Arab World News

Syria Starts Evacuating ISIS-linked Al-Hol Camp

Arab World TOPSHOT - Members of Syrian security forces march through the entrance of the Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakeh province on January 21, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

Syria Starts Evacuating ISIS-linked Al-Hol Camp

Syrian authorities began evacuating remaining residents of the ISIS group-linked Al-Hol camp in the country's northeast on Tuesday, as they empty the formerly…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Taxi drivers, foreground, block a main highway with their cars during a protest against the increased taxes and gasoline prices issued by the Lebanese Cabinet on Monday, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Protesters Block Beirut Roads after Cabinet Approves New Taxes that Raise Fuel Prices

Protesters blocked main roads in and around Beirut on Tuesday after Lebanon’s Cabinet approved new taxes that raise fuel prices and other products to fund…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A group of women wait for news as Palestinian civil defense teams work to recover the remains of 67 members of the Abu Nasr family from beneath the rubble of their home after it was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahiya, north of Gaza City, 15 February 2026. (EPA)

Under Israeli Cover, Gaza Gangs Kill and Abduct Palestinians in Hamas-Controlled Areas 

Amid heavy Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, armed gangs carried out kidnappings and executions of Palestinians on Monday in areas controlled by Hamas, west of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World Part of previous consultative meetings for Yemeni lawyers in Sanaa (Facebook)

Lawyers in Sanaa Under Houthi Repression

In areas controlled by the Houthi group in Yemen, there is an increasing number of violations targeting lawyers, raising widespread concerns about the future…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands outside the entrance to his office at Parliament House in Canberra on February 11, 2026. (AFP)

Australia Won’t Repatriate 34 Women and Children from Syria 

The Australian government will not repatriate from Syria a group of 34 women and children with alleged ties to the ISIS group, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese…


Arab World Israeli settlers walk toward the border with Gaza on Thursday (AFP). 

Israeli Army Allows Settlers to Spend Night Near Gaza

The Israeli army on Friday escorted about 1,500 Jewish settlers out of an area near the Gaza Strip after allowing them to spend a single night along the border…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tel Aviv)
Arab World  Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shake hands as he receives French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (L) upon his arrival for an official visit to Baghdad on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

Paris Urges Baghdad to Avoid Being Dragged in Regional Escalation

French diplomatic sources said Paris has warned of the risks posed by the involvement of Iraqi armed factions in any potential regional escalation, stressing…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris)
Arab World Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces welcome a convoy of the Syrian Ministry of Interior heading to Qamishli in northeastern Syria. (AP)

Damascus Moves to Implement SDF Deal amid Regional and International Backing

Damascus is pressing ahead with steps to implement its agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the gradual integration of its fighters,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris) Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Arab World Trump and leaders and representatives of the countries participating in the signing of the founding charter of the “Peace Council” in Davos (AFP - Archive)

Axios: US Plans Meeting for Gaza 'Board of Peace' in Washington on Feb 19

The White House is planning the first leaders meeting for President Donald Trump's so-called "Board of Peace" in relation to Gaza on February 19, Axios…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up Friday while a security force was trying to arrest him in western Iraq near the Syrian border, killing himself and wounding two security members, an Iraqi security official said. (Reuters/File)

A Man Detonates Explosive Belt during Arrest Attempt in Iraq, Injuring 2 Security Members

A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up Friday while a security force was trying to arrest him in western Iraq near the Syrian border, killing himself…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World United Nations Spanish UNIFIL forces arrive to inspect chalets, after the Israeli army reportedly booby-trapped and blew them up at dawn, on the outskirts of the town of al-Khiam, southern Lebanon on January 31, 2026. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)

UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Allege Surge in Israeli Violence toward Them

UN peacekeepers patrolling southern Lebanon have faced a dramatic surge of “aggressive behavior” by Israeli forces over the last year, including drone-dropped…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World This handout photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency Press Office shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) receiving France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot (L) at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency Press Office / AFP)

France to Rally Aid for Lebanon as It Warns Truce Gains Remain Fragile

France said on Friday that Lebanon's recovery remains precarious despite positive signs following a ceasefire and government transition, and it stood ready to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi chairs a council meeting on Friday. (Saba)

Al-Alimi Names New Yemeni Govt

Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi announced on Friday the formation of a new government. The lineup was presented by…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Arab World Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal during his visit to Washington (Lebanese Army Command)

Lebanese Army Chief Faces Labeling Dispute During Washington Visit

What was meant to be a routine visit by Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal to Washington to discuss military support and aid coordination turned…

Elie Youssef (Washington )
Arab World Displaced Palestinians inspect the damage after Israeli aircraft targeted a five floor house last night, in Khan Younis southern Gaza Strip on February 6, 2026. (AFP)

Egypt Steps Up Efforts to Support Gaza Administration Committee After Entry Stalled

Egypt is intensifying efforts to back the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, hoping it can begin operating inside the enclave to implement…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Hamas fighters in Gaza City. (AFP)

Gaza Deal Mediators Have Few Options on Hamas Disarmament

Israel’s demand for the disarmament of Hamas has become the top priority since the second phase of the Gaza agreement began 10 days ago. It exposed deep…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World  French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot holds a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon, in Beirut, Lebanon February 6, 2026. (Reuters)

French FM Says Iran Must Stop Being ‘Destabilizing Power’

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said during a visit to Lebanon that Iran should stop being a "destabilizing power", citing its nuclear program and…

Arab World Attorney General Pam Bondi, center, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and Jeanine Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia, appears before reporters at the Justice Department, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Washington, to announce the capture of a key participant in the 2012 attack on a US compound that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya. (AP)

US Says ‘Key Participant’ in 2012 Attack on Benghazi Mission Arrested

One of the "key participants" behind the 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi that left the ambassador and three other Americans dead has been arrested,…

Arab World Lebanon’s Hezbollah members carry Hezbollah flags during the funeral of a fellow fighter, in al-Ghaziyeh village, southern Lebanon May 26, 2015. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho

Hezbollah Accepts Resignation of Senior Security Official Wafiq Safa amid Restructuring

Lebanon's Hezbollah accepted the resignation of senior security official Wafiq Safa on Friday, the first time an official of his rank has stepped down, sources…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World People carry Syrian flags of the opposition as they celebrate the ouster of the Assad regime in Damascus, in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, 08 December 2024. (EPA)

Lebanon and Syria Ink Deal on Prisoner Handover

Lebanon inked an agreement with Syria on Friday to hand some 300 convicts over to Damascus, a move seen as key to helping turn a new page in ties between the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot gives a joint press conference with the President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region in Erbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Safin HAMID / AFP)

French FM: Lebanese Army Must be Given 'Means' to Disarm Hezbollah

Lebanon's army must be given the means to disarm Hezbollah, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told AFP ahead of his expected arrival in Beirut on Friday…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi receives Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency).

Defense Cooperation Between Egypt and Türkiye: Increasing Influence by Shifting Regional Power Balances

Cairo and Ankara are moving to deepen military and defense cooperation, a key focus of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Egypt on Wednesday. …

Hisham Elmayany (Cairo)
Arab World US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (Reuters)

Lindsey Graham Cuts Meeting Short with Lebanon Army Chief over Hezbollah Designation

Influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said that he cut his meeting short with Lebanese army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal after the commander refused…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Arab World Thousands of Libyans surround an ambulance carrying the coffin of Seif al-Islam, son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, in Bani Walid city, Libya, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP)

Thousands Attend Burial of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi

Thousands turned out on Friday for the burial of the slain son of former Libyan ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in a town that still holds allegiance to the late…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Civil protection personnel are evacuating residents from their homes after floods swept through Ksar El Kebir, Morocco, 01 February 2026, amid ongoing heavy rainfall and rising water levels in the Loukkos River, which have reached record highs. EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI

Morocco Says Evacuated 140,000 People Due to Severe Weather

Authorities have evacuated more than 140,000 people from their homes since heavy rainfall flooded several provinces in northern Morocco last week, the interior…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Army command

Top US Military Officer Met with Lebanese Counterpart

Top US military officer General Dan Caine met with Rodolphe Haykal this week, a spokesman said Thursday, after a previously planned visit by the Lebanese army…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Meeting between Badr Abdelatty, Abbas Araghchi, and Rafael Grossi in Cairo in September (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt Pushes Diplomacy to Clear Hurdles in US-Iran Talks

Egypt has stepped up regional and international efforts to break the deadlock in negotiations between the United States and Iran, as Cairo welcomed a…

Walid Abdel Rahman (Cairo)
Arab World A Palestinian woman reacts during the funeral of Islamic Jihad leader Ali al-Razaina in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday (Reuters)

Israel Targets Gaza Militants Linked to Israeli Abductions

Israeli military statements issued on Wednesday said its forces had targeted senior militants in the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, accusing them of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World Hezbollah parliamentary bloc head Mohammed Raad meets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Presidency)

Hezbollah’s Selective Turn to State Exposes Paralysis

Since the ceasefire reached with Israel in November 2024, Hezbollah has shown a striking shift in its political conduct, particularly in how it deals with…

Caroline Akoum (Beirut)