control the south, particularly the area south of the Litani River? And what role will the international presence play in the region? UNIFIL has already begun reducing its ...

Red Carpet and Big Deals: Trump Welcomes MBS to Washington

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will receive a lavish welcome from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, signing defense and nuclear deals during his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump is expected to roll out the red carpet for the prince with a fly-by, cannon fire, and a gala dinner ...

UN Security Council Votes for International Force for Gaza

The UN Security Council voted Monday in favor of a US-drafted resolution bolstering Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan that includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state. There were 13 votes in favor of the text, which US President Trump said would lead to "further Peace all over the World," with only ...