gaza

Blinken Pushes for Saudi-Israel Deal Despite Regional Wars

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to promote potential normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, ahead of a meeting in London on Friday with Arab foreign ministers regarding the wars in the Middle East. Before departing Tel Aviv for Riyadh, Blinken urged Israel to seize the “incredible opportunity” to ...

Antony Blinken Urges Israel to End its War in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel's leaders to work towards a ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday, the latest call for a truce coming as fighting raged in the territory's aid-starved north and Israeli strikes hit Lebanon. Blinken is on his 11th trip to the Middle East since Hamas's attack on Israel more than a year ago ...

Blinken and Netanyahu Discuss Joint Iran Military Action

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he held talks on Tuesday with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem on joining forces to counter threats from Iran. "During the meeting, the Iranian threat and the need for both countries to unite forces against it were raised," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, adding that ...

Poverty Rate Across Palestinian Territory Doubles in a Year

The poverty rate across the Palestinian territories is projected to nearly double this year, reaching 74.3 percent after months of fighting in Gaza, according to a report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) released on Tuesday. "The immediate consequence of the war, not just in terms of physical infrastructure destruction, but also regarding ...

Emboldened by Sinwar’s Elimination, Netanyahu Won't Back Down

Benjamin Netanyahu has hit a major target—possibly his third or fourth in under a month—by eliminating Yahya Sinwar, following the earlier killings of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, and likely Hashem Safieddine. Sinwar’s assassination has reshaped the region’s political landscape, opening the door to new possibilities. The situation ...

Israeli Strike Kills 73 in Gaza; Army Denies Palestinian Death Toll

An Israeli strike killed at least 73 people on Saturday night in the Gaza Strip, according to the territory's civil defense. The strike took place in a residential area of Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, where the army is conducting a new offensive against Hamas. "Defense civil teams have recovered 73 dead and a large number of injured," said ...

Gaza Rescuers Say Over 400 Killed in Two Weeks of Israeli Assault on Territory’s North

Gaza's civil defence agency said Saturday more than 400 Palestinians were killed in the north of the territory over the past two weeks during an ongoing military assault Israel says is aimed at preventing Hamas fighters from regrouping. The Israeli military launched a sweeping air and ground assault targeting northern Gaza on October 6. Since ...

Gaza: Strikes Intensify after Sinwar's Death

Israel bombed the Gaza Strip on Saturday after an airstrike that killed more than 30 people in the northern part of the Palestinian territory.  The army continues its offensive aimed at crushing Hamas, decimated after a year of war and the death of its leader. The Civil Defense announced that 33 people had been killed and "dozens" ...

Erdogan Calls on UN to Impose an Arms Embargo on Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Friday for the United Nations to impose an arms embargo on Israel, describing it as an "effective solution" to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Erdogan made the remarks in a statement following a several-hour meeting in Istanbul with the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Armenia, and ...

The Chaos of Insurance Against War Risks

Lebanon is under fire, and insurance premiums against war risks are reaching historic peaks. Reinsurers adjust the prices of premiums in real-time, responding instantly to changes in the intensity of the fighting on the ground. What is valid at one moment may no longer be so a few hours later. It’s chaos. Renewing war risk insurance policies in ...

Electing a President Today: A Painkiller for a Cancer

This situation is widely recognized. Fortunately, for the first time in Lebanon's history, the current state of vacancy may actually be advantageous. Had a president been elected within the constitutional deadlines in 2022, the new leader would have had to navigate the fallout from the October 7 crisis, the repercussions of the Al-Aqsa flood, and ...

Sinwar's Death Sparks Push for Ceasefire and Hostage Release

The killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar on Thursday sparked widespread calls for the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. His death is also seen as a significant opportunity to dismantle what remains of Hamas. French President Emmanuel Macron called for the release of "all hostages" held by Hamas in Gaza after Israel said it had ...