الشرق الأوسط

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Tuesday said that the five Syrian pro-government activists were arrested for criticizing the Defense Ministry and Intelligence services over the deaths of soldiers and loss of important military bases. Rami Abdel Rahman, the observatory’s director, said that they were arrested on Friday “aftercriticizing the role of the defense ministry and the intelligence services …

Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday warned that Israel was slowly destroying international support towards it, after the United States also joined the chorus of criticism it has come under after its recent expropriation of Palestinian territory, the biggest such land grab since the 80s. Lapid said that the Israeli cabinet was not consulted about Sunday’s announcement regarding the …

Advocacy Group Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday said that extremists from the Islamic State (IS) have been using clutter munitions in at least one location in war-ravaged Syria, and that the Syrian regime also continues to use the extensively banned weapon. The New York-based group cited reports and photographic evidence from local Kurdish officials, and said that IS extremists …

On Monday, Egypt denounced Israel’s plans to seize West Bank territory and said that the move would be in violation of international law and will be another obstacle to permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Israel had on Sunday announced that it will expropriate 988 acres of Palestinian territory around Bethlehem, and allowed for appeal within 45 days. “This is not a …

On Monday, a court in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia upheld a 10-year prison sentence and 1,000 lashings handed to Raef Badawi, the founder of the liberal rights group Saudi Liberal Network, an activist said. Badawi was charged for “creating a website insulting Islam” and criticizing the role of religious police “which we all do” in the kingdom, the right …

On Thursday, Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal rejected any claim that Hama will disarm as demanded by Israel, and said that the Palestinian movement’s weapons were “sacred”. “The weapons of the resistance are sacred and we will not accept that they be on the agenda” of any future negotiations with Israel, he said at a press conference in Doha, where he …

The United Nations on Friday said that there are now over three million Syrian refugees due to the civil war in Syria, as US President Barack Obama revealed that the US government has no strategy in place to tackle the advancing extremists. António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in Geneva that Syria has become the “biggest …

Extremists from the Islamic State have executed over 160 Syrian soldiers fleeing from them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday. The assault is the latest of several human rights abuses in the country which have alarmed Western powers, who are afraid of a global escalation of terror. The killings come as US President Barack Obama is reportedly …

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that its foe Palestinian movement Hamas did not achieve any of its demands in the ceasefire deal that ended 50 days of conflict in the Gaza Strip. “Hamas was hit hard and got none of its demands.Hamas wanted a port and airport in Gaza, the liberation of Palestinian prisoners, the mediation of …

On Wednesday, a UN humanitarian aid convoy entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt for the first time since the blockade was placed on the territory in 2007. The World Food Program (WFP) said that the convoy, which entered the Palestinian enclave through the Rafah crossing, carried food for around 150,000 and is expected to support them for five days. The …