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☆ Israel strikes Yemen for the first time following deadly Houthi drone attack. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —For the first time, Israel has struck inside Yemen, following a deadly drone attack launched by Houthi rebels on Tel Aviv. Soon after the Israeli attack, the Houthis said they launched a fresh barrage of missiles towards Israel, promising a response that will be “huge and great.”Here’s what we know. The US and UK have responded to those attacks by carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. A tipping point for Israel appears to have come on Friday, when a drone attack was launched on Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli citizen and injuring several others. Oded Balilty/APThe attack marked the first time Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial center, has been struck by a drone in an attack claimed by the Houthis.

Persons: ”, Allah, Hussein, Mohammed Hamoud, Israel, Yahya Sare’e, ” Sare’e, Houthi, Oded, Daniel Hagari, Samad, Masirah, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Yehya Saree, Osamah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “ It’s, ” Charles Lister, Yoav Gallant, Yoel Organizations: CNN, Houthi, Red, US, US Central Command, Tel, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Israel’s, Middle East Institute, Israel’s Defense, Hezbollah, AP, for National Security Studies, National Security Council Locations: Israel, Yemen, Tel Aviv, Red, Gaza, Iranian, Iran, Islam, Saudi Arabia, Sana'a, Israel’s, Hodeidah, Yemen’s, Lebanon, Lebanese

☆ Battle for the Red Sea expands with U.S. strikes, EU stepping up its efforts against Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Defense officials tell CNBC as of February 21, there have been at least 59 attacks on commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea. But the EU said the Red Sea moves reflect the need for a stronger European presence in protecting ships from Houthi attacks. Trade leaders have urged more countries to join the military effort in the Red Sea. A war of misinformation in the Red Sea crisis also continues. On February 2 in Brussels, Borrell informed Yemeni Prime Minister Bin Mubarak about the plans to launch a new EU maritime operation in the Red Sea and about its mandate.

Persons: Mason, Torm Thor, Good Hope, Peter Stano, Josep Borrell, Mark Montgomery, Sen, John McCain, Steven Lamar, Hussein, Azzi, Stano, Houthis, Borrell, Bin Mubarak, Rashad Al, Carl Bentzel, Bentzel, Tesla Organizations: European Commission, United States Central Command, Command, U.S, CNBC, European Union's Naval Force, EU, French Navy, Prosperity, Prosperity Guardian, EU Commission, Navy, Foundation, Defense of Democracies, Senate Armed, NATO, U.S . Central Command, UK, Prosperity Guardian . Trade, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Central Command, Yemeni, Presidential, Council, UN, Federal Maritime, Foreign Shipping, State Department, FMC, Walmart Locations: Aden, Iranian, Yemen, Red, Libyan Coast, Good, Somalia, European, EU, U.S, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Houthi, Europe, Suez, Belize, Brussels, Yemeni, United States, Egypt, Germany, Israel

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that 23 people, all rank-and-file fighters, were killed. The air assault was the opening salvo of U.S. retaliation for a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend. The U.S. has blamed that on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed militias. Iran, meanwhile, has attempted to distance itself from the attack, saying that the militias act independently of its direction. On Friday, the USS Carney shot down a drone over the Gulf of Aden and there were no injuries or damage.

Persons: Hussein, Washington “, ” Mosawi, Rami Abdurrahman, Bassim, Awadi, embassy’s, “, —, Yemen’s, Carney, Dwight D, Abby Sewell, Bassem, Jon Gambrell, Tara Copp Organizations: Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Associated Press, Human Rights, U.S, Population Mobilization Forces, Islamic, Popular Mobilization Forces, Israel, U.S . military’s Central Command, U.S . Navy, Eisenhower Locations: BAGHDAD, United States, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Baghdad, U.S, Britain, Jordan, Iran, Iraqi, Islamic State, Gaza, Aden, Red, Beirut, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ U.S. and Britain strike Yemen's Houthis in a new wave, retaliating for attacks by Iran-backed militants
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Yemen's Houthi followers take part in a tribal parade held against the United States-led aerial attacks launched on sites in Yemen, and solidarity with Palestinians, on January 22, 2024, near Sana'a, Yemen. The Defense Department said the strikes targeted sites associated with the Houthis' deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems and radars. Saturday's strikes marked the third time the U.S. and Britain had conducted a large joint operation to strike Houthi weapon launchers, radar sites and drones. Iran has tried to distance itself from the drone strike, saying the militias act independently of its direction. Mosawi said the targeted sites in Iraq were mainly "devoid of fighters and military personnel at the time of the attack."

Persons: Yemen's, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Eisenhower, Carney, Hope, Bab, Jordan, Hussein, Mosawi, Rami Abdurrahman, Bassim, Awadi Organizations: Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Eisenhower, USS Carney, Associated Press, Defense Department, U.S, Human Rights, Islamic, Iraq, Israel Locations: United States, Yemen, Sana'a, Britain, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, U.S, Gulf of Aden, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Washington, Tehran, Sanaa, SABA, al, Gulf, Aden, Africa, Suez, Mandeb, Iranian, Baghdad, Gaza, Iraqi

☆ Iran warns it will react decisively if attacked and won't 'leave any threat unanswered' as US plans response to American troops deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewIranian military and diplomatic officials have warned the country will respond if attacked as the US readies for retaliatory action after American troop deaths. "We hear threatening words from American officials," Major General Salami said Thursday, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. "You have tested us and we know each other," he said, adding that "we will not leave any threat unanswered." In 2020, a US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. "We are not looking for war, but we are not afraid of it either," the Iranian general said.

Persons: —, Hossein, Joe Biden, Biden, Amir Saeid Iravani, Biden's, Kata'ib, Abu Hussein al, Pat Ryder, Trump, Qassem, he's Organizations: Service, Islamic, Guards, Business, Islamic Republic News Agency, NBC, United Nations, Associated Press, Pentagon, US Locations: Iran, Jordan, Islamic Republic, Gaza, Qassem Soleimani

☆ Widening Mideast Crisis Militia Blamed for Attack on U.S. Forces Says It Will Halt Military Activity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

His comment raised fears in Iraq about a possibly retaliatory U.S. attack on its territory. The militia, Kata’ib Hezbollah, or Brigades of the Party of God, is the largest and most established of the Iran-linked groups operating in Iraq. (Kata’ib Hezbollah is separate from the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.) The other two Iraqi groups that are believed to have been involved in strikes U.S. targets — Harakat al Nujaba and Sayyid Shuhada — have not announced they will halt attacks. Kata’ib Hezbollah and other groups had ignored the Iraqi government’s request to stand down, but once the attack in Jordan on Sunday took American lives, Mr. Sudani demanded a complete halt from Kata’ib Hezbollah.

Persons: Biden, Israel, —, Nujaba, Sayyid Shuhada —, Kata’ib, Abu Hussein al, “, Pat Ryder, ”, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Hisham al, Sudani’s, Nuri al, Qais, Hadi, Esmail Qaani, Falih Hassan, Farnaz, Eric Schmitt Organizations: Pentagon, Hezbollah, Party of, Iraqi Army, Kurdish Syrian Defense, Islamic, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Defense Department, U.S, Sunday, Revolutionary Guards, Maliki, Quds Force Locations: Iran, Iraq, U.S, Jordan, Syria, Gaza, The U.S, Islamic State, Lebanon, Yemen, Islamic Republic of Iran, United States, Iraqi, Baghdad, New York, Washington ,

☆ Opinion | Abolish the U.N.’s Palestinian Refugee Agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

United Nations agencies and officials are no strangers to scandal and infamy. In the 1980s, Kurt Waldheim, a former U.N. secretary general, was unmasked as a former Nazi. He was the same secretary general who denounced Israel’s 1976 rescue of Jewish hostages in Entebbe as “a serious violation” of Uganda’s national sovereignty. Now comes the latest scandal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, better known as UNRWA. Last Friday, Israeli officials presented the U.S. government with an intelligence dossier detailing the involvement of 12 UNRWA employees, seven of them schoolteachers, in the massacre of Oct. 7.

Persons: Saddam Hussein, Kurt Waldheim, Ronen Bergman, Patrick Kingsley Organizations: Nations, Democratic, Iraq, Nazi, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, “ Intelligence, Street Locations: Haiti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Entebbe, Gaza

☆ Britain, Italy and Finland Pause Funding for UN Refugee Agency in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, Italy and Finland on Saturday became the latest countries to pause funding for the United Nations' refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), following allegations its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. It helps about two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population and has played a pivotal aid role during the current war. The United States, Australia and Canada had already paused funding to the aid agency after Israel said 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the cross-border attack. "We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision," he said on X. (Reporting by James Davey in London and Gavin Jones in Rome, Editing by William Maclean and Andrew Cawthorne)

Persons: Israel, Antonio Tajani, Hussein al, James Davey, Gavin Jones, William Maclean, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Saturday, United Nations, West Bank, UNRWA, Foreign Office, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO Locations: Britain, Italy, Finland, Israel, Israel's, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, United States, Australia, Canada, Palestinian, London, Rome

☆ Relatives Recount Gaza Deaths as Protesters in Washington Demand Ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother, and brother, have been killed in Israeli air strikes. "Dozens of my family members' bodies are still under the rubble," Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey, said. Washington and Israel have also argued a ceasefire will benefit Hamas and have resisted such calls. On Saturday, protesters came to Washington from different parts of the country and echoed concerns about Biden's military support for Israel. Though long a fervent supporter of Israel, Biden has expressed concern over civilian deaths as the war has gone on.

Persons: Michael Martina, Ismail Shakil, Joe Biden, Israel, Adam Abosherieah, Biden, Randa Muhtaseb, Alaa Hussein Ali, Suhail Mustafa, Mohammed Kaiseruddin, ” “, ”, Kaiseruddin, “, Judy Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, Marguerita Choy Organizations: U.S, Hamas, Israel, International Court of Justice, U.S . Capitol, West Bank, Democratic Party, Republican, Trump Locations: Ismail Shakil WASHINGTON, Gaza, Washington, U.S, Israel, Palestine, New Jersey, Palestinian, Gaza . South Africa, New York City, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Chicago, Ottawa

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The first day of strikes began on Friday, hitting 28 locations and striking more than 60 targets. AdvertisementThe Houthis' military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a recorded address that the US strikes would "not go unanswered or unpunished." It remained unclear how extensive the damage was from Friday's strikes, though the Houthis said at least five sites, including airfields, had been attacked.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Yemen's Houthis, Biden, Mick Ryan, Ryan, Lloyd Austin, Douglas Sims, Yahya Saree, Hussein Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Business, AP, US, Hamas, Atlantic Council, US Navy, Britain, White, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Foreign Ministry Locations: Yemen, Red, Sanaa, Palestinian, Israel, Aden, Gaza, Emmaus , Pennsylvania, Gen, America, Britain

The US and UK launched strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday. The strikes come after repeated warnings from the US and UK over the Houthis' attacks on shipping vessels. The official said the strikes targeted Houthi radar stations and storage facilities and launch sites for drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, a Houthi official vowed revenge against the US and UK for the strikes. AdvertisementBut one series of strikes is unlikely to destroy the Houthis' ability to interfere with shipping, Ryan said.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Hussein al, Ezzi, It's, Mick Ryan, Antony Blinken, Ryan, Ryan Pickrell Organizations: US, Service, Business, CNN, Australian Army, Biden Locations: Yemen, Iran, American, British, America, Britain, Israel, Gaza

The warning came as Yemen’s Houthis vowed retaliation, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. The U.S.-led bombardment came in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Yemen’s Houthis, “, " Biden, Lloyd Austin, Donald Trump Lt, Douglas Sims, Yahya Saree, Nikolas, Iran’s, Hussein, George W, Bush, Friday's, Nasser Kanaani, Vassily Nebenzia, Linda Thomas, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Thomas, Greenfield, ” ___ Gambrell, Ahmed Al, Haj, Bassem, Jill Lawless, Nasser Karimi, Fatima Hussein, Ellen Knickmeyer, Chris Megerian, Seung Min Kim, Edith M, Lederer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Britain, Associated Press, U.S . Central Command, Navy, White, Camp, U.S . Navy, Republicans, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, . Air Forces Central Command, Tomahawk, Foreign Ministry, Brent, Food, U.S, U.S ., United Arab Emirates, . Security, Ambassador, United Nations Locations: Yemen, U.S, Sanaa, Iran, Aden, Gaza . U.S, Houthi, Gen, Red, Gaza, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, United Kingdom, Bani, Abbs, Gulf of Oman, Tehran, Washington, Suez, America, Britain, Houthis, Greenfield, U.K, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Beirut, London, Emmaus , Pennsylvania

☆ Red Sea crisis: Who are the Houthis and why are they attacking ships?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are stepping up their strikes on ships in the Red Sea, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza. While the Houthis may not be able to pose a serious threat to Israel, their technology can wreak havoc in the Red Sea. Video Ad Feedback Video shows moment Houthi rebels storm cargo ship in the Red Sea 02:30 - Source: CNNWhy are the Houthis attacking ships in the Red Sea? A number of countries have taken steps to try and push back Houthi aggression in the Red Sea region. The United Nations Security Council has meanwhile approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Biden, Allah, Hussein, ”, Zaidis, Khaled Abdullah, aren’t, Israel –, Carney, Yemen’s, Joe Biden, ” Biden, “, Houthis “, ” Sare’e, Mohammed al, Al Jazeera Organizations: CNN, CNN — Yemen’s, United, Hamas, Reuters, UN, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, Maersk, Lloyd, CMA CGM, Evergreen, United Arab Emirates, Prosperity, United Nations Security Locations: CNN — Yemen’s Iran, Red, Gaza, United States, United Kingdom, Yemen, Iran, Islam, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Sanaa, Iran’s, Israel, Islamic Republic, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Tehran, Eilat, Suez, Egypt, Hapag, Africa, Russia, China, Britain, Palestine

In the latest incident, a UNIFIL patrol was hit by Israeli gunfire in the vicinity of Aytaroun of southern Lebanon, although there were no casualties. The force is deployed in southern Lebanon with the primary role of helping maintain international peace and security. Last December, an Irish soldier serving in UNIFIL was killed after the UNIFIL vehicle he was travelling in was fired on as it travelled in southern Lebanon. Seven people were charged by a Lebanese military tribunal in January for his death, the first fatal attack on U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon since 2015. Calm had prevailed on the border since Hamas and Israel agreed a temporary truce that began on Nov. 24.

Persons: I've, Stephen MacEoin, Shamrock, MacEoin, Andrea Tenenti, Tenenti, We’ve, Aziz Taher, Hussein Al Waille, Maggie Fick, William Maclean Organizations: Camp Shamrock, United Nations Interim Force, UNIFIL, Reuters, United, Security Council, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, UNIFIL, Maroun, Ras, Lebanese, Israel, Gaza, Tiri, Lebanon's, Iran, United Nations, Aytaroun, Irish, Seven, U.N

☆ Palestinian Authority Open to Gaza Role if U.S. Backs 2-State Solution
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Palestinian Authority has told the Biden administration that it is open to a governance role in post-Hamas Gaza if the United States commits to a full-fledged two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a top official of its parent, the Palestine Liberation Organization. American officials say the Palestinian Authority must play a central role in Gaza after Israel completes its military mission to destroy Hamas, which the authorities say killed 1,400 civilians and soldiers in its Oct. 7 attacks. The Palestinian Authority, which administers the West Bank, has signaled that it is willing to take on a such a role. Mr. al-Sheikh said he had no confidence that the current Israeli government, which has pushed to annex large parts of the West Bank, would agree to those terms. “Where is the partner on the Israeli side?” he asked.

Persons: Biden, Hussein al, ’, Antony J, Blinken, Sheikh, Israel Organizations: Palestinian Authority, Palestine Liberation Organization, West Bank, The New York Times, White, Hamas Locations: Gaza, United, Palestine, East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Israel, Palestinian

☆ Blinken visits West Bank to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Blinken told Abbas that the Palestinian Authority should play a central role in what comes next in the Gaza Strip, a senior State Department official told Reuters. Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. Abbas' Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel. The meeting was Blinken’s second with Abbas since the conflict began, but the first to take place in the West Bank. Blinken and Abbas "discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and hold those accountable responsible," Miller said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, General Hussein al, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Israel, Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith Organizations: PLO, Hamas, West Bank, Sunday, Palestinian Authority, State Department, Reuters, Palestinian, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, RAMALLAH, Gaza, United States, Egypt

Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel, November 3, 2023. Its military cut the north off this week and said on Thursday it had encircled Gaza City and Jabalia camp while continuing to bomb sites across the south. Citing those strikes and fears that they would not be allowed back home later, many residents of Gaza City have refused to leave. On the shore at Deir al-Balah, between Gaza City and the main southern city Khan Younis, a group of children were filling containers with sea water. Israel says it has turned water supplies back on in southern Gaza after initially cutting them off.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Abu Abdallah, Israel, Khan Younis, We've, Hussein, Hassan Zain al, Din, Nidal al, Angus McDowall, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Gaza, Health, Reuters, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, GAZA, Gaza City, Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, Rafah, Egypt, Deir, Nadi, Khan

☆ Palestinian President Abbas to meet Blinken on Friday, Palestinian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/file Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, a Palestinian official said early on Thursday. Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, also said on messaging platform X that Abbas will meet with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman on Thursday. Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Brendan McDermid, Antony Blinken, Hussein Al, Sheikh, Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah, Hatem Maher, Kim Coghill Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, U.S, Palestine Liberation Organization, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Amman

☆ Islamic State confirms death of its leader, names replacement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Islamic State on Thursday confirmed the death of its leader Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi and named Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi as his replacement, the group's spokesperson said in an undated recording published on its Telegram channel. Islamic State, a shadow of the organisation that once ruled a third of Iraq and Syria, gave no details about the new leader. Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi took over in November 2022 after his predecessor was killed, also in Syria. Islamic State militants continue to wage insurgent attacks in both Syria and Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition alongside a Kurdish-led alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is still carrying out raids against Islamic State in Syria.

Persons: Abu Hussein al, Husseini, Abu Hafs, group's, Tayyip Erdogan, Abu Bakr al, Baghdadi, Quraishi, Jana Choukeir, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Enas Alashray, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Islamic, Syrian Democratic Forces, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Islamic State, Turkish, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Kurdish

Neither Azour nor Hezbollah-backed candidate Suleiman Frangieh came close to winning the 86 votes needed to win in a first round vote. Azour, the IMF's Middle East Director and an ex-finance minister, won the support of 59 of 128 lawmakers. Hezbollah and its allies then withdrew from the session, denying the two-thirds quorum required for a second vote in which 65 votes are enough for victory. Azour thanked lawmakers who backed him, saying he hoped the will expressed by "the majority of deputies" would be respected. George Adwan, a Christian lawmaker with the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces party, said the vote was "a major victory" because it showed Azour close to 65 votes.

Persons: Gebran Bassil, Azour, Suleiman Frangieh, Frangieh, Nabih Berri, Michel Aoun, Hussein al, Haj Hassan, Bashar al, Assad, George Adwan, Mohamed Azakir, Matthew Miller, Miller, Mohanad Hage Ali, Riad Salameh, Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan dialled, Issam Abdallah, Simon Lewis, Tom Perry, John Stonestreet, Mark Heinrich, William Maclean Organizations: BEIRUT, Hezbollah, IMF, Maronite, Hezbollah Lebanese Forces, REUTERS, U.S . State Department, Carnegie Middle East Center, West, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Iran, Muslim, Saudi Arabia, Lebanese, Yemen, Beirut, Washington, U.S, United States, Israel, Damascus

☆ Israeli army mounts rare raid into Palestinian city of Ramallah, clashes ensue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A Palestinians throws stones as the Israeli army raids Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed TorokmanRAMALLAH, West Bank, June 8 (Reuters) - Clashes erupted after Israeli forces mounted a rare raid into the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early on Thursday, in what the military said was an operation to demolish the house of an assailant. Some Palestinian youth hurled stones at the Israeli forces, who fired live bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the crowd, the witness said. Violence in the West Bank, among territories where Palestinians seek statehood, has risen during the past year. Israel's foreign ministry said 20 Israelis and two foreign nationals have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the same period.

Persons: Mohammed Torokman, Abdel Fattah Dola, Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah, Hady Amr, Hussein Al, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, Grant McCool Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Ramallah, Mohammed Torokman RAMALLAH, West, Palestinian, Jerusalem, Israel, U.S

☆ Erdogan's future is in doubt, but Turkey's ties to Russia and tensions with the US aren't going anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Matthew Mai | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Western observers dislike Erdogan's foreign policy, but a different leader is unlikely to change course. Critics charge that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy is a direct outgrowth of his illiberal posture at home rather than shrewd geopolitics. Whether Erdogan or his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, wins, the interests guiding Turkey's foreign policy will require the same balancing act that eschews alignment with any great-power bloc and maximizes Ankara's freedom of action. Locals applaud as a convoy of Turkish trucks carrying tanks near Turkey's border with Syria in October 2019. By prioritizing independence and autonomy, foreign policy under a prospective Kilicdaroglu administration will embody a significant degree of continuity from his predecessor.

ANKARA/BAGHDAD, May 2 (Reuters) - ISIS leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi's six-month rule ended when he detonated a suicide vest during a Turkish special forces raid in northwest Syria on Saturday after refusing to surrender, a senior Turkish security official said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Qurashi "was neutralized" as part of the intelligence forces' operation. Images of the site provided by the security official showed a red-roofed building with most of the walls on its ground floor blown out. An Iraqi intelligence official said: "The only safe haven for the senior Daesh (ISIS) leaders is in Syria, and specifically in areas bordering Turkey." A Turkish security official declined to comment on any Iraqi intelligence involvement in the operation.

☆ Islamic State leader killed in Syria by Turkish intelligence services, Erdogan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL, April 30 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria. "This individual was neutralized as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organization in Syria yesterday," Erdogan said in an interview with TRT Turk broadcaster. The area was later encircled by security forces to prevent anyone from approaching the area. IS selected al-Qurashi as its leader in November 2022 after the previous IS leader was killed in an operation in southern Syria. But IS lost its grip on the territory after campaigns by U.S.-backed forces in Syria and Iraq, as well as Syrian forces backed by Iran, Russia and various paramilitaries.

☆ Turkey kills ISIS leader in Syria operation, says Erdogan Turkish National Intelligence Organization kills ISIS leader in Syria - President Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Gul Tuysuz Hande Atay Alam Jessie Yeung | Gul Tuysuz | Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed on Sunday that the country’s intelligence forces had killed the leader of ISIS in Syria as he vowed to continue the country’s fight against terrorism. In a broadcast, Erdogan said Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization had been tracking a man known as Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini Al-Qurshi “for a long time.”“This person was neutralized in the operation carried out by MIT (Turkish National Intelligence Organization) yesterday in Syria,” he said. Little was known about Al-Qurshi, but at the time of his appointment, ISIS described him as an “old fighter.”Erdogan’s announcement came after a recent absence from the public eye due to illness. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters during an election rally in Ankara, Turkey on April 30, 2023. Cagla Gurdogan/ReutersMedia reports had speculated that his health was deteriorating just two weeks before a crucial election.

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