Middle East

In a shocking development, as many as 43 Jewish rabbis have issued a religious decree to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it is religiously and morally acceptable and permissible to bomb Palestinian hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip. A document signed by the rabbis states that there was no religious or moral objection to striking hospitals when civilians are allegedly used as

Israeli tanks and troops have met fierce resistance from Hamas fighters using mortars and hit-and-run attacks from tunnels to fight off Tel Aviv's ground invasion of Gaza City after nearly four weeks of bombardments. Fighters of Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad were emerging from tunnels to fire at tanks, then disappearing back into the network, residents said and videos from both groups showed

A group of United Nations experts have warned time is running out to “prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, expressing their deep frustration with Israel’s refusal to halt plans to decimate the besieged Gaza Strip. “We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the experts said. “The time for action is now. Israel’s allies also bear

Hamas has said the Israeli regime is engaged in committing a "massacre of the century" in the Gaza Strip, which Tel Aviv has brought under a hugely deadly and destructive war. Osama Hamdan, a senior official with the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement, made the remarks at a press conference on Thursday. Within the space of 24 hours, the regime "committed three consecutive massacres" in

Israel’s ground troops have reportedly advanced toward Gaza City as diplomatic efforts are intensifying for at least a brief pause in the fighting in Gaza's deadliest war amid outrage over the increasing casualties. US President Joe Biden has suggested a humanitarian “pause”, without calling for a ceasefire, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected back in the region on Friday. Arab

Riyadh: Bahrain has recalled its ambassador to Israel and suspended economic ties with Tel Aviv, the country’s parliament announced on Thursday. The statement published on the Bahraini parliament website confirmed that the Israeli ambassador has left Bahrain, while Bahrain called back its ambassador from Israel, and decided to suspend all economic relations with Israel. It added that its decision

Palestinian health authorities have said that the only hospital offering cancer treatment in the Gaza Strip has gone out of service after it ran out of fuel amid Israel’s continuing blockade of the territory. The Israeli siege on Gaza has cut off supplies of fuel and heavily restricted access to food, water and electricity, while the Israeli military continues to bombard the Strip, where hospitals

Gaza/Jerusalem: More foreigners prepared to leave the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday as its Hamas-run government said at least 195 Palestinians died in Israel’s attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp, strikes that UN human rights officials said could be war crimes. Explosions were heard in the early hours of Thursday around the Al-Quds hospital in densely populated Gaza City, the Palestinian Red

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran and Qatar are working on political initiatives on establishment of an immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza as the Israeli genocidal war in claiming more civilian lives. Amir-Abdollahian said his earlier visit to the Qatari capital Doha featured discussion about the truce in the Israeli regime's war. The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks upon

Saudi Arabia has approved using the Gregorian calendar in all official dealings amid growing openness to the outside world. The approval was made on Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman. The Council of Ministers agreed to calculate all duration in official procedures and transactions on the basis of the Gregorian calendar. Exceptions are