Kurdish fighters from Turkey, Syria and Iraq joined forces in Northern Iraq on Wednesday in a bid to reclaim territories lost to extremist forces and rescue several thousands of helpless civilians who have no access to water or food in nearby mountainous terrain. The civilians, most of them from the Yazidi minority, escaped to the Sinjar Mountains during the weekend …

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an intense defense of the Israeli aggression in Gaza, saying that it was “justified” and “proportionate”. He also blamed Hamas for the civilian death toll in Gaza. “I think it was justified. I think it was proportionate and that doesn’t in any way take away the deep regret we have for the …

Fighters in Syria have held 54 children and women as hostage for a year, rights group Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday, and urged that they should be freed. It also warned that holding civilians could amount to a war crime. The New York-based rights group said that the group of 54 was captured from the province of Latakia in …

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said that the UN is willing to help Gaza rebuild, but warned that it would be the last time they would offer their help. He opened a special meeting of the UN General Assembly by appealing for a more permanent ceasefire as the 72-hour truce deal between Hamas and Israel held …

Wednesday marked the second day of a temporary return to normalcy in the Gaza Strip as the 72-hour ceasefire held on. Meanwhile, Egyptian negotiators continued to engage in shuttle diplomacy as it looks to extend the ceasefire. Markets, banks and shops reopened in Gaza, with residents looking more confident than they did on Tuesday, when the ceasefire began; small businesses …

Several demonstrations against the Israeli aggression in Gaza were held across the United States last Saturday, with the public outburst of support suggesting Washington’s pro-Israel take on the situation is becoming increasingly unpopular. Over tens of thousands Americans protested in front of the White House, travelling from all over the country in buses to join the rally. Demonstrators waved Palestinian …

Jordan presented a new resolution to the UN Security Council regarding the current crisis in Gaza and hoped that action would be taken in the coming days. The draft resolution has been backed by several Arab nations and calls for a more permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and an international effort to rebuild the Gaza Strip after the fighting …

The 72-hour ceasefire drawn up by Egypt and agreed to by both Hamas and Israel has demonstrated Cairo’s indispensable role in mediating conflicts between the two parties, several experts have said. After a violent campaign in Gaza over the past 29 days, Israel has withdrawn all of its soldiers from the Palestinian enclave as the truce began at 05:00 GMT …

On Monday, international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of killing civilians in Gaza during their attempts to flee an afflicted neighborhood in the Palestinian Enclave. It also said that Israel’s actions would amount to a war crime. The HRW report cited testimonials from Palestinians who were able to get out of the town of Khuza’a near Khan …

The international community intensified its condemnation of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip on Monday after a strike close to a UN school harboring civilians killed 10 people and sparked worldwide outrage. As the Israeli military operation entered day 28 on Monday, the international community seems to be losing patience with Israel. Over 1,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza …