Arab World News

Syria Closes ISIS-linked al-Hol Camp after Emptying it

Arab World 18 February 2026, Syria, Al-Hol: A view of al-Hol camp. Photo: Moawia Atrash/dpa

Syria Closes ISIS-linked al-Hol Camp after Emptying it

Syrian authorities have closed al-Hol camp, which long housed relatives of suspected ISIS militants, after emptying the formerly Kurdish-controlled facility, a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)

Palestinian Foreign Ministry Condemns US Ambassador to Israel’s Statements

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned statements by the US ambassador to Israel, in which he claimed that Israel has the right…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World People gather near a building damaged in an Israeli strike in the village of Bednayel in eastern Lebanon, 21 February 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Israel Carries Out More Strikes in Lebanon amid Lack of Int’l Assurances on Wider Regional Escalation

Lebanese officials say the country has yet to obtain firm or decisive Western guarantees that it will be spared from a larger confrontation in the region as…

Caroline Akoum (Beirut)
Arab World Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa shakes hands with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA)

Syrian President Confident in Implementation of SDF Agreement

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is confident in both the mechanism and the pace of implementation of the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),…

Souad Jarous (Damascus)
Arab World US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

US Ambassador Causes Uproar by Claiming Israel has a Right to Much of the Middle East

Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle…

Asharq Al Awsat

Arab World A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

Libyans have been enjoying Ramadan with feasts and fireworks -- but soaring prices, a devalued currency and political divisions have left many with little to…

Arab World Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)

Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has undergone "successful" treatment at a heart hospital, his office said Saturday, but his specific ailment was not…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)

Eight Hezbollah Members Killed in Israel’s Friday Strikes on Lebanon

Attacks carried out by Israel on Friday in eastern Lebanon killed eight members of Hezbollah, an official from the group told AFP on Saturday. Lebanon's…

Arab World Palestinians worshippers gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, in the Old City of Jerusalem, 20 February 2026. (EPA)

Ramadan’s First Friday Prayers Are Held at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque

Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered under heavy Israeli restrictions at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers of the Muslim…

Arab World Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea announces the launch of its electoral campaign in Bcharre. (National News Agency)

Parliamentary Elections Preparations Kick off in Lebanon Despite Doubts They Will Be Held

Political forces in Lebanon have kicked off their preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections in May despite doubts that they may not be held. No…

Arab World This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency's Telegram page, shows Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking hands with US envoy Tom Barrack at the Presidential Palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (Photo by Handout / Syrian Presidency Telegram Page / AFP)

US Makes Plans to Reopen Embassy in Syria after 14 Years

The Trump administration has informed Congress that it intends to proceed with planning for a potential re-opening of the US Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, during an interview in the village of Julis on February 15, 2026 (AFP)

Israeli Druze Leader Says Syrian Community 'Besieged' Months after Clashes

Seven months after deadly clashes between Syria's Druze minority and government-backed forces, the spiritual leader of Druze in neighboring Israel said members…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos addresses the UN Security Council. (US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos on X)

US Calls on Sudan Parties to Immediately Accept Humanitarian Truce

US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos revealed on Friday that the US had called on all Sudanese parties to immediately and…

Arab World Turkish President and his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somali National News Agency)

Somalia Moves to Contain Public Criticism Over Türkiye Ties

Growing cooperation between Mogadishu and Ankara has drawn domestic criticism in Somalia over what some describe as a “one-sided benefit” for Türkiye,…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Palestinians gather between destroyed houses to break their fast together during the holy month of Ramadan in the northern Gaza Strip, 20 February 2026. (EPA)

Board of Peace Pledges on Gaza Face Test of Implementation on the Ground

The first meeting of the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump and attended by Arab and Israeli representatives in the absence of the…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Members of the dissolved Southern Transitional Council attempted to storm the presidential palace in Aden (AP)

Yemen Presidential Leadership Council Vows to Confront Saboteurs

After elements loyal to what was known as the Southern Transitional Council attempted to storm the presidential palace in Aden, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Arab World 22 January 2026, Lebanon, Qnarit: People inspect the damage of a building that was destroyed by an Israeli air raid on the southern Lebanese village of Qnarit. (dpa)

Lebanon Says 12 Dead in Israeli Strikes on East, South

Lebanon said Israeli strikes on the country's east and south killed 12 people on Friday, with Israel's army saying it targeted Hezbollah and its Palestinian…

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Arab World A Somali trader marks watermelons for sale at an open-air grocery market as Muslims start the fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, within Bakara market in Mogadishu, Somalia, February 18, 2026. (Reuters)

UN Says It Risks Halting Somalia Aid Due to Funding Cuts 

The UN's World Food Program (WFP) warned Friday it would have to stop humanitarian assistance in Somalia by April if it did not receive new funding. The Rome…

Arab World Makeshift tents of displaced Palestinian families among the ruins of their homes at sunset during the holy month of Ramadan in Jabaliya northern Gaza Strip on, 19 February 2026. (EPA)

Hamas Says Path for Gaza Must Begin with End to ‘Aggression’ 

Discussions on Gaza's future must begin with a total halt to Israeli "aggression", the Palestinian movement Hamas said after US President Donald Trump's Board…

Arab World This photograph shows a memorial for slain Lebanese Hezbollah longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah at the entrance of the southern village of Qannarit on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

Official Contacts Aim to Keep Lebanon out of War on Iran as Israel Raises Readiness on Northern Front 

Israel has raised the alert level of its military along the border with Lebanon, raising questions that Lebanon’s south may again be involved in a regional…

Caroline Akoum (Beirut)
Arab World Two Israeli soldiers launch a drone. (Israeli Army)

Israel Keen to Attack Iran’s Regional Proxies before they Can Join the War

The Israeli army is preparing to carry out “massive and unprecedented” strikes against groups backed by Iran, including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in…

Nazeer Majli (Tel Aviv)
Arab World The Coordination Framework faces a dilemma after nominating Nouri al-Maliki for Prime Minister (INA)

Iraqi Confusion Over Allegations of US Warning of Sanctions

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that the authorities have received an oral message from Washington, “clearing and explicitly” hinting at possible…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Mourners carry the body of Palestinian-American Nasrallah Muhammad Jamal Abu Siyam, 19, who according to the Palestinian Health Ministry was shot by settlers on Wednesday night, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Mukhmas, east of Ramallah, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Israeli Settlers Kill 19-year-old Palestinian-American

Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian-American during an attack on a village, the Palestinian Health Ministry and a witness…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Zindani government holds first meeting after ministers return to Aden (Saba News Agency)

Yemen PM Announces Comprehensive Reform Plan with Saudi Support

Yemen’s new government convened its first cabinet meeting on Thursday in the temporary capital Aden, with Prime Minister Shayea al-Zindani presiding after…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Aden)
Arab World Humanitarian and relief aid crosses Rafah Crossing (Egyptian Red Crescent)

Rafah Crossing Traffic Lags Two Weeks after Reopening

Despite nearly two weeks since the reopening of the Rafah crossing in both directions, the number of people and humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip falls…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Arab World FILE - A Sudanese child, who fled el-Fasher city with family after Sudan's RSF attacked the western Darfur region, receives treatment at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)

US Slaps Sanctions on Sudan’s RSF Commanders over El-Fasher Killings

The United States announced sanctions on Thursday on three Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders over their roles in the "horrific campaign" of the…

Arab World Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - File Photo/AFP

Israel's Netanyahu Says No Reconstruction of Gaza before Demilitarization

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday there would be no reconstruction of war-shattered Gaza before the disarmament of Hamas, as the …

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World US President Donald Trump speaking in Washington - AFP

Trump Tells First Meeting of Board of Peace that $7 billion Raised for Gaza

US President Donald Trump told the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday that $7 billion has been contributed to a Gaza reconstruction fund that aims…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Children, part of a group of detainees, look through a fence at al-Hol camp after the Syrian government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Few People Left at Syria Camp that Held ISIS Families, Former Director Says

Fewer than 1,000 families remain at a camp where relatives of suspected ISIS militants had been held in Syria's northeast, the camp's former director said on…

Asharq Al Awsat