Category: Middle East

British-Israeli Sisters Killed in West Bank Terrorist Shooting Named

Two British-Israeli sisters killed by Palestinian terrorists in a shooting in the West Bank have been identified as Maia and Rina Zakharan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The sisters, aged 20 and 15 respectively, were shot dead in a Palestinian terrorist attack on their car near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on…


US Deploys Guided-Missile Submarine Amid Tensions With Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said Saturday, in what appeared to be a show of force toward Iran following recent tensions. The Navy rarely acknowledges the location or deployment of submarines. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a…


Pakistan: Military Kills 8 Militant Near Afghanistan Border

ISLAMABAD—Pakistani security forces killed eight insurgents in an overnight operation at a militant hideout near the Afghan border, the military said, and the shootout left one soldier dead and four wounded Wednesday. According to a military statement, the shootout took place in Shin Warsak area of South Waziristan, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…


UK, EU Call for Deescalation After Citizens Killed in Israel–Palestine Clash

The UK and the European Union called for calm in Israel after British and Italian citizens were killed in two separate attacks in on Friday. It comes amid another flare-up of the Israel–Palestine conflict during the religious month of April, which contains Judaism’s Passover, Christian Easter, and Muslim Ramadan. On Friday morning, two British-Israeli sisters…


The Syrian Refugee Who Has Become Germany’s Youngest National Chess Player at 11

LIPPSTADT, Germany—Hussain Besou was just four when he started asking his father to teach him chess, hovering around the board as he played in the evenings in the Middle East until he said yes. After mastering the basic moves, Besou quickly surprised everyone with his talent. “He started correcting us and telling us what we…


Beijing Denies Ties to America’s Fentanyl Crisis

China is denying any role in America’s fentanyl crisis, despite its status as the world’s number one maker of the precursor chemical, which gets manufactured into the synthetic opioid by Mexican cartels. Beijing’s foreign ministry says no illegal fentanyl trafficking happens between China and Mexico, adding it’s a “made in USA” problem. But is that…


Israel Launches Air Strikes Targeting Hamas in Lebanon, Gaza After Rocket Attack

Israel’s military said it launched air strikes across Gaza and Lebanon in the early hours of the morning on April 7, striking targets linked to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The strikes came in response to rocket attacks from Lebanon towards northern Israeli areas on Thursday, which Israeli officials blamed on Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)…


Israeli Strikes Target Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza After Rocket Attack

JERUSALEM/GAZA—Israel’s military hit sites in Lebanon and Gaza early on Friday, in retaliation for rocket attacks it blamed on the Islamist group Hamas, as tensions following police raids this week on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem threatened to spiral out of control. Loud blasts rocked different areas of Gaza, as Israel said its jets hit…


Biden Administration ‘Proud’ of Handling of Afghanistan Withdrawal Amid Criticism: White House

The Biden administration has “a lot to be proud of” in how it handled the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the White House said on April 6. The remarks by National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby came as the administration released a 12-page summary of classified reports that mostly blamed the chaotic U.S. pullout from Afghanistan on…


Taliban Legitimacy Up to Every Country to Decide, White House Says Amid Concerns of Growing CCP-Afghan Ties

The White House on April 6 suggested that countries are free to decide how they want to deal with the isolated Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Asked by the Epoch Times how the United States would approach the growing China-Taliban relationship, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby suggested that that matter was not…