Middle East

Gaza’s Hamas militants fire 130 rockets towards Tel Aviv – Hamas statement

Gaza's Islamist ruler Hamas said it had fired over 130 rockets towards Tel Aviv on Tuesday night in response to an Israeli air strike that had flattened a tower block…

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Syria shoots down Israeli missiles over Damascus – SANA

Syrian air defences shot down several Israeli missile strikes over the capital Damascus on Tuesday, state news agency reported. "At 22:35 (2035 GMT) this evening the Israeli enemy carried out…

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ICC prosecutor to probe war crimes in Palestinian Territories, angering Israel

THE HAGUE, March 3 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Wednesday her office will formally investigate war crimes in the Palestinian Territories, a move welcomed by the…

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ICC ruling brings hope for Palestinians, dismay for Israelis

JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters/Sky) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) has determined it has the jurisdiction to investigate Israel and the leaders of the Palestinian faction Hamas for alleged war crimes. In…

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Distrust, division and doubt cloud Palestinian election call

GAZA/RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Beset by political infighting, split between three territories and distrustful of their institutions, many Palestinians are sceptical that their first national elections in 15 years…

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After 54 years, first Mass on the site of the Baptism of Jesus

St. John the Baptist Chapel, on the West Bank, has announced that it will reopen for Mass in January 2021. For over 50 years, the site has been unapproachable because…

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Gaza gets vital medical aid as hospitals struggle with rising infections

The World Health Organization delivered 15 ventilators to Gaza hospitals on Sunday amid a spike in COVID-19 infections that has tested the Palestinian territory's under-developed health system. The donation of…

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Palestinians welcome Trump exit, but are cautious about Biden

The Palestinians have been holding out for a change of U.S. president for three years, hoping for a chance to hit the reset button on relations with Washington. There was…

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PhotoStory – Extreme working conditions

Palestinians cross an Israeli security fence into Israeli area near the West Bank city of Hebron, 30 August 2020. Palestinian workers are entering Israel despite an entry ban was imposed…

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Geopolitics Insights – A Match in the Middle East Tinderbox

by Tonio Galea From CorporateDispatch PRO Amid a resurgence of the Covid-19 virus in many regions around the world and turmoil in Belarus and other countries, the United Arab Emirates…

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Israeli tanks shelled Hamas positions in Gaza

Israeli tanks shelled Hamas positions early on Saturday, hours after it said a rocket was launched at southern Israel. A statement from the military said the Israeli "tanks targeted Hamas…

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Coronavirus cases surge in the West Bank

The number of COVID-19 cases in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza reached 13,457 on Friday, according to the ministry of health, after a surge in infections in…

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Photo Story: Palestinians celebrate Eid al-Adha

A Palestinian lights firework to celebrate Eid al-Adha in Khan Younis town, southern Gaza Strip, 30 July 2020. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each…

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Middle East has recorded a million cases of Covid-19

The Middle East has recorded a million cases of Covid-19, and is at a “critical threshold”, the World Health Organisation has warned. The global health body confirmed on Sunday there…

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More than 320,000 coronavirus cases in Middle East

There are now more than 320,000 officially reported cases of Covid-19 in the Middle East. The virus continues to spread slowly in most countries, although in the Gulf daily increases…

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Israel warns about coronavirus resurgence next winter

Israeli Health Ministry Director Moshe Bar Siman Tov said Israel has to prepare for a second wave of coronavirus in the winter. According to Bar Siman Toc, "We are…

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Middle East braces for bleak Ramadan

From cancelled iftar feasts to suspended mosque prayers, Muslims across the Middle East are bracing for a bleak month of Ramadan fasting as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers.…

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Passover amid coronavirus lockdown in Jerusalem

Orthodox Jews cover their heads with prayer shawls as they keep distance from each other while reciting the Priestly Blessing on the high holiday of Passover, in front of the…

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Coronavirus tally soars in several Arab nations

Six Arab nations recorded additional coronavirus cases and deaths in the past 24 hours. Saudi Arabia’s confirmed 364 new cases, bringing its total to 3,651, including 685 who have recovered.…

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More than 100,000 Coronavirus cases in Middle East

Coronavirus cases across Middle East increased to 107,000 on Monday morning as the infections reached a grim milestone in the region. As recently as March 27 there were less than…

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Photo Story: Masks with a purpose

Palestinian artist Samah Saed paints the Palestinian flag on a face mask to encourage people to wear them as a precautionary measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus disease…

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Coronavirus pandemic threatens to plunge millions in Arab region into poverty and food insecurity

COVID-19 will be responsible for pushing a further 8.3 million people in the Arab region into poverty, according to a new policy brief issued this week by the United Nations…

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First coronavirus cases confirmed in the Gaza Strip

The first two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the densely-populated Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday. Two Palestinians who had travelled from Pakistan and entered Gaza…

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Coronavirus impact on Middle East grows

Coronavirus infections climbed in Middle Eastern countries on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the total in the region past 10,000 cases, as countries took new measures to curb the spread of…

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Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem closed after suspected coronavirus case

The church built on the Bethlehem site revered as the birthplace of Jesus is to temporarily close after a suspected outbreak of the coronavirus, a church official said Thursday. The…

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Netanyahu declares victory in Israeli election

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory on Tuesday in Israel's third election in less than a year, after television exit polls showed him just a seat short of a governing…

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Pope Francis in Bari to address a conference entitled ‘Mediterranean: Frontier of Peace’

Pope Francis on Sunday warned against “inequitable solutions” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying they would only be a prelude to new crises, in an apparent reference to U.S. President Donald…

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Europe needs to develop an appetite for power – Borrell

The governments of the European Union states need to be willing to intervene in international crises or risk prolonging paralysis in their foreign policy, the EU's top diplomat said on…

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Top EU diplomat wants European strategy for Middle East peace

In light of US President Donald Trump unveiling of his Middle East peace plan in January, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the bloc needs to formulate a…

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Photo Story – MidEast Mourning

Thousands of Palestinians flocked to Azzun town, east of Qalqilia, to attend the funeral procession of Tareq Ahmad Badwan, 25, who succumbed to his critical injuries he sustained after being…

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Arab League reject Trump’s Middle East Plan

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, Egypt to discuss US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which was formally announced last week, have rejected the proposal. In…

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Palestinian Authority cuts all ties with US and Israel

The Palestinian Authority has cut all ties with the US and Israel, including those relating to security, after rejecting a Middle East peace plan presented by Donald Trump, the Palestinian…

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Europe reacts to Trump’s Middle East peace plan

Leaders from around the world have responded with mixed reactions to US President Donald Trump's long-awaited Middle East plan unveiled on Wednesday. The proposal was released alongside Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. Palestinian…

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Palestinians reject Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan

U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan on Tuesday, saying the "realistic" two-state solution is a "win-win opportunity" for both Israel and the Palestinians. But…

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Trump announces Middle East Peace plan

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking steps to become self-governing, in an attempt…

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Trump meets Netanyahu ahead of MiddleEast peace plan

US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, to discuss a Middle East peace plan that has already been rejected by…

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Prince Charles called for “a just and lasting peace” in the Middle East in his visit to the Holy Land

Prince Charles went on a tour through the Palestinian territories in the West Bank for the first time in his life Friday. During the trip, the Prince of Wales visited…

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US Middle East Plan to be released next week – Trump

US President Donald Trump said he expects to release his long-awaited Middle East peace plan prior to his meeting with Israeli leaders on Tuesday at the White House. “Sometime prior to…

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Trump proposes NATO expansion into Middle East

President Donald Trump on Thursday proposed expanding NATO's membership to include Middle Eastern nations in light of recent U.S. tensions in the region with Iran. The president's suggestion came one…

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U.S. military has enough capability in Middle East for now

U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said he believed the U.S. military had sufficient capability in the Middle East for now to deter conflict, dismissing a media report that a major…

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Japan plans to send 270 sailors to Middle East to guard ships

Japan is working on a plan to send about 270 seamen to the Middle East to guard ships supplying Japan under a law that allows military deployments for research and…

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Israel’s defence system shot down rockets from Syria

Israel's military said its missile defence system shot down four rockets fired from Syria towards Israel early on Tuesday. In a statement, the IDF said it had “identified four launches…

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Unemployment fuels unrest in Arab states: IMF

Unemployment and sluggish economic growth are fuelling social tension and popular protests in several Arab countries, the International Monetary Fund said Monday. The unrest is in turn contributing to slower…

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Japan commits itself to ease tension in the Middle East

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he plans to do everything he can to ease tension in the Middle East and wants to talk with Iranian President Hassan…

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Merkel calls for two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Thursday for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict even if this goal is "increasingly difficult to achieve." Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas…

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Hezbollah says will respond with a surprise strike against Israel, but will avoid new war

Hezbollah will respond with a "surprise" strike against Israel after drones crashed in Lebanon, but a new war remains unlikely, the Iran-backed movement said, amid heightened fears of a full-scale…

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Urgent need for ‘restraint and genuine dialogue’ in Middle East to avoid major confrontation

Briefing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Maria Luiza Viotti, said that “restraint and genuine dialogue are urgently needed”,…

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Pregnant in Idlib, Syria means giving birth outdoors alone

This was not how Rabaa al-Shamaa imagined the birth of her fifth child. Out in an open field near the Syrian-Turkish border, the expectant mother lay on the grass, doubled…

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US to send 1,000 additional American troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran increase

U.S. officials say the Pentagon is sending about 1,000 additional American troops to the Middle East, as commanders try to bolster security for forces and allies in the region from…

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US to send 1,500 extra troops to Middle East

The US is to send 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter the "ongoing threat posed by Iranian forces", the acting defence secretary says. Congress has been notified about…

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Pentagon doesn’t exclude sending troops to the Middle East

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan confirmed that the Pentagon was considering sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East. The troops will serve as one of the ways…

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Analysis – Is the Middle East on the bring of a major showdown?

War clouds in the Middle East are thickening. A worrisome conjunction of circumstances is leading towards a possible showdown between the Axis of Resistance (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and some Iraqi…

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US increases military presence in the Middle East as Iran tensions escalate

The US is sending a Patriot air defence missile system and a warship to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. The USS Arlington, which transports amphibious vehicles and…

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Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and News Review – Monday 6th May 2019

Good morning, The aviation tragedy in Russia, the clashes in Tripoli, a cease fire in Gaza and US's warning to Iran dominate the world headlines. The political activities leading to…

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Month of Ramadan fasting for many Muslims begins Monday

Muslims in Southeast Asia and much of the Middle East will start their Ramadan fasts on Monday while those in places like India, Pakistan and Iran will likely start…

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Fresh escalation of violence between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza

A Palestinian has been killed in an Israeli air raid on the northern Gaza Strip, according to Gaza's health ministry, amid a fresh escalation between Israel's military and Gaza fighters.…

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New government appointed in Palestine

The President of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has sworn in a new government, appointing a prime minister who is seen as a loyalist from his dominant Fatah…

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