Middle Orient

Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal on Monday called on Saudi Arabia to release its Palestinian prisoners, as he stressed his group’s readiness to “build the best ties” with Riyadh. Speaking to Saudi-based Al Arabiya TV, Meshaal said Hamas refused to intervene in the affairs of any country and welcomed …

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has called on the United States and Iran “to avoid settling scores in Iraq.” On July 5, three Katyusha rockets targeted Ain al-Asad air base in the western province of Anbar. No casualties have been reported yet. On the same day, a drone tried to …

Power transmission towers have recently been targeted in Iraq, which already is suffering from major electricity shortages. The Joint Operations Command in Iraq called on citizens July 1 to “be brave” and report individuals who are damaging electric power transmission towers.The command also offered a financial reward for those who …

Following the US strike on militias’ bases last week, the US Embassy and Ain al-Asad base were targeted by a drone and rockets. The US Embassy in Baghdad, in the heart of the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone, was the intended target of an armed drone the night of July 6. …

Heavy fighting raged between forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels in central Bayda province, officials said Monday. Government forces and allied tribesmen, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, reclaimed large swaths of territory in the province, according Information Minister Moammar al-Iryani. Houthi officials said the rebels suffered heavy …

Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan gehe es mit dem Austritt der Türkei aus der Istanbul-Konvention um Machterhalt, kommentiert Karin Senz. Frauen und die LGBTI+-Szene müssten als neues Feindbild herhalten. Damit bediene der türkische Präsident seine nationalistische und konservative Wählerschaft. Ankara hat Angst vor dem Regenbogen und vor modernen Frauen. Wenn es …

Palestinian leader welcomes Canada’s foreign minister in Ramallah amid a West Bank crackdown by PA security forces on political activists, social media users and journalists. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called on Canada and the international community to “stop Israeli aggressions that violate international law.” He made the …

The PA newspaper denounced the demonstrations following the death of Nizar Banati, saying that protesters calling for President Mahmoud Abbas to step down are playing into Israeli agendas. Palestinians demonstrating against the death of anti-corruption activist Nizar Banat are serving the interests and goals of Israel, the Palestinian Authority’s official …

“As an Israeli, as a Jew and as a human being, my heart aches seeing the images of people going hungry on the streets of Lebanon.” Defense Minister Benny Gantz has offered to assist Lebanon as it continues to suffer from a worsening economic crisis.“As an Israeli, as a Jew …

Many factors have contributed to the cascading crises that afflict Lebanon — From a fractured government to a broken economy. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when Lebanon’s current crisis began. There were protests in late June over a hike in fuel prices and protests against banks on June 26 when …