israel

Israel Orders Civilians Out of Central Gaza Ahead of New Campaign

The Israeli military on Sunday issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip, warning of imminent action against Hamas militants in an area "where it has not operated before". The military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that residents and displaced Palestinians sheltering in ...

Druze Fighters Regain Control of Syria’s Sweida City

Druze fighters pushed rival armed groups out of Syria's Sweida on Saturday, a monitor and an armed group said, regaining control of the city even as clashes persisted in other parts of the violence-hit province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that "tribal fighters withdrew from Sweida city on Saturday evening" after Druze ...

Two Dead in Israeli Strikes in Khiam and Yohmor al-Shaqif

Israeli Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced that the Army “carried out an airstrike earlier on Saturday, eliminating a member of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force who was involved in efforts to rebuild infrastructure in the Khiam area in southern Lebanon.” He added on the X platform (formerly Twitter): "The operative’s ...

Ceasefire Order Fails to Halt Fighting in Syria's Druze Heartland

Syrian Bedouin and their allies fought Druze fighters in the community's Sweida heartland for a seventh day Saturday despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. AFP correspondents reported clashes in the west of the provincial capital as Druze fighters battled ...

Naim Qassem Rejects Disarmament, Warns Israel

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, speaking at a memorial for commander Ali Karaki, emphasized the group’s ongoing resistance against Israel and accused the latter of repeatedly violating ceasefire agreements in southern Lebanon. Qassem claimed that Hezbollah fully implemented the ceasefire along the Litani River and that the ...

Hamas Armed Wing Says Israel Blocking Ceasefire and Hostage Release Talks

The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Friday accused Israel of blocking a deal in talks for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza. Negotiators from both sides have been in indirect talks in Qatar since July 6 to try to agree on a 60-day truce in the conflict, which would see 10 captives freed. But after ...

Top Holy Land Clerics Visit Gaza after Deadly Church Strike

Two of the most senior Christian leaders in Jerusalem made a rare visit to Gaza on Friday, a day after Israeli fire killed three at the Palestinian territory's only Catholic church, provoking international condemnation. The Roman Catholic Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and his Greek Orthodox counterpart, Theophilos III, ...

Sharaa's Pullout From Syria Druze Heartland Exposes Shaky Leadership

Under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure, Ahmed al-Sharaa pulled troops from Syria's Druze heartland -- a move that exposes the interim leader's weakness just as he sought to assert control. Since seizing office in December after ousting longtime autocrat Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has worked to recast himself from jihadist to statesman, ...

Syria: Bedouin Tribes Mobilize, Damascus Redeploys Troops, Israel Delivers Humanitarian Aid

Tensions continue to rise in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in southern Syria. A spokesperson for the Syrian Interior Ministry said that government forces were preparing to redeploy to the city of Sweida in order to put an end to the ongoing clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon ...

Israel PM Voices Regret After Three Killed at Catholic Church in Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret after Israeli tank fire killed three people at a Catholic church in Gaza on Thursday, blaming a "stray" round for the deaths after a phone call with US President Donald Trump. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said 10 others were also wounded in the attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City ...

Erdogan Accuses Israel of Using Druze as Pretext to Expand Into Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused Israel of using the Druze minority in Syria as a pretext for expanding into the war-torn country. "Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days," Erdogan said in a televised speech after the weekly cabinet meeting. "I ...