Latest Middle East News

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.”...

An Israeli strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah's spokesman, while a strike in Gaza kills at least 30

Nov. 17, 2024 17:02 PM EST

BEIRUT (AP) — A rare Israeli strike in central Beirut killed the Hezbollah militant group's chief spokesman on Sunday, while an Israeli strike in northern Gaza ’s Beit Lahiya killed at least 30 people, a hospital director there told The Associated Press. Mohammed Afif al-Naboulsi...

The United Nations faces uncertainty as Trump returns to US presidency

Nov. 15, 2024 17:06 PM EST

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations and other international organizations are bracing for four more years of Donald Trump, who famously tweeted before becoming president the first time that the 193-member U.N. was “just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.” ...