Middle East latest: Israel's military launches wave of raids across the occupied West Bank

The Israeli military launched a wave of raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians it said were militants a day after a deadly shooting attack. The army said it killed two militants in an airstrike after they fired at troops in...

First international commercial flight since Assad's ouster lands in Syria's capital

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed Tuesday at the Damascus airport, arriving from Qatar. Jordanian state-run Petra news agency reported that a Royal Jordanian Airlines plane departed for...

The first international commercial flight to Syria since the fall of Bashar Assad's government has landed in Damascus

Long silenced by fear, Syrians now speak about rampant torture under Assad

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Handcuffed and squatting on the floor, Abdullah Zahra saw smoke rising from his cellmate’s flesh as his torturers gave him electric shocks. Then it was Zahra’s turn. They hanged the 20-year-old university student from his wrists until his toes barely...

US eases restrictions on Syria while keeping sanctions in place

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Monday eased some restrictions on Syria's transitional government to allow the entry of humanitarian aid after Islamist insurgents ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad last month. The U.S. Treasury issued a general license, lasting six months, that...

Residents of Syria's Quneitra are frustrated by lack of action to halt Israeli advance

QUNEITRA, Syria (AP) — A main road in the provincial capital of Quneitra in southern Syria was blocked with mounds of dirt, fallen palm trees and a metal pole that appeared to have once been a traffic light. On the other side of the barriers, an Israeli tank could be seen maneuvering in the...

Syria's foreign minister visits Qatar as new authorities seek regional and global diplomatic ties

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's new foreign minister met with his Qatari counterpart and Qatar's prime minister in Doha on Sunday, as Syria’s new de facto authorities under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, establish diplomatic ties with regional and global governments. Foreign...

The fragile Israel-Hezbollah truce is holding so far, despite violations

BEIRUT (AP) — A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has held up for over a month, even as its terms seem unlikely to be met by the agreed-upon deadline. The deal struck on Nov. 27 to halt the war required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its...

New Orleans attack came as officials warned of an escalating threat of international terrorism

WASHINGTON (AP) — After Hamas launched the deadly assault on Israel that triggered retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, FBI Director Christopher Wray said he feared the Middle East violence could embolden individuals or groups to carry out attacks inside the United States. Months later,...

Middle East latest: Germany and France seek a 'new beginning' with Syria

The top diplomats from Germany and France were in Syria on Friday to send what the German minister called a clear signal that Europe and Syria can have a “political new beginning" after Islamist insurgents ousted Bashar Assad. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her...