Latest Middle East News

More aid workers have been killed in 2024 than in any other year, UN says

Nov. 22, 2024 06:03 AM EST

GENEVA (AP) — More aid workers, health care staffers, delivery personnel and other humanitarians have been killed in 2024 than in any other single year, the United Nations reported Friday. Bloodshed in the Middle East has been the single-biggest cause of the 281 deaths among...

Iran's vast collection of Western art, much long hidden, re-emerges despite high tensions with US

Nov. 22, 2024 04:14 AM EST

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — As Iran faces increasing tensions with the West and turmoil at home, a new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is displaying Western artwork including pieces not seen by the public in at least a decade. The unveiling of the exhibition “Eye to...

Death toll in Gaza from Israel-Hamas war passes 44,000, Palestinian officials say

Nov. 21, 2024 20:12 PM EST

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has...

Middle East latest: ICC issues warrant for Israel's Netanyahu as Gaza death toll soars past 44,000

Nov. 21, 2024 18:45 PM EST

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The announcement came as health officials in the Gaza Strip said the...

US defense chief regrets China's decision not to meet during Southeast Asian security talks

Nov. 20, 2024 20:26 PM EST

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed regret Wednesday that his Chinese counterpart chose not to hold talks with him during meetings of Southeast Asian defense chiefs in Laos, calling it a setback for the entire region. The Association of Southeast...

Israeli officials demand the right to strike Hezbollah under any cease-fire deal for Lebanon

Nov. 20, 2024 13:51 PM EST

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli officials demanded Wednesday the freedom to strike Lebanon's Hezbollah as part of any cease-fire deal, raising a potential complication as a top U.S. envoy was in the region attempting to clinch an agreement. The development came as an airstrike hit the...

US support for Ukraine and Israel is eating into weapons stockpiles, Indo-Pacific commander says

Nov. 19, 2024 17:58 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are eating away at critical U.S. weapons stockpiles and could hamper the military's ability to respond to China should a conflict arise in the Indo-Pacific, the top U.S. commander for that region said Tuesday. Head of U.S....

Middle East latest: Israel strikes in the heart of Lebanon's capital

Nov. 18, 2024 23:00 PM EST

Israeli airstrikes targeted a neighborhood in the heart of Lebanon's capital late Monday evening, slamming into an area near the Parliament, several embassies and the U.N. headquarters, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least...

Brazil’s G20 summit produces a broad declaration that’s short on specifics

Nov. 18, 2024 20:27 PM EST

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The summit of the Group of 20 leading economies in Rio de Janeiro produced a joint declaration Monday that, while not totally endorsed by one of the group's members, succeeded in addressing most topics host Brazil had prioritized addressing: both ongoing major wars, a global...

Some Arab Americans who voted for Trump are concerned about his picks for key positions

Nov. 18, 2024 12:22 PM EST

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Just a week after winning several of the nation’s largest Arab-majority cities, President-elect Donald Trump has filled top administration posts with staunch Israel supporters, including an ambassador to Israel who has claimed “there is no such thing as Palestinians.”...