A renewed ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza has brought an end to the most severe round of fighting between the two sides since the 2014 war. Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, announced the ceasefire in a joint statement. “The resistance will abide by the ceasefire agreement as long as the Israeli occupation adheres to the… Read more »
Israel will pick a date for early elections on Sunday, a source close to a key minister told CNN, following a turbulent week for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that saw key government resignations and calls for an early vote. The decision to call early elections came after crunch talks between Netanyahu and the rightwing Education Minister Naftali Bennett broke down… Read more »
The body of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was dismembered after he was strangled as soon as he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the chief prosecutor’s office in Istanbul said Wednesday. This was carried out as part of a premeditated plan, according to a statement by the chief prosecutor’s office. The statement is the clearest yet from the Turkish authorities… Read more »
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed to defy US sanctions as penalties targeting the country’s oil-and-gas sector went into effect on Monday. The most biting round of sanctions since US President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark 2015 deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear program came into force Monday. The move targets Iran’s oil-and-gas, shipbuilding, shipping and banking industries. Iran will… Read more »
The killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate was premeditated, the country’s attorney general said Thursday, in what marks a further significant shift in the Saudi version of events. According to a statement posted by the Saudi state news agency, the latest evolution in the official Saudi narrative around Khashoggi’s death came after new information… Read more »
Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza have engaged in a systematic crackdown on dissent, including the use of torture that may amount to a crime against humanity, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch. “Relying primarily on overly broad laws that criminalize activity such as causing ‘sectarian strife’ or insulting ‘higher authorities,’ the [Palestinian Authority] and Hamas… Read more »
Gaza militants launched a rocket from Gaza into Israel on Wednesday night, prompting airstrikes by the Israeli military. Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system was activated and launched an interceptor missile, but no interception took place, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). No one was injured by the rocket. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main militant factions… Read more »