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Blinken Says Still 'Space For Agreement' On Gaza Hostages

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on November 3, 2023 (FILE: AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on November 3, 2023 (FILE: AFP)
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Blinken Says Still 'Space For Agreement' On Gaza Hostages

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on November 3, 2023 (FILE: AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on November 3, 2023 (FILE: AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday an agreement to return hostages from Gaza remained possible and called for protecting civilians as Israel prepares military action in packed Rafah.

Blinken's call for moderation put a brave face on remarks shortly beforehand by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected Hamas calls for a ceasefire as part of the Qatari-brokered hostage deal and vowed military action in Rafah.

"While there are some clear non-starters in Hamas's response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv hours after meeting Netanyahu.

Asked about Netanyahu's rejection, Blinken said he is "not going to speak for Israel" but that the Hamas counter-proposal at least offered an opportunity "to pursue negotiations" on hostages, AFP reported.

Blinken said he would meet Thursday with families of hostages and was committed to seeking the release of all of them.

"The sheer agony not knowing the fate of your loved one, it's almost unimaginable," Blinken said.

Four months after the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel, Netanyahu also vowed to move on the city of Rafah in Gaza's far south, where more than one million Palestinians have sought refuge.

Blinken stopped short of calling on Israel not to strike Rafah, after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "alarmed" by the prospects of the operation, but voiced concern.

"Israel has the responsibility -- has the obligation -- to do everything possible to ensure civilians are protected," Blinken said.

Any "military operation that Israel undertakes needs to put civilians first and foremost in mind", he said of Rafah.

Blinken said he told Netanyahu and other officials that the death toll each day in Gaza "remains too high".

He said he also voiced alarm to Netanyahu about "actions and rhetoric" by members of his far-right government that "inflame tensions that undercut international support and place greater restraints on Israel's security".

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Arab World

Türkiye will Hand Over Key Base in Iraq in a Gradual Troop Withdrawal Deal

Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armoured vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026, following recent situation in Syria. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP)
Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armoured vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026, following recent situation in Syria. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP)
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Türkiye will Hand Over Key Base in Iraq in a Gradual Troop Withdrawal Deal

Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armoured vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026, following recent situation in Syria. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP)
Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armoured vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026, following recent situation in Syria. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP)

Türkiye has agreed to gradually withdraw forces from a strategic military base in northern Iraq and hand over its control to the Iraqi government, following a meeting between the two countries’ leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Iraq, meanwhile, pledged to remove armed groups that Türkiye considers security threats from the region of Sinjar, in northwestern Iraq, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting late Wednesday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

“In light of the progress Iraq has achieved through security measures, Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zelikan camp to the Iraqi federal government, in accordance with the agreed-upon mechanism and timeline,” according to the joint statement released by Erdogan and al-Zaidi’s offices.

Türkiye and Iraq also agreed to “fully extend the authority of the Iraqi state in Sinjar and to end the presence of banned foreign armed elements,” the statement read.

The strategically-located Bashiqa base has long been an issue of contention between Türkiye and Iraq, with Türkiye failing to fully withdraw forces, despite previous discussions for their removal. Türkiye established a military presence there in 2015 to support operations against the ISIS group and help secure the region.

Although Türkiye maintains several bases in northern Iraq for operations against the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, the Bashiqa camp is Türkiye's furthest base from its border.

Türkiye, for its part, has long been pressing Iraq to curb groups with links to the PKK and other non-state armed groups from operating in Sinjar.

The Iraqi government announced earlier this month that the Sinjar Resistance Units, a Yazidi militia affiliated with the PKK, had agreed to disarm and eligible fighters would be integrated into the Iraqi security forces. The group played a significant role in the fight against ISIS, but was seen by Türkiye as a threat because of its PKK affiliation.

The agreement came as the US is ending its decades-long military presence in Iraq, with officials saying the hundreds of troops remaining in northern Iraq will be out by a Sept. 30 deadline.

Türkiye, meanwhile, is engaged in peace efforts with the PKK aimed at ending a decades-long conflict. The group, whose fighters have launched attacks on Turkish targets from bases in northern Iraq, has agreed to disband and lay down arms as part of the effort.

Arab World

PAM Party Wins Most Seats in Morocco's Parliamentary Election

A man arrives to vote during parliamentary elections in Rabat, Morocco September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ahmed El Jechtimi
A man arrives to vote during parliamentary elections in Rabat, Morocco September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ahmed El Jechtimi
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PAM Party Wins Most Seats in Morocco's Parliamentary Election

A man arrives to vote during parliamentary elections in Rabat, Morocco September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ahmed El Jechtimi
A man arrives to vote during parliamentary elections in Rabat, Morocco September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ahmed El Jechtimi

The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the largest number of seats in Morocco's legislative election, followed by its partners in the outgoing government, RNI, and the Istiqlal party, according to official preliminary results on Thursday.

Liberal-centrist PAM took 97 seats in the 395-seat parliament, ahead of the RNI with 66, while the Istiqlal Party secured 65 seats, the Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said in a news briefing on Thursday.

The Justice and Development Party rebounded to 54 seats, from only 13 in the previous election, buoyed by the return of its former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane.

Leftist parties such as USFP, PPS and FGD took 26, 19 and 8 seats respectively.

Turnout stood at 38.02%, down from 50% in the 2021 election, according to official data. About 27 million Moroccans are of voting age, but only 15.8 million are registered to vote, a drop of about 12% from 2021 election.

Turnout is seen as a barometer for citizens' engagement and trust in elected institutions.

The parliamentary poll is not expected to fundamentally alter the balance of power in Morocco, where the king retains sweeping powers over policy direction, defense and foreign affairs.

Under a constitution adopted in 2011, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats.

If King Mohammed VI appoints PAM’s current leader, Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, as head of government, she would become the second woman to hold such a position in the Arab region, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden.

PAM will have to negotiate a coalition even as its leaders have ruled out partnering again with RNI as the two parties trade accusations over failed policies.

PAM campaigned on a $37 billion platform promising 1 million new jobs and continued investment in healthcare, social protection and better wages.

Arab World

Norway Gives Additional $13 Million in Aid to Palestinians

Palestinian motorists wait in line to cross the Beit Furik military checkpoint, east of Nablus, West Bank, 20 September 2026. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
Palestinian motorists wait in line to cross the Beit Furik military checkpoint, east of Nablus, West Bank, 20 September 2026. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
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Norway Gives Additional $13 Million in Aid to Palestinians

Palestinian motorists wait in line to cross the Beit Furik military checkpoint, east of Nablus, West Bank, 20 September 2026. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
Palestinian motorists wait in line to cross the Beit Furik military checkpoint, east of Nablus, West Bank, 20 September 2026. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH

Norway's government said on Thursday it will give an additional 125 million Norwegian crowns ($13.17 million) in aid to the occupied Palestinian territories through the United Nations and the World ⁠Bank, including public sector ⁠budget support.

Norway recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and chairs the international donor ⁠group for the Palestinians.

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement the need for international support was "greater than ever.”

Eide also criticized Israeli settlement activity ⁠in ⁠the occupied West Bank.

Norway is providing around 1 billion Norwegian crowns in assistance to the Palestinians in 2026.