For many West Bank Palestinians, the olive tree is both a revered cultural emblem and an economic necessity - but it has also become a focal point of a struggle between them and Israeli settlers for a land they both claim. More than 1,000 trees owned by Palestinian farmers have been burned...

Lebanon and Israel, still technically at war, pressed on with a third round of maritime border talks Thursday under UN and US auspices to allow for offshore energy exploration. "The third round of indirect negotiations to draw the maritime border has started," said Lebanon's official...

Entering a Gaza City restaurant, customers are welcomed by a multi-tasking disinfection machine designed by a Palestinian businesswoman to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the crisis-hit enclave. Spraying hand sanitiser while taking the person's temperature, the two-meter (around...

Iran declared "full-scale war" with coronavirus as it reported a record death toll Wednesday for a second straight day and surging infections overload a health care system struggling with US sanctions. The Middle East's worst-hit country recorded 415 deaths in 24 hours. "This is the...