French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he had received assurances from Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted foreign mercenaries to leave Libyan territory as soon as possible, Reuters reported. "We agreed to work on this withdrawal (of foreign mercenaries). It doesn't just depend on the two of us. But...

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with US President Joe Biden in a closed-door meeting on Monday during the NATO summit in Brussels, Anadolu Agency reported. The one-on-one meeting at the NATO headquarters lasted for 45 minutes. The two leaders met for the first time since Biden took office in January....

The UN special envoy for Syria on Monday "strongly" condemned the attack earlier this week on a hospital in Afrin, northern Syria, in which at least 14 civilians lost their lives, Anadolu Agency reported. "I strongly condemn the attack on the Shifa Hospital in the northern Syrian city of Afrin, which...

Seven books have been shortlisted for this year's Palestine Book Awards, Middle East Monitor is happy to announce. The Palestine Book Awards (PBA)'s is celebrating its tenth anniversary in November 2021 as part of its annual ceremony that honours and celebrates books in English about Palestine. 2021 has been...

Israel bombardment of Gaza has ended, but the pain and destruction remain. The stories of children who survived the latest onslaught have caused me anguish, and I hope they are never forgotten by the international community as it continues its dealing with the occupation. Six-year-old Suzy Ishkuntana appeared from...

Egypt's court of appeal on Monday upheld the death penalty for 12 members of the Muslim Brotherhood convicted in the Rabaa sit-in case, according to state-run media, Anadolu Agency reported. The court upheld the death penalty against Abdel-Rahman el-Bar, Mohamed el-Beltagy, Safwat Hegazy, Osama Yassin, Ahmed Aref, Ihab Wagdy,...

African journalists have called on the African Union and governments to condemn Israel's deliberate targeting of journalists and news media organisations and hold Israel legally accountable for crimes committed against media workers during its recent attacks on the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in occupied Palestine. African governments were urged...

Saudi Arabia yesterday urged the Riyadh-based, internationally-recognised Yemeni government to return to its interim capital, in the southern port city of Aden. According to a statement on Twitter posted by Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, the Yemeni government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi should return to...

Israeli occupation forces have launched a military exercise around Tayaseer, a village near the West Bank city of Tubas in the northern Jordan Valley, Wafa news agency has reported. According to the head of Tayaseer Village Council, Wajeeh Dabk, large numbers of Israeli tanks and other military vehicles have...

Israel has a new prime minister for the first time since 2009. That's when Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu took office for the second time. It was not easy for him to leave office yesterday, as he faces indictments for fraud and corruption. In his final speech as prime minister...

The reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah have become futile; boring get-togethers that have lasted for more than ten years. They have got to the stage where the negotiations themselves have become the goal; negotiations for the sake of negotiations. It is a game at which both sides excel,...

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi yesterday discussed with Pakistan's Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Nadeem Raza security and military cooperation between the two countries. This came during a meeting held between the two officials in the capital, Cairo, in the presence of Egyptian Minister of Defence Lieutenant-General Mohamed Zaki, according...

The Mossad tried to sabotage Iraq's nuclear programme in violation of French sovereignty, Israeli nuclear engineer Michael Ron has said in his recently published memoir. Ron details the occupation states failed attempt to prevent the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from getting his hands on material required to develop an...

Zara under fire as Head Designer Vanessa Perilman attacks Palestinian model Qaher Harhash on Instagram. Head designer for Zara's women's department Vanessa Perilman is under fire after harassing Palestinian model Qaher Harhash in private Instagram messages. The messages were in response to pro-Palestine posts shared by the model, who...

NATO is vital for Turkey's security but must develop a clear vision to continue its support for all of its member states, the director of presidential communications in Ankara has said. Fahrettin Altun called on NATO to "have a clear vision to meet new security challenges and a commitment...

When last month's ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza, the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, thanked Iran for its support. "The Islamic Republic of Iran did not hold back with money, weapons, and technical support," he said. Haniyeh also thanked Qatar...

New details have emerged about the alleged plot to overthrow Jordan's King Abdullah, indicating that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a starring role along with senior officials within the Trump administration, prominent Jordanians, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Details of the role played by Netanyahu, who...

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters gathered in London on Saturday calling on the Group of Seven (G7) leaders to support Palestinian rights. The protest formed part of the "Resist G7 Day of Action for International Justice" organised by a coalition of groups calling on the G7 nations to "end all...

The UAE has been elected to the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2022-2023 term by winning 179 votes out of the total 190 cast by the General Assembly members, UN news reports. According to the report, the Emirates will replace Tunisia in the Asia-Pacific slot when the mandate...

Turkey signed a new $3.6 billion swap agreement with China, increasing the limit on their existing currency arrangement to $6 billion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday according to Bloomberg. In a statement during a press conference held at Ataturk Airport State Guest House before he departed for Brussels...

Egypt is to launch two satellites next year, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar made the announcement during the Europe-Africa Space Earth Observation High-Level Forum in Lisbon, Portugal. The Nexast-1, weighing just 65kg, will be a lightweight satellite used for remote sensing...

Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel Bin Abdulrahman Al-Assoumi, yesterday congratulated Algeria for holding the legislative election on Saturday. "Conducting these elections represents an important stage in the process of democratic development and strengthening political participation in the Republic of Algeria and represents a necessary step forward," Al-Assoumi said...

Turkey has conducted airstrikes against Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria, in response to a deadly attack on a hospital in the region. The airstrikes targeted the positions of the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Syrian regime-held city of Tel Rifat yesterday....

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday condemned Israel's plan to build 534 new settlement units in the northern occupied West Bank, Anadolu reported. "The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemns in the strongest terms the expansionist colonial settlement project, which targets the entire area south of Nablus," the ministry said in a...

Iraq National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, yesterday said security forces will confront sectarian calls, threatening social peace with "firmness and force", Anadolu reported. Al-Araji made the remarks during a meeting with members of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee to discuss the latest calls by a radical Shia group to demolish the...

Scores of Palestinian fishermen yesterday staged a protest against the continuous Israeli siege on Gaza, as well as the occupation's aggression on the fishing industry, Anadolu reported. Fishermen Syndicate in Gaza organised the protest, which took place in the port west of Gaza City. The fishermen held posters reading: "It is...

Saudi Arabia's Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) yesterday announced the arrest of 136 citizens and expatriates for their "alleged" involvement in corruption. Nazaha said in a statement that the detainees include employees in the ministries of defence, interior, National Guard, health, justice, municipal and rural affairs, and housing and...

Changes in the makeup of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, hardly cause for Palestinian optimism, even at the best of times. All governments of Israel since 1948 have pushed the Palestinians and their legitimate aspirations to near oblivion. The ousting of now-former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday was received...

Hamas and other Palestinian factions have called for a day of rage tomorrow after Israel approved the settler Flag March through Jerusalem, local media reported yesterday. "Our people in Bayt Al-Maqdis who inspired all nations on earth and taught them how to stand up against the occupation, we call on you...

The High Administrative Committee in Gaza told traders that they can import new and used cars through Egypt, making the Palestinian Authority (PA) angry, Sama News agency reported yesterday. This measure, which was approved by Egypt, increased the income of the Administrative Committee of the government in the Gaza Strip. Sama News reported that...

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz last month approved a new bank of targets which Israel could attack in any future offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli TV Channel 12 revealed yesterday. According to Arab48, Israeli TV said that the bank of targets was updated in preparation for a possible outbreak of...

Almost half of Israelis do not believe that the new coalition government sworn in yesterday will complete its term, a poll conducted by Israeli TV Channel 12 showed. On Sunday, Israeli Knesset voted on a new coalition government led by Yamina Party chairman Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. The Channel 12 poll showed that...

The Lebanese army yesterday said it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle 11 irregular migrants out of the country by water from the northern city of Tripoli. "The Lebanese naval forces have managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle 10 Syrians and a Lebanese, aboard a boat off Tripoli's...

The Mediterranean Sea, which desperate refugees and migrants regularly attempt to cross in the hope of a better life, is the "largest cemetery in Europe", Pope Francis said yesterday. The Pope, who frequently draws attention to the plight of refugees, made his remarks at St Peter's Square in the...

Israel's longest-serving leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been ousted from office by a loose coalition of rivals from across the political spectrum, united by their wish to end his 12-year run in power. Israel's parliament voted 60-59 in favour of a new government on Sunday, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year consecutive tenure...

Jordan's military court will start the trial next week of a former royal court chief and a minor royal on charges of agitating to destabilise the monarchy, state media said on Sunday, reports Reuters. Prosecutors last week referred to court the case of Bassem Awadallah, an ex-royal court chief...

Turkey's national defense minister has reiterated his country's support for Libya during a high-level visit to the country ahead of Monday's NATO summit, reports Anadolu Agency. Hulusi Akar met with Libyan military officials on Saturday and visited Libya Task Group Command. Addressing the personnel at the command, Akar emphasized...

The Turkish president on Sunday stressed the importance of alliance ahead of Monday's NATO summit, reports Anadolu Agency. "We will participate in an important summit where decisions will be taken regarding the NATO 2030 process, which will determine the alliance's roadmap for the next ten years," Recep Tayyip Erdogan...

Israeli forces on Sunday dismantled tents for Palestinian families in a nomadic Bedouin community near the village of Taibe, to the northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, reports Anadolu Agency. The Israeli soldiers raiding the village in the morning and destroyed 6 houses and animal shelters. The...

Somali national army on Sunday said it conducted military operations in three different regions in the Horn of Africa country, killing at least 50 al-Shabaab terrorists in the past 48 hours, reports Anadolu Agency. The operations took place in the central region of Hiiran, Middle Shabelle, and southwestern province...

Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of Libya's Presidential Council, emphasized early Sunday the importance of strengthening relations with Turkey, reports Anadolu Agency. Al-Menfi also underscored the importance of improving relations and cooperation with Ankara in a meeting with a Turkish delegation, according to a statement by his office. Turkish Foreign...

Lebanon's currency crashed past a milestone on Sunday reaching a new low against the dollar, as the country's financial meltdown and political deadlock linger, reports Reuters. Market dealers said the Lebanese pound was trading at around 15,150 to the dollar, losing around 90% of what it was worth in...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year hold on power was set to end on Sunday when parliament votes on a new government, ushering in an administration that has pledged to heal a nation bitterly divided over his departure, reports Reuters. Netanyahu, the most dominant Israeli politician of his...

Israeli soldiers arrested three children from the Aida refugee camp on Saturday, according to media reports, reports Anadolu Agency. The Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said Mahmoud Baraqaa,14, Amhad Zakaria Baraqaa, 15, and Abdullah Abu Srour, 14, were detained while playing football. Israeli police also arrested three others in occupied...

At least 14 suspects were detained in Istanbul over their suspected links to the Daesh terror group and conflict zones, a security source said Sunday, reports Anadolu Agency. Provincial counter-terrorism units on June 11 simultaneously raided 20 addresses in 13 districts of Istanbul and made the arrests, said the...

Bangladesh has sought the cooperation of Saudi Arabia for a sustainable repatriation of Rohingya Muslims to their home country, Myanmar, reports Anadolu Agency. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen made the appeal while speaking to his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud over the phone, said a...

Turkey has lowered the vaccine eligibility age to 40, the Turkish health minister announced on Sunday, reports Anadolu Agency. "If you are 40 or older, you can make an appointment as of this morning. We expect 100% participation," Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter. Turkey administered over 33.3 million doses...

A Palestinian government delegation is set to arrive in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian officials on the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, reports Anadolu Agency. The delegation will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr, according to the official Wafa news agency. "The delegation will...

READ: Israel floods farmlands with rainwater in eastern Gaza...

Only 30% of voters turned out in Algeria's parliamentary elections on Saturday, according to the country's election commission, reports Anadolu Agency. "Voter turnout in the polls reached 30.2%," Mohamed Chorfi, chairman of the National Independent Election Authority, told state television. More than 24 million voters were eligible to cast...