War in the Middle East

Trump Warns of “Overwhelming Force” if Iran Carries Out Assassination Threats
Trump Warns of “Overwhelming Force” if Iran Carries Out Assassination Threats

President Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran on Wednesday, vowing to respond with crippling force in the event that assassination attempts are carried out against him or other U.S. officials. Speaking to the press, Trump stated that “if anything happens, the whole country is going to blow up. I will hit them so hard, and I have given ...

Shelling Near North Syria's Raqqa City Despite Ceasefire
Shelling Near North Syria's Raqqa City Despite Ceasefire

A monitor said clashes erupted on Monday evening between government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Monday near northern Syria's Raqqa city, a day after the sides agreed a ceasefire. The AFP correspondent in Raqqa reported the sound of heavy bombardment, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported ...

Gaza Governance Committee Begins Work
Gaza Governance Committee Begins Work

The Palestinian committee set to govern post-war Gaza has begun its work in Cairo, a member told AFP on Friday. Formed on Wednesday as the second phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect, the committee is made up of 15 technocrats charged with administering the Palestinian territory after the Hamas-Israel war. The ...

Syrian Army Issues Warnings Ahead of Strikes East of Aleppo
Syrian Army Issues Warnings Ahead of Strikes East of Aleppo

Syria's army issued warnings on Friday ahead of strikes on Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo, saying it will target the positions of Kurdish forces and urging civilians to stay away. In several warnings, the Syrian military announced it will target specified areas of Deir Hafer, which it said Kurdish forces were using "as a launching point for their ...

Trump Announces 'Board of Peace' Formed for Gaza
Trump Announces 'Board of Peace' Formed for Gaza

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. "It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that the members of the body will be ...

Hamas Says Technocratic Committee Key to Consolidating Gaza Truce
Hamas Says Technocratic Committee Key to Consolidating Gaza Truce

A senior Hamas official on Thursday welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help consolidate the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting. Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that ...

U.S. Says Gaza 'Phase Two' Beginning With Goal of Hamas Demilitarization
U.S. Says Gaza 'Phase Two' Beginning With Goal of Hamas Demilitarization

President Donald Trump's envoy said Wednesday that a plan to end the Gaza war was now moving to Phase Two with a goal of disarming Hamas, despite a number of Israeli strikes during the ceasefire. "We are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, ...

Palestinian Factions Offer Support for Gaza Technocratic Committee: Statement
Palestinian Factions Offer Support for Gaza Technocratic Committee: Statement

The majority of Palestinian factions and the presidency offered their support for the Palestinian technocratic committee meant to govern Gaza, after mediator Egypt announced on Wednesday that all parties had agreed on its members. In a statement, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they had agreed "to support the ...

Trump Expected to Announce ‘Phase 2’ in Gaza Today
Trump Expected to Announce ‘Phase 2’ in Gaza Today

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected on Wednesday to announce the launch of Phase 2 of his Gaza plan, including the appointment of 15 members to a temporary Palestinian committee that will oversee the territory, according to U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. Officials told the newspaper that the conditions now allow a shift ...

Hamas to Hold Leadership Elections in Coming Months: Sources
Hamas to Hold Leadership Elections in Coming Months: Sources

Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to rebuild its leadership following Israel's killing of several of the group's top figures during the war in Gaza, sources in the movement said on Monday. "Internal preparations are still ongoing in order to hold the elections at the appropriate time in areas where conditions on the ...

Iraq-Based Kurdish Opposition Calls for Strike in Iran
Iraq-Based Kurdish Opposition Calls for Strike in Iran

Several Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have called for a general strike on Thursday in Iran in support of the protests in the Islamic republic, one of the exiled parties told AFP. The protests began on December 28 when shopkeepers in Tehran staged a strike over high prices and economic stagnation, but they have since spread to ...