Latest Middle East News
What does the ceasefire agreement mean for Israel, Hamas and the wider Middle East?
Mediators said Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause the fighting in Gaza starting Sunday after 15 months of war and to begin exchanging dozens of hostages held there for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had yet to confirm on Tuesday that...
Trump and Biden both claim credit for Gaza ceasefire deal
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza on Wednesday after the White House brought Trump's Middle East envoy into negotiations that have dragged on for months. Trump...
The Israel-Hamas war's devastating toll, by the numbers
Officials announced that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement to pause more than 15 months of war and release hostages held in Gaza. Here are some figures that show the scale of death and devastation. Sources include the Israeli government, the Gaza Health Ministry and...
Hamas OKs draft agreement of a Gaza ceasefire and the release of some hostages, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said Tuesday. Mediators from the United States and Qatar said Israel and the Palestinian militant group were at the closest point yet to...
A look at the terms — and tensions — in the Israel-Hamas draft ceasefire deal
CAIRO (AP) — If the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal goes according to the current draft, then fighting will stop in Gaza for 42 days, and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed. In this first phase Israeli troops will pull back to the edges of Gaza, and many...
Blinken makes the case for post-war reconstruction, security and governance of Gaza
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a last-minute case Tuesday for a plan for the post-war reconstruction and governance of Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears tantalizingly close to completion. Blinken touted the proposal, which has been in...
What to watch as Pete Hegseth faces questions about his experience and personal past
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will publicly face senators for the first time Tuesday after weeks of privately pushing back on criticism over his qualifications and personal past. Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News...
Biden says he's leaving Trump with a 'strong hand to play' in world conflicts
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Monday that his stewardship of American foreign policy has left the U.S. safer and economically more secure, arguing that President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a nation viewed as stronger and more reliable than it was four years ago. ...
Palestinians dedicate a new West Bank olive grove to Jimmy Carter
TULKAREM, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian activists and residents planted a grove of 250 olive trees in a northern West Bank town on Monday in memory of the late U.S. President Jimmy Carter, describing him as a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause. The former president’s...
Significant progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn't been reached yet, officials said Monday. Four officials acknowledged that...
