Middle East

Israel rejects ceasefire deal, talks continue

Israel has rejected a ceasefire deal with Hamas with one official criticising it as 'watered-down'. According to a copy of the proposal that Hamas says it has agreed to, there will be…

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Northern Gaza in full-blown famine – WFP

A further 54 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces between Wednesday and Friday afternoon in the Gaza Strip and more than 100 were injured, according to the latest UN flash assessment, which…

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Israel steps up strikes across Gaza

Israeli strikes intensified across Gaza on Tuesday in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks, residents said, and the army ordered fresh evacuations in the north of the enclave, warning…

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Israel yet to show evidence UNRWA staff are members of terrorist groups

Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of its claims that employees of the UN relief agency Unrwa are members of terrorist organisations, an independent review led by the…

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Updated: Israel carries attack inside Iran – US Officials

Al Jazeera, CNN, APIsrael has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to push the region deeper into conflict. Israel had…

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Netanyahu insists: Israel will defend itself

Israel will make its own decisions about how to defend itself, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, as Western countries pleaded for restraint in responding to a volley of…

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Putin tells the Middle East to pull back from a catastrophic clash

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged all sides in the Middle East to refrain from action that would trigger a new confrontation which he warned would be fraught with catastrophic consequences…

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Iran warns of bigger attack if Israel retaliates, Israel’s war cabinet convened

CNN reports that Israel's war cabinet will meet today at 2:00 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) to discuss its response to Iran's unprecedented attack on Saturday night, an Israeli official has…

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France urges no travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Palestinian territories

France on Friday warned its citizens to “imperatively refrain from travel in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories”, the foreign minister’s entourage told Agence France-Presse…

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Russia advises against travel to Middle East

Russia on Thursday advised against travel to the Middle East and German airline Lufthansa extended a suspension of its flights to Tehran, as the region was kept on edge by…

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Australia hints it could recognise Palestinian state

Australia's foreign minister has suggested the country could recognise Palestinian statehood, to increase momentum towards peace. However Hamas could have no role in its governance, Penny Wong said. Both Australia's…

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Easter 2024 in the Holy Land: a holiday marked by Palestinian Christian sorrow

Every year, Christians from across the world visit Jerusalem for Easter week, walking the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus is said to have walked on the way to his crucifixion…

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Britain’s Cameron says Gaza ceasefire crucial but ‘a whole lot of conditions’ to meet

By Panu Wongcha-um NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, March 20 (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Wednesday said it was vital for a pause in fighting between Israel and militant…

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EU’s Borrell says Israel is provoking famine in Gaza

BRUSSELS, March 18 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Israel is provoking famine in Gaza and using starvation as a weapon of war, an…

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Germany’s Scholz say Rafah assault would make regional peace ‘very difficult’

By Sarah Marsh AQABA, Jordan, March 17 (Reuters) - The large number of civilian casualties that would result from an Israeli assault on the Gaza city of Rafah would make…

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Biden’s port for aid to Gaza might not be ready for 60 days: Pentagon

By Phil Stewart and Michelle Nichols WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to build a floating U.S. military port to speed up aid to Gaza could take up…

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EU sees maritime aid corridor to Gaza opening this weekend amid famine fears

EU says maritime aid corridor could open at weekend Biden says US military to build 'temporary' port in Gaza Ceasefire talks remain stalled, may resume Sunday UN urges Israel not…

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Borrell urges probe of civilians killed by Israeli fire at Gaza aid station

Israeli army fire killed Palestinian civilians during aid delivery operations in Gaza earlier this week, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell charged on Saturday, calling for an international probe of…

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Why do Israelis and the rest of the world view the Gaza conflict so differently? And can this disconnect be overcome?

Hamas’ vicious attack on southern Israel on October 7 and Israel’s ruthless response have sparked a global campaign for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Palestine’s occupation. Once…

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Palestinians hope Blinken visit can deliver Gaza truce before Rafah assault

US Secretary of State in the air en route to Middle East for first visit since truce offer Hamas says it will not accept ceasefire without guarantees of end to…

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EU concerned by “domino effect” of Israel-Hamas War

EU Foreign Affairs chief Josef Borrell calls for parties to help halt escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, and the EU is worried that Israel might extend the…

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State Dept says US actively pursuing the creation of a Palestinian state

By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk The United States is actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in…

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UPDATED: EU’s Borrell: humanitarian situation in Gaza could not be worse

PARIS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip, currently besieged by Israel in its war against militant group Hamas, 'could not be worse', European Union chief…

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Biden cites concern of impact of war in Middle East on oil prices

By Nandita Bose and Kanishka Singh EMMAUS, Pennsylvania, (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said he was concerned about the impact of war in the Middle East on oil prices,…

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UPDATED:Israeli strike on Lebanon kills senior Hezbollah as Blinken seeks to head off wider war

BEIRUT, Jan 8 (Reuters) - An Israeli strike on south Lebanon on Monday killed a senior commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan force, three security sources told Reuters. "This is a…

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EU’s Borrell says world must impose solution to Gaza conflict

By Catarina Demony The international community must impose a solution to the Israel-Hamas conflict as the warring sides are unable to come to terms, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell…

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Major events during eight weeks of war between Israel and Hamas

Israel ordered people out of swathes of Gaza's main southern city on Monday as it pressed its ground campaign deep into the south of the enclave, sending desperate residents fleeing,…

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Three students of Palestinian descent shot in Vermont in suspected hate-crime

By Gabriella Borter and Steve Gorman (Reuters) - Police and federal agents are searching for a gunman who shot and wounded three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont,…

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Dispute erupts over whether Pope called Gaza situation a ‘genocide’

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A messy dispute broke out over whether Pope Francis used the word "genocide" to describe events in Gaza, with Palestinians who met with…

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U.S. shoots down multiple drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen

Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Thursday morning local time, U.S. Central Command said on X.…

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Video games, AI fuel wartime disinformation

Video game used to spread disinformation Malicious actors lower video quality to deceive viewers Challenges in detecting and combating fake content By Adam Smith LONDON, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Something…

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Gulf Arab state Bahrain calls for Hamas-Israel ‘hostage trade’

By Alexander Cornwell The crown prince of Gulf Arab state Bahrain on Friday called for a "hostage trade" between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel in order to achieve a…

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Pope to meet relatives of hostages, Palestinians with family in Gaza

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis will meet separately next week with relatives of hostages held by Hamas militants and with a group of Palestinians with family…

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Insurers review Middle East events coverage after cancellations

By Carolyn Cohn and Noor Zainab Hussain LONDON (Reuters) - Some insurers are excluding Israel, Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries from their event cancellation policies after the Israel-Hamas war…

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International travel demand falls after onset of Israel-Hamas conflict, data shows

By Doyinsola Oladipo NEW YORK, (Reuters) - International flight bookings around the world have fallen since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict especially in the Americas as people cancel trips…

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Travelers put off holiday trips to Middle East as Israel-Hamas war rages

By Doyinsola Oladipo and Joanna Plucinska NEW YORK/LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Travelers are canceling or postponing planned vacations to the Middle East and North Africa due to fears of…

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EU Council agrees to Spain’s Middle East peace conference proposal

The Council of the European Union has accepted the Spanish proposal to hold a peace conference in about six months on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Spain's acting Prime…

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UPDATED: EU leaders to call for Gaza humanitarian corridors to get aid in

By Andrew Gray and Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - EU leaders are poised to call for humanitarian corridors in Gaza and for pauses in bombardments into and out…

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Pope urges release of hostages and humanitarian aid access in Gaza

VATICAN CITY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his calls for the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into…

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Australia deploys more aircraft, personnel to Middle East

By Renju Jose SYDNEY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday it had deployed two more military aircraft and a "significant number" of defence personnel to the Middle East…

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UPDATED: 6,546 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza including 2,704 children since Oct.7

GAZA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - At least 6,546 Palestinians, including 2,704 children, were killed and 17,439 wounded in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7, the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said…

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EU to call for “humanitarian pause” in Israel-Hamas war – draft summit text

BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will call this week for a "humanitarian pause" in the Israel-Hamas war so that aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can safely reach…

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UPDATED: China says outlook worrisome as conflict spreads in Middle East

BEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China views the situation in Gaza as "very serious" with the risk of large-scale ground conflict growing and because the conflict has begun to spill over in…

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Biden and Pope Francis discuss Israel and Gaza in a call

By Kanishka Singh and Crispian Balmer WASHINGTON/VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Sunday and discussed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between…

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China and Russia find common cause in Israel-Hamas crisis

By Yew Lun Tian, Laurie Chen and Michael Martina BEIJING/WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - With anger building across the Middle East over Israel's strikes in Gaza, China and Russia are finding common…

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Cyprus on heightened alert after small blast outside Israeli embassy

NICOSIA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A small blast occurred overnight outside the Israeli embassy in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, police said. No damage or injuries were reported. Police said a…

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The EU and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: many voices, no shared vision

The day after the barbaric attacks by Hamas on Israel, the EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Oliver Varhelyi of Hungary, announced the suspension of aid to the Palestinians.…

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France’s Macron sees hope for hostages in Gaza after Qatari mediation

By John Irish France's President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the release of two American hostages in Gaza, highlighting Qatar's role and saying he hoped similar initiatives would happen in the coming…

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Muslims protest around world to demand end to Israel’s Gaza campaign

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Nafisa Eltahir AMMAN/CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks…

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Amid Gaza war, Biden, Xi and Putin push very different aims

By Peter Apps LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - In recent global geopolitics, there have been few days with as many moving parts as Wednesday, with Russian and Chinese leaders meeting…

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China willing to strengthen coordination with Egypt, Arab countries on Israel conflict

BEIJING, Oct 19 (Reuters) - China supports Egypt's efforts to open humanitarian corridors, and is willing to strengthen coordination with Egypt and Arab countries to promote an early, comprehensive and…

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Biden’s Middle East trip has messages for both global and domestic audiences

Even before his arrival in Israel, U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to travel to an active war zone and the scene of an unfolding humanitarian crisis has spoken volumes. The…

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Global markets brace for fallout as Middle East tensions rise

By Matt Tracy WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The Israeli-Hamas war has sharpened focus on rising geopolitical risks for financial markets, as investors wait to see if the conflict draws…

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EU leaders to hold emergency virtual summit on Middle East on Tuesday

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel said that he had convened a video conference summit of European Union leaders on Tuesday to discuss the Hamas attacks on Israelis…

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Pope Francis calls for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza

VATICAN CITY, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza and again appealed for the release of hostages held…

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Attack on Israel boosts appeal of gold, safe-haven assets

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The violence in Israel that erupted this weekend is prompting a move into safe-haven assets as investors closely watch events in the Middle East to gauge…

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Middle East conflict adds new risks to global economic outlook

By Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir DALLAS (Reuters) - The outbreak of military conflict in the Middle East may leave central bankers battling new inflationary trends as well as deal…

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