Middle East

Tel Aviv, May 21: A ceasefire came into force in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Friday morning after Egypt brokered an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt 11 days of conflict. A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet had “unanimously accepted the recommendations to accept an Egyptian initiative for an unconditional … ceasefire.”

Paris, May 20: Profits from Covid-19 jabs have helped at least nine people become billionaires, a campaign group said Thursday, calling for an end to pharmaceutical corporations' "monopoly control" on vaccine technology. "Between them, the nine new billionaires have a combined net wealth of $19.3 billion (15.8 billion euros), enough to fully vaccinate all people in low-income countries 1.3 times,"

Tel Aviv, May 20: Israeli fighter jets continued to pound the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several more as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied calls for a de-escalation. At least 227 Palestinians, including 64 children, have been killed in 11 days of violence. On the Israeli side, 12 people have been killed. Joe Biden, the president of the United

Tel Aviv, May 19: Israel bombarded Gaza with airstrikes and Palestinian militants kept up cross-border rocket fire, with no firm sign on Wednesday of any imminent ceasefire despite international calls to end more than a week of fighting. Israeli leaders said they were pressing on with an offensive against Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but an Israeli military spokesman acknowledged that with an

Tehran, May 18: In a letter to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, a senior Hamas leader says Israel’s continued acts of aggression against the Palestinian people and their sanctities necessitated a firm response from the resistance movement in Gaza, calling on for joint global efforts to end the regime’s atrocities against the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied

Tel Aviv, May 18: Israel continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as Palestinian groups fired rockets towards Israeli cities and diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire intensified. The Israeli military said it also shelled Lebanon, in response to six failed rocket launches from areas south of the country. In Washington DC, US President Joe Biden held his third phone conversation with

Gaza Strip, May 17: Monday was another tense day in the Gaza strip amidst continued air raids from Israel. “Hospitals are running out of resources, corridors and all departments, including the administration, are filled with beds and mattresses,” said Gaza-based journalist Youmna al-Sayed a few minutes after an Israeli missile hit a car a few metres away from her killing three people. “Electricity

Riyadh, May 17: Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that foreign visitors arriving by air from most countries will no longer need to quarantine if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Visitors from 20 other countries - including the United States, India, Britain, Germany, France and the UAE - remain banned from entering the kingdom, however, under measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus

Gaza Strip, May 17: The Israeli military launched new strikes on the Gaza Strip early on Monday, just hours after Israel’s caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an end to hostilities was not imminent. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza entered its eighth consecutive day after raids on Sunday killed at least 42 Palestinians, wounded dozens more and flattened at least two residential buildings

Gaza City, May 16: Israeli strikes killed at least 42 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Sunday (May 16), the worst reported daily death toll yet in the almost week-long clashes, as the UN Security Council prepared to meet amid global alarm at the escalating conflict. The heaviest fighting since 2014, sparked by unrest in Jerusalem, saw the rivals again trade heavy fire, with the death toll rising to