JERUSALEM: The Gaza war is speeding up Israel’s “annexation” of the Palestinian economy, say analysts, who argue it has been hobbled for decades by agreements that followed the Oslo peace accords. While the Israel-Hamas war raging since Oct. 7 has devastated swaths of Gaza, it has also hit the public finances and wider economy of the … Read more
DUBAI/JERUSALEM: Explosions echoed over an Iranian city on Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation — a response that appeared gauged toward averting region-wide war. The limited scale of the attack and Iran’s muted response both appeared to signal … Read more
Why displaced Syrians in Lebanon face an agonizing dilemma amid mounting hostility LONDON: Syrian refugees in Lebanon are in an impossible fix, unable to safely return home while also facing mounting hostility from host communities and local authorities, especially following the death of a Lebanese Forces party official, allegedly at the hands of Syrian criminals. … Read more
MOSCOW: Russia, Germany and Britain on Thursday urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint and Israel said it was preparing to “meet all its security needs” in a region on edge over an Iranian threat to strike Israel. The German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a … Read more
What exactly happened at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital during Israel’s military siege? LONDON: Israeli forces pulled out of Gaza’s largest hospital complex this week after an intensive 14-day military operation, purportedly against Hamas, leaving behind ruined buildings and charred bodies in the sprawling complex. However, accounts of what happened vary. The Israeli army carried out … Read more
LONDON: Continuing Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea are “misplaced, reckless and indiscriminate,” the US special envoy for Yemen said on Wednesday during a briefing attended by Arab News. Timothy Lenderking added that the Houthis’ activities are harming both ordinary Yemenis and Palestinians, who they claim to be acting in support of. In … Read more
NEW YORK CITY: Israel must bear the full responsibility for the consequences of its attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, and Iran reserves its right to deliver a “decisive response to such reprehensible acts,” Tehran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN told members of the Security Council during a meeting on Tuesday. “Iran has … Read more
CAIRO: Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire between Israeli troops and Hamas militants are finding ways to cross from Gaza into Egypt to escape the prolonged conflict. Once there, however, many grapple with financial hardship, survivor’s guilt and intense trauma. Despite mounting international pressure, Israel has ignored repeated calls for a ceasefire and pleas to … Read more
CAIRO: Egypt’s foreign minister on Wednesday urged a visiting US delegation to resume its financial support for UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinians. Sameh Shoukry told the group of members of the US House Committee on Homeland Security, led by August Pfluger, that the decision to halt funding would have an impact on Palestinian … Read more
AL-AZRAKIYA, Iraq: After four years of drought, Iraqi farmer Mohammed Sami was about to abandon his father’s parched land, but then a water-saving irrigation system revived his crops and his hopes. He is among hundreds of farmers in the country battered by heat waves, scarce rain and depleted rivers to benefit from new water management … Read more