Latest Middle East News
In a calendar rarity, Hanukkah starts this year on Christmas Day
Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900. For some rabbis, the intersection of the two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith engagement. “This can...
Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least 7 people, including 4 kids
An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza killed at least seven Palestinians, including four children, and wounded 16 other people Friday afternoon, health officials said. Israel faces heavy international criticism over the unprecedented levels of civilian...
US drops $10M terrorism bounty offered for capture of Syrian rebel leader who ousted Assad
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Biden administration said Friday it has decided not to pursue a $10 million reward it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of President Bashar Assad earlier this month. The announcement followed a meeting in...
8 dead, 18 rescued as speedboat carrying migrants capsizes near Greek island of Rhodes
ATHENS, Greeece (AP) — A speedboat carrying migrants capsized Friday morning off the eastern Greek island of Rhodes, leaving eight dead, Greek authorities said. The coast guard said the incident occurred while the speedboat was carrying out “dangerous maneuvers” to try and...
Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024
For the world, 2024 was riven by — and in some ways defined by — conflict on two fronts. The ripples after the previous year's Hamas attacks in Israel left Gaza a shambles and tens of thousands dead, and an adjacent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out across the...
Blinken announces aid for Sudan and talks about AI risks at UN Security Council
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $200 million in humanitarian aid for conflict-torn Sudan during what was likely his final trip to the United Nations while in office. With the U.N. Security Council more divided than ever, Blinken led two meetings of...
Israel and Hamas appear close to a ceasefire deal. These are the sticking points
CAIRO (AP) — Israel and Hamas appear closer than they have been in months to agreeing to a ceasefire that could wind down the 14-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of people held hostage there. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse over various...
Syrian villagers near the Golan Heights say Israeli forces are banning them from their fields
Israeli forces have set up a position in an abandoned Syrian army base in the village of Maariyah and prevented local farmers from accessing their fields, residents said Thursday. Associated Press journalists who visited the area saw the Israeli troops from a distance and watched a...
IOC publishes manifestos of 7 candidates running to be president and lead Olympics
GENEVA (AP) — The seven candidates running for International Olympic Committee president had their manifestos published on Thursday, and one is offering to take just half of the eight-year mandate on offer and stand again in 2029. Sebastian Coe, the World Athletics president who...
Middle East latest: Israel orders another Gaza evacuation ahead of an offensive
The Israeli military on Wednesday ordered Palestinians to evacuate another section of central Gaza ahead of an offensive in the built-up Bureij refugee camp, even as Israel and the Hamas appeared to inch closer to a ceasefire in the 14-month war. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said...
