Middle Eastern Politics Headlines at 5:00 p.m. GMT
Protesters in Syria demand justice for disappeared activists and accountability from all factions
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CBCWith a show of strength, Hamas sends a message about its grip on Gaza
Among the many striking images of the three Israeli hostages being released Sunday, the video of dozens of armed Hamas fighters in full combat gear at the handover location in Gaza City stands out.The men, who surrounded the women as they were turned over to the Red Cross, were sporting almost new-looking combat fatigues and matching black balaclavas, with green bandanas featuring the Hamas logo tied around their head. They also arrived in a convoy of several white vehicles that appeared clean a
- The Canadian Press
Syria's southern rebels loom large as the country's new rulers try to form a national army
NAWA, Syria (AP) — As insurgents raced across Syria in a surprise offensive launched in the country's northwest late last year, officials from several countries backing either the rebels or Syria’s government met in Qatar on what to do.
- The Canadian Press
Middle East latest: Israel launches a major West Bank operation, days after Gaza ceasefire
Israel launched a major military operation Tuesday in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin that killed at least nine Palestinians and left at least 40 more people wounded, Palestinian health officials said, as Israel’s fragile ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza entered its third day.
- The Canadian Press
Mexico defends sovereignty as US seeks to label cartels as terrorists
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's executive order moving toward designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations would only impact Mexico if there's close coordination between the two governments.
- The Canadian Press
Yemen's Houthis signal they'll now limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to Israeli ships
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels signaled Monday they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed.
- The Canadian Press
Israel's top general resigns over Oct. 7 failures, adding to pressure on Netanyahu
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's top general resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for security failures tied to Hamas' surprise attack that triggered the war in Gaza and adding to pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could potentially implicate his leadership.
- CNN
As first Israeli hostages are released, Hamas sends a message: It is far from being destroyed
Israel’s longest war has so far failed to destroy its main enemy, Hamas, which, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself – and a failure for Israel.
- The Canadian Press
To secure Gaza ceasefire, dealmakers overcame enemies' deep distrust
Inside a lavish clubhouse on Doha’s waterfront, tensions strained by months of fruitless back-and-forth weighed on negotiators as the hour neared 3 a.m.
- Reuters
Bereaved Gazans dig out bodies from city ruins, give them graves
Guns may have fallen silent in Gaza, but for Mahmoud Abu Dalfa, the agony is not over. Abu Dalfa's wife and children were among 35 of his extended family who were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit the building in Gaza City's Shejaia suburb in December 2023, he said.
- The Canadian Press
Middle East latest: Released Israeli hostage says she has 'returned to life'
One of the Israeli hostages freed on the first day of the Gaza ceasefire said Monday in her first comments since being released that she has “returned to life.”
- Reuters
Israeli minister says army applying lessons from Gaza in West Bank operation
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday forces were applying lessons learned in Gaza as a major operation continued in Jenin which the military said was aimed at countering Iranian-backed militant groups in the volatile West Bank city. A military spokesperson declined to give details but said the operation was "relatively similar" to but in a smaller area than one last August, in which hundreds of Israeli troops backed by drones and helicopters raided Jenin and other flashpoint cities in the occupied West Bank.
- The Canadian Press
Palestinians confront a landscape of destruction in Gaza's 'ghost towns'
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians in Gaza are confronting an apocalyptic landscape of devastation after a ceasefire paused more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
- France 24
Live: Heavy gunfire, explosions rock Jenin on second day of Israel’s West Bank operation
Israel has destroyed roads into Jenin’s refugee camp and hospital during the second day of its military intervention in the West Bank, the city's governor said Wednesday. Israeli security forces launched a major operation in the Palestinian territory city on Tuesday, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments. Yesterday's key developments: 10 people were killed in Israeli raids on the West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry, based
- Euronews
Colombians flee to Venezuela as guerrilla violence escalates
At least 80 people have been killed and more than 18,000 forced to leave their homes in Colombia amid escalating violence between rebel groups.View on euronews
- USA TODAY Opinion
We watched as Gaza was destroyed. Israel, Hamas cease-fire is too little, too late. | Opinion
While the cease-fire is welcome news, there is a very real possibility that we have yet to see the end of the Israel-Hamas war.
- CNN
Gaza is a nightmare after 15 months of war. A visual guide to life on the ground now
As the long-awaited ceasefire comes into effect, here’s a look – in 6 graphics – at what Gaza is like after 15 months of war.
- The Canadian Press
No new arrests in two months since Montreal anti-NATO protest turned violent
MONTREAL — Montreal police have made no new arrests in the two months since a November anti-NATO protest turned violent, making national headlines.
- The Canadian Press
The Taliban say a Chinese national has been killed in northeastern Afghanistan
A Chinese man was killed as he traveled in northeastern Afghanistan while working for a mining company, Taliban officials said Wednesday. A militant resistance group took responsibility for the killing, alleging the man was working with Taliban intelligence.
- Reuters
Israel launches 'significant' military operation in West Bank, at least 9 Palestinians killed
JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH (Reuters) -Israeli security forces backed by helicopters raided the volatile West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at least nine Palestinians in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a "large-scale and significant military operation". The action, launched a day after U.S. President Donald Trump declared he was lifting sanctions on ultranationalist Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian villages, was announced by Netanyahu as a new offensive against Iranian-backed militants. "We are acting systematically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it extends its arms – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said.
- Reuters
France issues new arrest warrant for Syria's Assad - source
French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, notably the launch of a deliberate attack on civilians, a legal source said late on Tuesday. The mandate was issued on Jan. 20 as part of an investigation into the case of Salah Abou Nabour, a Franco-Syrian national, who was killed on June 7, 2017 in a bombing raid in Syria. This is the second arrest warrant issued by French judges, for the former Syrian leader, who was overthrown in early December 2024 by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).