Category Archives: Middle East and North Africa

Israel’s war in Gaza amounts to genocide, Amnesty International report finds

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Human rights group says Israel ‘brazenly, continuously and with total impunity … unleashed hell’ on strip’s 2.3m population

A report from Amnesty International alleges that Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip constitutes the crime of genocide under international law, the first such determination by a major human rights organisation in the 14-month-old conflict.

The 32-page report examining events in Gaza between October 2023 to July 2024, published on Thursday, found that Israel had “brazenly, continuously and with total impunity … unleashed hell” on the strip’s 2.3 million population, noting that the “atrocity crimes” against Israelis by Hamas on 7 October 2023, which triggered the war, “do not justify genocide”.

The unprecedented scale and magnitude of the military offensive, which has caused death and destruction at a speed and level unmatched in any other 21st-century conflict;

Intent to destroy, after considering and discounting arguments such as Israeli recklessness and callous disregard for civilian life in the pursuit of Hamas;

Killing and causing serious bodily or mental harm in repeated direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, or deliberately indiscriminate attacks; and

Inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, such as destroying medical infrastructure, the obstruction of aid, and repeated use of arbitrary and sweeping “evacuation orders” for 90% of the population to unsuitable areas.

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Moscow claims ‘external forces’ seeking to escalate violence in Syria

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Statement comes as Ukrainian intelligence says Russia will send mercenaries to support flagging troops allied to Damascus

Moscow has condemned “external forces” seeking to escalate violence in Syria, despite reports from Ukrainian military intelligence that Russia is to send mercenaries to support flagging troops allied to Damascus.

The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova blamed outside actors for instigating a recent sweeping insurgent offensive, after Islamist militants spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of the city of Aleppo at the weekend in a shock advance.

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Iran releases Nobel peace laureate Mohammadi on medical leave, says lawyer

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Temporary release is inadequate, activist’s family and supporters say, urging her unconditional release

Iran has released the Nobel peace laureate Narges Mohammadi, jailed since November 2021, for three weeks on medical grounds, her lawyer posted on social media.

“Based on the advice of the examining doctor, the public prosecutor suspended the jail sentence against Narges Mohammadi for three weeks and she was released from prison,” Mostafa Nili said on X.

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‘We’ve seen this before’: residents of rebel-held Aleppo fear regime onslaught

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Syria’s second largest city braces for possibility of president Bashar al-Assad revisiting brutal tactics used in civil war

A billboard of the Syrian president that once overlooked a central square in Aleppo has been burned almost beyond recognition, but the influence of Bashar al-Assad is still felt in the now rebel-held city as residents live in fear of bombardment by his regime.

“The biggest fear, one shared by all the people of Aleppo right now, is the airstrikes,” said Mahmoud, a 50-year-old man who declined to share his family name, concerned that Assad could regain control of the city and punish accused critics as he did eight years ago.

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Australia splits with US to back UN resolution demanding end to Israel occupation of Palestinian territories

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Vote marks a change to the nation’s official stance held for more than two decades

Australia has split with the US and voted with 156 other countries at the UN to demand the end of Israel’s “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible”.

The vote marks Australia’s return to the position for the first time in more than two decades.

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Hamas and Fatah agree to create committee to run postwar Gaza Strip

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Two main Palestinian factions agree during talks in Cairo that politically independent technocrats will run territory

Hamas and Fatah – the two main Palestinian factions which have been at odds for almost two decades – have agreed in talks in Cairo to create a committee that will jointly run the postwar Gaza Strip.

While Israel had refused to countenance a “day after” governing scenario involving Hamas or the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, the move nonetheless signifies fresh willingness from Hamas to give up its rule of Gaza and could help advance internationally mediated ceasefire talks.

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Syrian insurgents advance on Hama city after capturing Aleppo

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Forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in ‘violent confrontations’ with armed groups in Hama, according to reports

Syrian insurgents fighting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have launched attacks in the central province of Hama, threatening to cut off government troops from a key route linking the capital, Damascus, with rebel-held Aleppo.

The army was engaging in “violent confrontations” with armed groups in Hama, the Syrian state news agency Sana reported.

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Middle East crisis: Israel will not differentiate between Lebanon and Hezbollah if ceasefire collapses, defence minister Katz says – as it happened

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Israel Katz says Israel will no longer offer Lebanon an exemption and will enforce ‘maximum impact and zero tolerance’

Israeli media reports that the cabinet is set to meet in the coastal city of Nahariya on Tuesday, a symbolic show of renewed security in the north after the ceasefire deal with Lebanon came into effect.

The move has received some criticism, however, with Hebrew news site Ynet reporting that the heads of local authorities in the north of Israel are angry that they have not been invited to participate.

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Health services across Idlib ‘no longer functioning’, say Syrian doctors

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Airstrikes on the city’s hospitals have led to death of at least two patients as well as the evacuation of medics and those being treated

Health services are no longer functioning in the Syrian city of Idlib after a series of airstrikes on key hospitals damaged intensive care units and specialised services, doctors said.

At least two intensive care patients have died because of power and oxygen shortages caused by the airstrikes, according to the rescue group White Helmets, and hospitals have had to evacuate patients or move them into basements.

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Seizure of Aleppo threatens Moscow’s foothold in Syria – and the wider region

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Assault on Syria’s second-largest city by Islamist militants may tarnish Russia’s reputation as a global player

The walls of the military office in Aleppo were adorned with pictures of the Kremlin, flanked by Russian and Syrian flags hanging side by side. On the desks, documents detailing the cooperation between the two nations lay abandoned – telltale signs of Bashar al-Assad’s forces’ hasty retreat as rebels closed in on Syria’s second-biggest city over the weekend.

The short clip circulating online was recorded in the office of Russian advisers at Aleppo’s military academy after it was taken by rebels in a surprise offensive. It highlights the escalating threat to the Assad regime and, by extension, to Moscow’s strategic foothold in Syria and the broader region.

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Middle East crisis: Israel strikes Lebanon amid fears ceasefire could collapse – as it happened

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This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report here:

We’re closing our Middle East crisis liveblog now after a day in which Israel and Hezbollah traded fire in Lebanon, five days after a ceasefire was declared in the conflict.

Here’s what we’ve been following:

Hezbollah said it launched two rockets near a watchtower in the occupied Shebaa farms earlier on Monday night. They landed in an open area and caused no injuries. In a statement, the group said the attack on the watchtowers was an “initial warning defensive response” against “repeated violations” by Israel of the ceasefire agreement.

In response, Israel said it targeted “dozens of targets” in southern Lebanon, claiming to have struck “Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure” across the country. “Israel demands that the relevant parties in Lebanon fulfill their responsibilities and prevent Hezbollah’s hostile activity,” the army said in a statement.

US officials said they believed the ceasefire, announced last Wednesday, had not broken down. “If we do see violations of the ceasefire, we’ll go to the parties and tell them to knock it off,” state department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at an afternoon briefing.

But the UN peacekeeping force, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), told CNN through an unnamed source said Israel has been serially in breach of the ceasefire agreement. The source said “approximately 100” incidents have been recorded.

Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - But it’s all talk, and no action!

Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!

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Airstrikes hit hospitals in Syria’s Idlib region as insurgents fight Assad forces

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White Helmets say at least 18 people killed in strikes on five healthcare facilities including maternity hospital

A wave of airstrikes has pummelled hospitals and neighbourhoods in the rebel-held region of Idlib in northern Syria as Islamist insurgents continued to battle forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad after the militants’ lightning assault on Aleppo.

White Helmets civil defence forces based in Idlib, from where the insurgents had launched their attack, said Russian airstrikes had struck five healthcare facilities including a maternity hospital. At least 18 people were killed and 35 injured, they said, adding that they feared numbers could rise.

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Israel responds to Hezbollah rocket attack with airstrikes on south Lebanon

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Bombing comes an hour after Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed a ‘strong’ response to Hezbollah’s action

Israel has carried out a series of airstrikes in the Nabatieh district, south Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah rocket fire near a watchtower, in the deadliest attacks since a ceasefire came into effect last week.

The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised there would be a strong response to Hezbollah’s attack, and the Israeli military later said it had “struck Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon”.

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Syria crisis due to Assad’s refusal to engage with opposition, says Turkish minister

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Iran’s foreign minister blamed Israel’s intervention instead, but emergency talks in Ankara said to be ‘constructive’

The crisis in Syria is the result of President Bashar al-Assad’s refusal to engage in political dialogue with the opposition, and not external interventions, the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, for emergency talks in Ankara.

Araghchi, by contrast, blamed intervention by Israel for the crisis. But the two sides appeared to agree on the need to convene an urgent summit between Turkey, Iran and Russia, the three main external powers inside Syria.

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Iran frees rapper Toomaj Salehi jailed for supporting protests

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Rapper who spoke up for Woman, Life, Freedom movement is released five months after death sentence overturned

The Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who was sentenced to death in April for his support of anti-regime protests, has been released from prison by the Iranian authorities.

Salehi was sentenced by a revolutionary court in April for backing the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody.

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Middle East crisis: Two killed as Lebanon accuses Israel of multiple ceasefire violations – as it happened

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The speaker of the Lebanese parliament accuses Israel of more than 50 violations of deal

Israeli media reports that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give testimony in his corruption trial not in Jerusalem as originally planned, but in a fortified bunker in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu’s lawyers have sought to delay him giving testimony, arguing that conducting the war has deprived him of the opportunity to prepare his defence, and the security implications of having him appear at a known time and public location.

We all have come to the conclusion that any sort of insecurity in Syria won’t be limited to Syria alone. We are all aware of the fact that terrorism would not be concentrated in a single place and spreads to other areas.

Our Turkish friends are as much concerned as we are about the course of developments in Syria. It is clear that one of the reasons for … terrorism in Syria has been the occupation by the American military forces.

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Assault on Aleppo: who are the Syrian rebels HTS and why are they advancing?

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The fast-moving offensive began on Wednesday, surprising forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and his allies

  • This article is an extract from our First Edition newsletter. Sign up here

Eight years ago, indiscriminate Russian airstrikes helped the forces of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, drive rebels from Aleppo – a crucial turning point in the country’s civil war, which has largely been in a state of stalemate since 2020.

Over the weekend a stunning rebel offensive seized Aleppo again – and the Assad regime now faces its greatest threat in years. Here’s what you need to know.

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Monday briefing: How the civil war in Syria reignited

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In today’s newsletter: President Bashar al-Assad’s forces were driven from Aleppo over the weekend by a rebel offensive, forcing global attention to turn back to the country

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Good morning. Eight years ago, indiscriminate Russian airstrikes helped Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad’s forces drive rebels from Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city. Assad’s victory in Aleppo, once a symbolic stronghold of the Syrian rebellion, relied on a brutal “surrender or starve” strategy that killed thousands of civilians and forced many more to flee. It was seen as a turning point in the country’s civil war, which has largely been in a state of stalemate since 2020.

But over the weekend, a stunning rebel offensive seized Aleppo again – leaving the Assad regime facing the greatest threat to its control in years. Yesterday, Syrian and Russian airstrikes pummeled opposition controlled areas in response. Whatever happens next, if the frozen conflict in Syria has become a “forgotten war” as attention has focused on Gaza and Ukraine, it will now be impossible to ignore.

US politics | Joe Biden has issued “a full and unconditional” pardon to his son Hunter Biden covering convictions on federal gun and tax charges. Joe Biden, who has repeatedly said that he would not pardon Hunter or commute his sentence, said that his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted”.

Assisted dying | A new commission on palliative care has been set up to deliver better care for 100,000 people a year in the final stages of their lives. The commission – instituted after the parliamentary vote last week to legalise assisted dying – has been launched amid warnings of a postcode lottery in standards across the country.

BBC | Outrage over Gregg Wallace’s alleged conduct has intensified after the MasterChef presenter dismissed his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age”. The corporation and other broadcasters are facing growing questions about why Wallace remained on screen despite allegations of inappropriate behaviour dating back to at least 2012.

Immigration and asylum | The number of small boat arrivals since Keir Starmer took power has passed 20,000, with the Home Office claiming a record number of calm autumnal days in the Channel was responsible. 6,288 people crossed the Channel over 31 days in October and November, compared with 768 over the same period in 2023.

Georgia | Protesters rallied in Georgia’s capital for a fourth consecutive night on Sunday amid signs of widening opposition to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The crisis deepened after Thursday’s announcement that the government would freeze EU talks for four years.

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Syrian and Russian airstrikes hit Aleppo and Idlib after insurgents advance

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Assad regime seeks to repel Islamist rebels in north as Iran’s top diplomat visits Damascus in show of support

Syrian and Russian airstrikes have pummelled areas of northern Syria as Iran’s top diplomat arrived in Damascus in a show of support for Bashar al-Assad’s regime after Islamist insurgents made a sudden advance and seized control of Aleppo.

As the regime attempted to repel the strongest challenge to its authority in years, state media in Damascus shared images of airstrikes across opposition-controlled areas, claiming they were targeting enemy command centres and positions. Syria’s military said they struck close to a stadium in Aleppo in a joint operation with Russia.

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Rebels behind Aleppo’s surprise fall took advantage of Russian and Iranian distraction

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Forces only took three days to take the city from Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but the Middle East’s newest conflict looks set to last

It was not Kyiv that fell in three days, but Aleppo. A surprise offensive launched by Syrian rebels from the north west of the country last week has reignited a dormant conflict – and revealed a change in the balance of power caused not by one but two nearby wars, in Ukraine and Lebanon and the Middle East.

Aleppo was the scene of fierce and destructive fighting between 2012 and 2016 when the Syrian civil war was at its height. Rebel groups were forced out as Syrian government forces supporting the president, Bashar al-Assad, were able to capture the country’s second city, with the help of Russia and its air force.

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