Cleric held over Haniyeh sermon at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque: lawyer

Israel has escalated its military campaign in Gaza, warning residents of an impending ground offensive through leaflets stating, “People of Gaza, the Israeli army is coming.” This announcement follows the expansion of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” with reports indicating that the operation aims for complete occupation of Gaza. Since the conflict reignited in October 2023, over 53,200 Palestinians have died, exacerbated by Israel's blockade of essential supplies and a significant increase in fatalities during a recent...

Microsoft has confirmed its provision of cloud and AI services to Israel’s Defense Ministry while denying that its technologies have harmed civilians in Gaza, amid increasing scrutiny of US tech firms' roles in the conflict. The company stated it has conducted internal reviews and found no evidence of its products being used to target civilians, although it acknowledged maintaining a commercial relationship with the Israeli military. Microsoft emphasized that it does not supply military-specific tools...

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm over Israel's reported plans to expand ground operations in Gaza, emphasizing that the UN will not engage in any actions that violate international law and humanitarian principles. He highlighted that 71% of the Gaza Strip is under displacement orders and rejected any forced displacement of the population. Guterres called for support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which has faced targeting by Israel since October 2023, as...

The US embassy in Libya has denied reports of a plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, following an NBC News claim that the Trump administration was considering resettling up to one million Palestinians. The embassy stated the report is false, while the internationally-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli did not comment. Palestinians strongly oppose such relocation ideas, equating them to the 1948 "Nakba," and previous proposals by Trump for resettlement...

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with riot police in Basel during the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, protesting against Israel's participation amid its intensified military actions in Gaza. The confrontation began when police intervened to stop a disturbance involving pro-Israeli individuals, resulting in the use of tear gas and a water cannon to disperse crowds of demonstrators carrying signs like "No Music for Murder." As Israeli entrant Yuval Raphael performed, protests continued, reflecting the ongoing humanitarian crisis...

Syria has announced the establishment of a national commission for missing persons and a transitional justice commission, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad over five months ago. These bodies are mandated to investigate and document the fates of missing individuals and address human rights violations committed under Assad's regime, promoting accountability and reconciliation. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa emphasized that these commissions will operate independently across Syrian territory, aiming to build a legal framework for justice...