Arab World News

Former Syrian Regime Officer Arrested

Arab World Syrian Ministry of Interior in Damascus (Official Website)

Former Syrian Regime Officer Arrested

Syria's Interior Ministry announced on Saturday the arrest of a former officer in Bashar al-Assad's regime holding the rank of major general and accused of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus )
Arab World Displaced residents wave Hezbollah flags, including one bearing a picture of its leader, Naim Qassem, as they pass rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Hezbollah Says Message from Iran Shows it 'Will Not Give up' on Group

Hezbollah said Saturday that a message from Tehran showed that Iran would not abandon the Lebanese militant group and that the Islamic republic's latest…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)

South Lebanon Hospital Damaged in Israeli Strikes

Israel kept up strikes on Lebanon on Saturday, hours after overnight raids on the country's south and east, including one that damaged a hospital, its chief…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike at al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli Strike Kills Five Gaza Police Officers

An Israeli strike killed five police officers in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, said a hospital and the Palestinian territory's police force, which…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World This picture taken on May 21, 2026 shows smoke rising from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Mayfadoun. (Photo by AFP)

Israel Warns of Imminent Strikes on 10 Lebanese Villages

Israel warned the residents of 10 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately to avoid planned air strikes against alleged Hezbollah…

Asharq Al Awsat

Arab World  A member of the Israeli security forces aims his weapon while patrolling during a military raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 11, 2026. (AFP)

Palestinian Ministry Says Israeli Forces Kill Man in West Bank Camp

Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces killed a man on Saturday on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank. The…

Arab World A circulated image shows defector Savanna among his troops during military operations before splitting from the Rapid Support Forces. 

Defector ‘Savannah’ Arrives in Khartoum, Deepening RSF Crisis

Former Rapid Support Forces (RSF) field commander Brigadier General Ali Rizqallah, known as “Savannah,” arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum days after…

Ahmed Younes (Kampala)
Arab World  Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Kurdish Groups Reject Allocation of Only 4 Seats to Them in Syria Parliament

Syrian Kurdish groups on Friday rejected the allocation of only four seats for Kurds in Syria’s 210-member parliament, saying the move does not reflect the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World This handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi (C) sitting ahead of presenting his government to the parliament in Baghdad on May 14, 2026. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)

Iraq’s Coordination Framework on Verge of Collapse after Zaidi’s Govt Approved by Parliament

Iraq’s ruling pro-Iran Coordination Framework appears to be on the verge of collapse after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government was approved by parliament…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad) Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Arab World Mourners carry portraits of Ezzedine Al-Haddad, the slain chief of the Qassam Brigades -- the armed wing of Palestinian movement Hamas, who was killed in an overnight Israeli strike along with his daughter and wife, during their funeral in Gaza City on May 16, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Says Hamas Armed Wing Chief Killed in Gaza Strike

Israel said Saturday it had killed Hamas armed wing chief Ezzedine Al-Haddad in an airstrike in Gaza the previous day, describing him as a key architect of the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Key benefits include allowing Syrians entering the country to use their international bank cards domestically (X).

Syria Names New Central Bank Governor

Syria named a new central bank governor on Friday in the latest reshuffle since last week's partial government overhaul. The official SANA news agency said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Water sellers gather with donkey-drawn carts to collect and sell water. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Thirst Grips Khartoum Residents as War Enters Fourth Year

As Sudan’s war enters its fourth year, civilians are enduring worsening hardship on an unprecedented scale, with prolonged power outages and the broad collapse…

Asharq Al Awsat (Khartoum )
Arab World This handout photo provided by Syria's SANA news agency's Telegram channel on May 9, 2026, shows Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meeting with the Syrian president (unseen) at the People's Palace in Damascus. (SANA / AFP / Handout)

Lebanon PM Says Country Has Had Enough ‘Reckless’ Wars for Foreign Interests

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday said his country has had enough "reckless" wars for foreign interests, calling for Arab and international support…

Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Deir al-Zahrani on May 13, 2026. (AFP)

Lebanon, Israel Say Extending Ceasefire Despite New Strikes

Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend a ceasefire and hold expanded talks on a political settlement, the United States announced Friday, even as Israel carried…

Arab World A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed during the Israel Hamas war, in Gaza City, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)

Hamas to Choose its Leader on Sunday Amid Push for Comprehensive National Dialogue

Hamas voiced hope that a direct meeting would be held between its leadership and Fatah’s after the end of the latter’s eighth general conference, which is…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on May 15, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli Strikes Wound Dozens in Lebanon as Talks in US Enter Second Day

Israel carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon that it said targeted the Hezbollah group on Friday, wounding 37 people as the two countries' envoys started…

Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on May 15, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Army Says Striking Hezbollah Sites in Tyre Area of South Lebanon

Israel's military said Friday it was striking Hezbollah targets in the Tyre area of south Lebanon, as the two countries entered the second day of US-brokered…

Arab World Palestinian boys from a local soccer academy run after the ball during a training session at the municipal stadium of the West Bank City of Nablus, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Palestinian Authority Says Teen Killed by Israeli Forces in West Bank

The Palestinian Authority said Friday that a 15-year-old was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, while the Israeli army said he had been…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World The NYT report described "a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children -- by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, prison guards". (WAFA)

Israel Threatens to Sue NYT Over Report on Sexual Abuse of Palestinian Inmates

Israel on Thursday threatened to take The New York Times to court over a piece it published denouncing allegedly widespread sexual abuse against Palestinian…

Arab World Al-Alimi praised the existing partnership between the Yemeni government and UN agencies. Photo: Al-Alimi's official website

Yemen Consolidates Int’l Partnerships to Support Development, Stability and Services

The Yemeni government has consolidated efforts with its international partners to gradually transition from the emergency response phase toward recovery and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Arab World Palestinians attend a rally marking 'Nakba' day in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 12 May 2026. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH

Palestinians in Gaza Mark Anniversary of 1948 Mass Expulsion and Say Today's Catastrophe is Worse

Blink and you might miss the few stone walls that are all that’s left of the village that Yusuf Abu Hamam’s family was forced to flee when he was an infant in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (R) meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (L) in Rabat, Morocco, 14 May 2026. (EPA)

Morocco and Syria Establish Joint Business Council

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani reopened on Thursday his country’s embassy in the Moroccan capital Rabat. The FM was on an official visit to the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat) Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World  Iraqi lawmakers attend the session to approve the new government in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (Iraqi Presidency Office via AP)

Iraq PM Vows Monopoly on Arms as Parliament Approves Government

Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Thursday led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who vowed to ensure a state monopoly on weapons amid growing US…

Arab World Lebanese army soldiers man a checkpoint in Beirut, Lebanon, 14 May 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Israel Refuses to Withdraw from Lebanon before ‘Disabling’ Hezbollah

Israel refused to withdraw from Lebanese territories it occupied during its recent war with Hezbollah before eliminating the military capabilities of the Iran…

Ali Barada (Washington)
Arab World Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, poses for a photo as members of the Supervisory Committee on the Detainees Release Agreement attend the closing ceremony of a meeting between the legitimate Yemeni government and the Houthis, in Amman, Jordan, May 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Yemen Govt Agrees Largest Prisoner Exchange with Houthis

Yemen's legitimate government and the Iran-backed Houthi militants agreed Thursday to free more than 1,600 detainees in the largest swap during Yemen's 11-year…

Ali Rabih (Aden)
Arab World An Israeli military vehicle operates by the Israeli‑Lebanese border, in northern Israel, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Shir Torem

Israel Reports Soldier Killed in South Lebanon, Orders Evacuation of 5 Villages

Israel's military said Friday that one of its soldiers died in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 20 personnel since the war with Hezbollah…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A man inspects his damaged car amid the rubble of shops destroyed in previous Israeli airstrikes in the Hosh neighborhood of Tyre, southern Lebanon, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

War Worsens Lebanon's Economic Crisis with Job Losses, Price Gouging and Slow Business

Ayman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern village of Al-Halloussiyah on May 13, 2026. (AFP)

US Casts Israel-Lebanon Talks on Thursday as ‘Positive and Productive’

The United States cast Israel-Lebanon talks held in Washington on Thursday as "productive and positive" and a State Department official said more discussions…

Arab World  Israeli military vehicles move inside Lebanese territory near the border - Reuters

Lebanon Truce Becomes Open Battlefield Between Hezbollah, Israel

The confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah widened on Thursday as Israeli strikes moved beyond southern border villages into the western Bekaa, while new…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)