Arab World News

Tunisia Flood Death Toll Rises to Five

Arab World  A man removes water from his flooded home in La Goulette, near the Tunisian capital Tunis. AFP 

Tunisia Flood Death Toll Rises to Five

Authorities in Tunisia said flooding caused by three days of exceptional rainfall has killed five people, causing property damage in several provinces and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Lebanese residents flee after an Israeli air strike on the town of Qennarit in the South on Wednesday (AP). 

Lebanon: Israel Launches New Phase of Escalation in the South

Israel has intensified its military campaign in areas north of the Litani River in South Lebanon over the past two weeks, carrying out air strikes at least…

Nazir Reda
Arab World Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal holds a meeting of the High Supervision Committee on the Border Protection Assistance Program in the presence of British, US and Canadian Ambassadors to Lebanon (Lebanese Army Directorate of Orientation) 

Lebanese Army Affirms Commitment to Protect Borders with Syria

The Lebanese Army on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to protect the border with Syria, stressing that achieving this goal successfully “requires…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World An aid distribution point in northern Gaza operated by the Egyptian Relief Committee (Egyptian Relief Committee)

Egyptian Gaza Relief Group Says Israeli Strike on Photographers Was Deliberate

The spokesperson for the Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza, Mohamed Mansour, said Israel deliberately targeted three photojournalists while they were carrying…

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
Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Sohmor, in southern Lebanon on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)

Israeli Strikes in South Lebanon Kill Two

An Israeli strike on south Lebanon killed one person on Friday, the health ministry in Beirut said a day after raids that Israel said had targeted Hezbollah. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Syria's Leader Sharaa in Berlin on Tuesday, Says German Presidency

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be visiting Berlin next Tuesday and meet his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German presidency said. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Iraqis burn pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the Iranian consulate in Basra, January 13, 2026 (Reuters). 

US Envoy Opens File on Funds Smuggled from Iraq

Iraqi politicians and observers warn of the potential fallout from a comprehensive review of suspicious financial transactions in Iraq as promised by US envoy…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Doctors Without Borders (AFP) 

Doctors Without Borders: Humanitarian Work in Sudan Hampered by Bureaucratic Hurdles

The health system in Sudan is suffering, with massive shortage of medical staff and supplies, said Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Doctors…

Asharq Al Awsat (Port Sudan)
Arab World A US flag and a US H-1B Visa application form are seen in this illustration taken, September 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration 

Egypt Appeased after US Limits Suspension of Visas to ‘Immigrants’

Egyptian experts and tourism workers expressed satisfaction on Friday after the administration of President Donald Trump said its decision to place new…

Ahmad Jamal
Arab World  A previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members convicted on terrorism charges in Egypt (AFP)

Muslim Brotherhood Faces Growing Int’l Isolation after Trump Decision

The Muslim Brotherhood is facing growing international isolation after US President Donald Trump moved to designate its branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Sami Nasman (X)

Sami Nasman, a Hamas Foe, Returns to Run Gaza Security

Even the most optimistic advocates of change in Gaza’s system of governance did not expect the list for the proposed Gaza Administration Committee to include…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Tents sheltering displaced Palestinian families line Gaza City’s coastline as strong winter winds sweep the enclave (AFP)

Hamas Rejects Exclusion from Gaza Political Scene

A US announcement launched the second phase of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, as questions swirl over the future of Hamas after nearly two years of…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meeting in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yemen’s Presidential Council Fills Vacancies in Council Membership

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) on Thursday approved a package of measures to fill membership vacancies and improve public services and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World  Palestinians walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)

Gaza Ceasefire Enters Phase Two Despite Unresolved Issues

A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza has entered its second phase despite unresolved disputes between Israel and Hamas over alleged ceasefire violations and…

Arab World A handout photo from Israeli television made available on July 13, 2008, shows a photograph of Ron Arad, an Israeli Air Force navigator who was captured after his fighter jet was shot down in Lebanon in 1986. (Handout / AFP)

Lebanon Charges Four Accused of Kidnapping for Israel’s Mossad

Four people accused of a kidnapping in Lebanon for Israel's Mossad spy agency last month have been charged, a judicial official said on Thursday, after a…

Arab World  Makeshift tents shelter displaced Palestinians stand among buildings destroyed by Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)

Israeli Strikes Kill Five in Gaza, Say Local Health Authorities

Two Israeli airstrikes killed five people, including a 16-year-old, in Deir al-Balah on Thursday, said local health authorities. The Israeli military did not…

Arab World  Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan answers questions from reporters during a news conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP)

Türkiye Says Syrian Government Could Use Force Against Kurds

The Syrian government army could use further force against Kurdish militants after a flare-up in violence in northern Syria, the foreign minister of…

Arab World According to the UN, more than 21 million people are now facing acute food insecurity, with two-thirds in urgent need of assistance. (AFP)

Sudan Food Aid Could Run Out as Peace Efforts Stall

Food aid in Sudan is set to run out by the end of March unless new funding is secured, the United Nations said Thursday, raising fears for millions caught up…

Arab World Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chairs a meeting with representatives of the “Quintet” at the Presidential Palace in Beirut (AFP). 

Int’l Momentum Builds for Paris Conference to Support Lebanese Army, Enforce Arms Monopoly

The announcement of a conference to support the Lebanese Army, scheduled to be held in Paris on March 5, has gathered notable international momentum, bolstered…

Nazir Reda (Beirut)
Arab World Palestinian Ali Shaath, the leading candidate for the chairmanship of the Gaza Administration Committee (photo released by his family). 

Ali Shaath Appointed Head of Gaza Administration Committee: What Do We Know About Him?

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye announced on Wednesday the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the Gaza Strip, headed by…

Asharq Al Awsat