The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture announced on Thursday that Israel had vented its dams for rainwater harvesting, leading to the flooding of farmlands near the Gaza Strip's eastern borders and the destruction of vast agricultural areas. Israel has built several dams to collect and use rainwater and vents it...

43 per cent of Yemeni families have been forced to reduce the number of their daily meals due to the country's economic fluctuations, the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) in Yemen announced yesterday. "Economic volatility & conflict means that many in Yemen regularly reduce the frequency or...

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Qatar will reopen "in days", Al Arabiya TV channel said on Thursday, citing Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan, Reuters reports. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed earlier this month at a summit to restore diplomatic, trade and travel ties severed in 2017 over accusations...

Palestinian inmate Maher Saasaa has died after recently receiving the coronavirus vaccine, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees' and ex-Detainees' Affairs. The Israel Prisons Service announced late Wednesday the death of Saasaa, 45, from Qalqilah, in northern West Bank, who suffered from several chronic diseases. The cause of death was...

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has voiced optimism that relations between Riyadh and Washington will be "excellent" under new US President Joe Biden, Al-Arabiya TV channel cited him as saying on Thursday, Reuters reported. Appointments made by Biden show "understanding of the common issues" by the new US administration, Prince Faisal...

Condemnations are pouring in from across the world over twin suicide bombings in Iraq's capital Baghdad that killed at least 32 people and wounded 110 others. The attack rocked a busy commercial market in Baghdad when two suicide bombers detonated explosives they were carrying near al-Tayaran Square, the Iraqi Health Ministry said. The Turkish...

Israel and Morocco inked an agreement Thursday to operate direct flights between their countries, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Anadolu Agency reported. The daily reported the deal without disclosing additional details. Moroccan authorities have yet to comment. It is the third aviation deal signed recently between Israel and Arab countries,...

The official Twitter account of the US Ambassador to Israel had a brief name change yesterday to "US Ambassador to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza" after the inauguration of President Joe Biden. The account was quickly changed back to "US Ambassador to Israel". Asked whether this brief change...

British, American and Israeli researchers have identified more than 2,000 "nationally and important Jewish heritage sites" in Europe, Iraq and Syria that have been added to Western military protection lists so as to be avoided during conflicts. The list was put together by the UK-based Foundation for Jewish Heritage...

A seven-month pregnant Palestinian mother suffered a miscarriage after tear gas was fired repeatedly by Israeli soldiers at her home in the village of Al-Mughayyer near Ramallah last week. Areej Abu Alya, 37, inhaled a lot of the gas and started to suffocate during the attack. She was rushed...

Turkish energy company Enka has announced that it has joined with German engineer Siemens to build two thermal power plants in Libya, the company announced. "ENKA in consortium with Siemens, is about to start the construction of the fast-track projects of Misurata 650 MW Simple Cycle Power Plant and Tripoli...

The son of prominent Saudi cleric Salman Al-Ouda, who was jailed in 2017 for opposing the blockade on Qatar, has appealed for the release of his father. Writing in the Guardian, Abdullah Al-Ouda called on Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to show his commitment to reconciliation with its smaller...

The Syrian regime of President Bashar Al-Assad "has nowhere left to go" and "cannot escape" international accountability, the former US special envoy for Syria said on Twitter just hours after his role ended with the inauguration of US President Joe Biden. "From Washington, we see clearly that the Assad...

The Palestinian legislative and presidential elections are set to be held in May and July respectively, and the Palestinian Authority is following US President Joe Biden's diplomatic path meticulously. A democratic veneer which seeks to reinstall current PA leader Mahmoud Abbas is in the offing, and Fatah is obliging....

Syria's White Helmets have been awarded more than $1.2 million in funding to make personal protective equipment (PPE), the Guardian has reported. The funding comes from Humanitarian Grand Challenge (HGC), a non-profit organisation funded by the UK, US, and Dutch governments. Funds from the charity have already kickstarted the...

Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem are mourning an elderly man dubbed 'the father of kittens' after he passed away on Tuesday of COVID-19 complications. Ghassan Yunis Abu Ayman has won hearts everywhere for feeding cats and birds at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem for nearly three decades. "I see...

At least 43 were killed on Tuesday after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the Libyan coast. The boat ran into trouble when its engine stopped because of poor weather conditions just a few hours after leaving the Libyan city of Zawra early on Tuesday morning. Ten passengers survived...

Russia's Foreign Minister insists that Moscow refuses to allow Syria to be used as an arena for confrontation between Israel and Iran, as tensions continue to escalate in the country with Israeli air strikes on Iranian targets. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Sergey Lavrov assured Israel that...

As new US President Joe Biden took office yesterday, the Israeli government approved the building of 2,572 new settlement units in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank, an Israeli NGO has revealed. "Our out-of-touch government leadership continues to press on with its mad scramble to promote as much settlement...

When B'Tselem described Israel as an apartheid state in a position paper last week, it did more than just dispel long held delusions about the Zionist state. In saying that Israel "promotes and perpetuates Jewish supremacy between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River," the country's largest human rights...

At least 28 people have been killed and scores wounded following a twin suicide bombing in Iraq's capital Baghdad this morning. It is the first suicide bombing to hit the city in nearly two years, and the first in three years to target the same commercial area, shortly after...

A veteran Israeli journalist and defence analyst said on Wednesday that Israel has so far failed to put pressure on Hamas to agree on a prisoner swap deal, Arabi 21 has reported. Writing in Israeli Hayom, Yoav Limor explained the reasons for Israel's failure in this matter. Hamas, he...

Palestinian leaders condemned new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday for his remarks reiterating Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the move of the US Embassy to the occupied city. "Blinken's remarks confirm the firmness of the US strategy to support Israel," said Sheikh Ekrema...

The federal government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced, on Wednesday, the formation of a new joint committee, the first in 17 years, to resolve outstanding issues related to industry and trade relations, Anadolu News Agency reported. "We have decided to form a committee to undertake...

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, beat Russia, maintaining its ranking as China's largest crude supplier in 2020, Chinese government data showed on Wednesday. Data from the General Administration of Chinese Customs showed that Saudi oil shipments to China have increased by 1.9 per cent in 2020, amounting...

Israeli occupation forces demolished Al-Araqib village in the Negev Desert on Tuesday for the 182nd time, Anadolu and other agencies have reported. Local sources said that the Israeli forces entered the village with a number of bulldozers and demolished homes and tents. The residents were displaced. One of them,...

Three people were killed on Wednesday when a fire broke out followed by an explosion at an ammunition warehouse at a naval academy in the Janzour region, west of the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Italy's Nova News Agency quoted Libyan officer, Ali Al-Khalidi, as saying that the Naval Academy...

In January last year, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas refused to issue a decree to hold legislative and presidential elections. He argued that he would not do so until he could guarantee Israel's approval for Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem to participate. Has that guarantee now been given, allowing him...

A member of the Constitutional Amendments Committee of Iraq, Mohsen Al-Saadoun, said Wednesday that the committee has proposed to reduce the number of parliament members from 329 to 180 lawmakers, Anadolu News Agency reported. Al-Saadoun said in a statement that the committee has completed amending the articles of the...

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Muhammad Javad Zarif, welcomed on Wednesday the Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani's invitation for a comprehensive dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Tehran. "Iran welcomes my brother FM call for inclusive dialogue in our region," Zarif wrote...

Egypt will begin collecting an additional one Egyptian pound ($0.064) for every pack of cigarettes sold in the local market starting July, the state-run General Authority for Health Insurance announced yesterday. The authority said in a statement that the increase in tariffs would apply to both "local and international...

One of the US foreign policy standards is supporting Israel at all levels, even if that means violating international laws and norms. Every new US president, before they are elected, is likely to have already made certain pledges favouring Israel during their election campaign. As soon as that president...

Israel has been talking about Syrian messages, indicating Damascus's desire to normalise relations with it. Meanwhile, Syrian sources from Ankara spoke about a meeting sponsored by Moscow at Khmeimim Air Base, between Ali Mamlouk with Gadi Eisenkot. Damascus denied news of the meeting, reaffirmed that the Golan Heights is...

The Gulf reconciliation between Qatar and the blockading Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Bahrain) was a positive step for the Gulf states. It will help them to emerge from the ordeal that they created, by increasing their hostility towards Iran and exaggerating their dependence on the US...

The Saudi government announced on Tuesday that it is looking to achieve security and stability in the region, as well as supporting political solutions in Yemen, Syria and Libya. In a ministerial council meeting, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz stressed on the: "Importance of reaching a just and comprehensive solution...

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the US embassy hostages in Iran, one of the freed diplomats Ambassador John Limbert has sent a letter to Algeria in which he thanked "the Algerian government and people for their kindness", and mediation efforts at the time,...

Tunisia's Ambassador to Tripoli Assaad Ajili met with Head of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) Mustafa Sanalla to discuss strengthening cooperation in the oil sector between the two countries. This came during Ajili's visit on Tuesday to the NOC headquarters in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, at the invitation...

The governor of West Darfur State in western Sudan, Muhammad Abdullah Al-Duma, has survived an assassination attempt after a number of unidentified persons opened fire on his house. The government of West Darfur State issued a statement announcing that an attack with heavy weapons targeted the governor's house on Tuesday...

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for resuming negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front to reach a "fair and lasting solution" on the Western Sahara dispute. Sanchez also hopes that negotiations will achieve stability in the Maghreb region, expressing his aim to hold the postponed summit with...

Turkey on Wednesday condemned Israel's plan to construct over 2,500 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Anadolu Agency reports. "We strongly condemn the step that Israel took towards the construction of an additional illegal settlement with a total of 2,572 residences, 2,112 of which are in...

Egypt and Qatar have agreed to resume diplomatic relations, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, making Cairo the first to officially do so under an Arab deal to end a long-running dispute with Doha, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed earlier this month to...

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will not issue a public apology for colonial abuses committed in Algeria, Anadolu Agency reported. "There will be no repentance nor apologies" for France's 132-year occupation of Algeria or for the brutal War of Independence, his office was quoted as saying by public broadcaster France...

Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, a UAE flag carrier, on Wednesday announced resuming commercial flights between the two countries, Anadolu Agency reported. The Abu Dhabi government-owned carrier said the service would operate on a daily basis pending government approvals as of February 15. Qatar Airways also announced the resumption of its...

In his final hours in office, outgoing US President Donald Trump issued a full pardon to Aviem Sella today, an Israeli Air Force colonel who was indicted by a US federal grand jury in 1987 for espionage. Sella recruited Jonathan Pollard, who spied on America and passed US intelligence...

Qatari Diar and Ariane Holding Group have signed an agreement to open a branch of the British supermarket chain Sainsbury's in Qatar, Qatar Peninsula reports. This will be the first branch of the chain in the Gulf country. The Sainsbury's supermarket is due to be located in the heart...

Italy has expressed its "deep concern" about Israel's decision to build 800 new units in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Foreign Ministry in Rome said on its official website on Tuesday. "The expansion of settlements in the West Bank violates international law and could irreparably undermine...

The administration of incoming US President Joe Biden plans to review the recent designation of Yemen's Houthi movement as a "terrorist" group. It is also expected to end support for the Saudi-led coalition as the devastating Yemen war approaches the end of its sixth year. According to Biden's nominee...

The new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the Biden administration will look to include Israel and the Gulf States in any future nuclear negotiations with Iran. Tehran refused last month to accept the inclusion of Arab states in any such talks. "The Biden administration is...

Israel is refusing to provide Palestinians with Covid-19 vaccine in the occupied territories where it controls every aspect of their lives. This is in addition to helping to destroy the Palestinian health sector, especially in the Gaza Strip, with bombs and blockades. At least one vaccine dose is being...

The last heir to the throne of the now-defunct Ottoman Empire died in a Damascus hospital on Monday after battling illness, Daily Sabah reported. 90-year-old Prince Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu was born in the Syrian capital after his parents, like all descendants of the Ottman dynasty, were expelled from Turkey when the caliphate was abolished in 1924. The great grandson of Sultan Abdulhamid II, Prince Dundar was...