Arab World News

Israeli Minister Smotrich Calls for US-led Center for Gaza to Be Shuttered

Arab World US and Israeli soldiers convene at the Civil Military Coordination Center, the US-led center overseeing the implementation of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel November 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alexander Cornwell

Israeli Minister Smotrich Calls for US-led Center for Gaza to Be Shuttered

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to shut a US-led multinational coordinating center that supports…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Sohmor, in southern Lebanon on January 15, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Army Says Struck Hezbollah Sites in South Lebanon

Israel's army said it carried out several strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon on Monday, despite Lebanon this month announcing…

Arab World A group of civilians smash a statue of a Syrian Democratic Forces fighter in the city of Tabqa after the Syrian army took control of it, in Tabqa, Syria, January 18, 2026. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Türkiye Sees Deal between Syria, Kurdish Forces as ‘Historic Turning Point’

Türkiye sees an integration deal between Syria's government and Kurdish forces there as an "historic turning point", ahead of which the Turkish intelligence…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A military vehicle of the Syrian army is parked on the highway near Tabqa, after the Syrian army took control of it, Syria, January 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Syrian Army Deploys in Deir Ezzor Province After Kurdish Withdrawal

Syria's army on Monday deployed its forces in parts of the eastern Deir Ezzor province formerly controlled by Kurdish forces following their withdrawal from…

Arab World Hezbollah's then deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, July 2, 2024. (AP)

Qassem's Threat of Civil War Widely Condemned in Lebanon

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem's continued refusal to lay down his party's weapons in defiance of the state have sparked outrage in Lebanon. …

Caroline Akoum (Beirut)

Arab World Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA

Palestinian President’s Advisor: Board of Peace, Related Entities Are a ‘Temporary Arrangement’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the situation in the Gaza Strip, along with the formation of the Board of Peace…

Kifah Zboun (Ramallah)
Arab World Yemeni officials are seen at the consultative meet in in Riyadh on Sunday. (Reuters)

Southern Yemen Leaders Seek Just Solutions at Upcoming Dialogue Conference in Riyadh

A consultative meeting on southern Yemen was held in Riyadh on Sunday, marking a return of the southern issue to the forefront of the regional scene. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Arab World UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 

UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls for Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Sudan

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk said on Sunday he is alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict in Sudan, also…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)

Syrian Government Announces Ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

The Syrian government Sunday announced a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, taking almost full control of the country and dismantling the Kurdish-led…

Arab World  People stand in an area with destroyed vehicles and a structure, which Palestinians say were burned by Israeli settlers on Saturday, in the Palestinian town of Mikhmas, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 18, 2026. (Reuters)

Video Shows Fires in Palestinian Village in West Bank During Israeli Settler Attack

Israeli settlers rampaged through a Palestinian village in the West Bank, setting fire to a series of structures, according to security camera footage obtained…

Arab World  US forces at the Taji camp, north of Baghdad. (AFP file)

Iraq Announces Complete Withdrawal of US-Led Coalition from Federal Territory

Iraq said on Sunday US-led coalition forces had finished withdrawing from bases within the country's federal territory, which excludes the autonomous northern…

Arab World Palestinian girls walk past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Jordan Says King Abdullah Received Invitation to Join Gaza Peace Board

Jordan's foreign ministry said on Sunday that King Abdullah received an invitation from ‌US President ‌Donald ‌Trump ⁠to join ‌the so…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World American soldiers from the U.S.-led coalition against the ISIS organization stand on alert during a meeting with the Syrian Democratic Forces in Deir Hafir, Syria, the day before yesterday (AP).

Türkiye’s Kurdish Leader Calls Syria Clashes 'Sabotage'

Recent deadly clashes in Syria between government forces and Kurdish fighters seek to "sabotage" the peace process between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers'…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World  Aidarous al-Zoubaidi (AFP) 

Aidarous al-Zubaidi Faces Corruption, Land-Grabbing Investigations

Yemen’s Attorney General, Qaher Mustafa, has ordered the formation of a judicial committee to investigate allegations of corruption, illicit enrichment, and…

Ali Rabih (Aden)
Arab World Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (not pictured) at the Prime Minister's Office, during Rubio's visit, in Jerusalem, September 15, 2025. (Reuters)

Israel PM Holds Coalition Meeting After Objecting to Gaza Panel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling coalition partners on Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza advisory…

Arab World  Palestinians walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli air and ground operations in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP)

Israel Issues Two-Month Ultimatum for Hamas to Disarm or Face Renewed War

Israel has given Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, led by Hamas, a two-month deadline to disarm, warning that failure to comply will trigger a new war. …

Kifah Zboun (Ramallah)
Arab World Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem speaks during his televised address on Saturday. (Hezbollah media)

Hezbollah Continues to Defy Attempts to Disarm it, Slams FM

Hezbollah reiterated on Saturday its rejection of attempts to disarm it days after the government vowed to kick off the second phase of the plan to impose…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)

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Arab World A yellow block demarcating the "Yellow Line," which has separated the Gaza Strip's Israeli-held and Palestinian zones since the October ceasefire, is visible in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, where Hamas militants are searching for the remains of hostages, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli Troops Kill Palestinians for Crossing a Vague Ceasefire Line that's Sometimes Unmarked

A dividing line, at times invisible, can mean life or death for Palestinians in Gaza. Those sheltering near the territory's “yellow line” that the Israeli…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A member of the Syrian army monitors the frontline from a fortified military post in the Deir Hafer area, eastern Aleppo countryside, northern Syria, 16 January 2026. (EPA)

Syrian Government, Kurdish Forces Agree Immediate Ceasefire

The Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire on ‌all fronts on ‌Sunday after days…

Arab World FILE - A displacement camp sheltering Palestinians on a beach amid stormy weather is seen in Gaza City, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)

Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against its Policy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday that this week's Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump points as he attends a meeting with oil industry executives, at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

Sisi Says he Values Trump Offer to Mediate Egypt-Ethiopia Dispute on GERD

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he valued an offer by US President Donald Trump to mediate ⁠a dispute over Nile River waters between Egypt and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Syrian army convoys enter the Deir Hafer area in the eastern Aleppo countryside, Syria, after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the handover of the area west of the Euphrates to the Syrian government, 17 January 2026. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA

Kurds Say Sharaa's Decree Falls Short, Syrian Government Forces Enter Deir Hafer

Syria's Kurds on Saturday said a presidential decree recognizing the minority's rights and making Kurdish an official language fell short of their expectations…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under Trump's Plan

The White House on Friday announced some members of a so-called "Board of Peace" that is to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa

Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon

Attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have continued in southern Lebanon, raising growing concern among Lebanese and diplomatic…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese soldiers patrol a suburb of Beirut (dpa)

Lebanon Probes Syrian Over Suspected Funds for Assad Loyalist Fighters

A senior Lebanese security source said Lebanese military intelligence is questioning Syrian national Ahmad Dunya and examining the origins of funds seized in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Lebanese President Joseph Aoun receives Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea at the presidential palace in June 2025. (File photo: Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanon: Geagea Call with Aoun Quells Reports of Rift

A phone call on Friday between Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and President Joseph Aoun helped quell speculation of serious rifts between the two, after…

Nazeer Rida (Beirut)
Arab World Palestinian women mourn the dead after an Israeli strike in central Gaza (AP)

Israel Continues Assassinations of Hamas, Islamic Jihad Leaders

Israel pressed ahead with targeted killings of senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad figures in Gaza, citing recent attacks on its forces, even as a ceasefire…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World Palestinians salvage belongings from a home after an Israeli military attack west of Deir al Balah in central Gaza (AFP)

Gaza Administration Committee Meets in Cairo Amid Cautious Optimism

The Gaza ceasefire agreement entered a new phase on Friday with the first meeting in Cairo of a technocrat committee tasked with administering the enclave,…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian Teen in West Bank

Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian Teen in West Bank

Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian hurling a rock at them in the occupied West Bank, the military said on Friday, and the Palestinian health ministry…

Asharq Al Awsat