U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards an aircraft during his departure from Washington to travel to the Middle East, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., January 4, 2024. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to meet … Read more
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — On another urgent diplomatic mission to the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Sunday with Arab partners to press for their help in tamping down resurgent fears that Israel’s three-month war against Hamas in Gaza could spread. In discussions with Qatar’s emir and Jordan’s king, Blinken spoke of … Read more
On Jan. 2, a surprise Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut suggested 2024 could open with a terrifying spiral: An expansion of the Israel-Hamas war into Lebanon that could draw in the U.S., Iran and even nuclear weapons. A few days later, that prospect seems slightly more remote, as the players involved have … Read more
Beyond the conflict in Gaza it has been a violent few weeks in the wider Middle East, from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea to bomb blasts in Iran and a killing by drone in Beirut. Julian Borger explains what may happen next Iran suffered the worst terrorist attack in the history of the … Read more
Iranians hold portraits of slain top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani during the commemoration ceremony marking the anniversary of his killing in the Iranian capital Tehran on January 3, 2024. Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images Deadly blasts that killed at least 84 people in southern Iran has added to growing international concerns about the … Read more
Another 31 Australian citizens, permanent residents and family members have left Gaza and made it to the safety of Egypt. The evacuation took the number of Australians the federal government has helped get out of the conflict-ridden region to 62, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. “They are being supported by our consular staff in Egypt,” … Read more
As the reported death toll of the Israeli invasion of Gaza tops 22,000, senior Israeli politicians have grown more explicit in their goal for the Palestinian enclave: the movement of a large number of Gazans out of Gaza entirely. The rhetoric has garnered charges of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, and a rare rebuke from … Read more
When Rami Mahmoud left his family’s home in northern Gaza to buy food, his wife Elham Maged stayed behind to pray. When he made his way back through the narrow, tightly packed nearby streets of the Jabalya Refugee Camp, he returned to a scene of complete chaos. An Israeli airstrike had smashed into the centre … Read more
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday repeated his criticism of the Israeli government’s military approach in Gaza, calling on his fellow lawmakers to reject the Biden administration’s request for billions in military aid for Israel. The Biden administration has asked Congress to approve an additional support package for U.S. allies, including Israel, which Sanders described … Read more
03 January 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: The destroyed Hamas’ office that was attacked by Israel on 02 January killing Palestinian leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others pictured from shattered glass in Beirut southern suburb. Photo: Marwan Naamnai/dpa (Photo by Marwan Naamnai/picture alliance via Getty Images) Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The killing of … Read more
