Israel's offshore Leviathan field started pumping gas on Tuesday in what the operating consortium hailed as "a historic turning point" for the Israeli economy. A joint statement from partners Noble Energy, Delek Drilling, and Ratio said the start of production was expected to lead to an...

US personnel at the American embassy in Baghdad, which has come under attack by pro-Iran protesters, are safe and there are no plans to evacuate, the State Department said Tuesday. "Our first priority is the safety and security of US personnel," a State Department spokesperson said in a...

Israeli forces martyred 149 Palestinians during the year 2019 in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian group said Tuesday. The National Gathering of Palestinian Martyrs' Families said the martyrs include 33 children and 12 women. According to the group, the Israeli...

Inside a Lebanese bank, a woman screams for her salary. A man pounds his fist on the marble counter, demanding the teller release $200. In crisis-hit Lebanon, this is the new normal. "It's a shocking experience," said Khaled Taki, a 68-year-old consultant whose bank last week refused to...

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi warned on Tuesday against any aggression towards foreign embassies and representations in Baghdad, asking protesters outside the U.S. embassy to leave. Thousands of people have gathered in front of the U.S. embassy to condemn Sunday’s U.S. air strikes...

China's foreign minister has decried international "bullying practices" while meeting with his Iranian counterpart Tuesday, in the country's latest criticism of American foreign policy under the Trump administration. Wang Yi reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations in opening remarks...

Israel's Supreme Court convened Tuesday to hear a petition on whether an indicted member of parliament can form a new government, a key test case for whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can prolong his political career after elections in March. If the court decides Netanyahu is...

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he expects Iraq to "use its forces" to protect the US embassy in Baghdad after pro-Iran protesters breached the outer wall of the compound. "We expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" Trump tweeted. Iraqi supporters of...

Lebanese neighbours of embattled former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn have welcomed his sudden return from Japan, but anti-government protesters accused the ex-tycoon of belonging to a corrupt elite. In an upper-class district of the Lebanese capital, traffic appeared normal in front the...

Washington has accused Iraqi authorities of having failed to "protect" US interests, the day after deadly American air strikes against a pro-Iran group sparked anger. At least 25 fighters were killed in Sunday night's attacks, which were in retaliation for the death last week of a US...

Israeli authorities arrested more than 5,500 Palestinians during 2019, including 889 children and 128 women, several Palestinian advocacy groups announced Monday. The figures were released through a statement issued on Monday by a number of Palestinian prisoners' affairs groups including...

Palestinian group Hamas on Monday denied holding any truce talks with Israel. "We confirm that the siege and sanctions are still ongoing and the Zionist enemy [Israel] didn't abide by the full entitlements of the previous Egypt-brokered negotiations," Hamas said in a statement. Hamas...

 Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi Monday condemned air strikes by the United States on several bases belonging to an Iranian-backed militia group in Iraq and said the attack would have consequences. "The prime minister described the American attack on the Iraqi armed forces...

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemned Monday U.S. air strikes that hit several bases of an Iran-backed militia and killed at least 25 people, demanding respect for Iraq's sovereignty. The "illegal practices carried out by some sides" must not be used as a reason...

Muslim women in the Palestinian Gaza Strip have been hand-crafting gifts for the approaching Orthodox Christmas as part of a project to empower a traditional community. Their Santa Claus dolls, toy Christmas trees and red-and-white puppets come into high demand over the holiday season in...

A top Iraqi militia leader warned of a strong response against U.S. forces in Iraq following air strikes in Iraq and Syria overnight that hit several bases of his Iranian-backed group and killed at least 25 people. The U.S. military carried out air strikes on Sunday against the...

Lebanon’s powerful Shi’ite group Hezbollah condemned on Monday U.S. air strikes in Iraq and Syria targeting the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia, calling them a blatant attack on Iraqi sovereignty, security, and stability. In a statement, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is also backed by...

Death toll of Sunday attacks by the U.S. on positions belong to Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah militia group in Iraq and Syria has risen to 24, according to an Iraqi source on Monday. Jawad Kadhim Al-Rabaiwi, senior leader of Hashd al-Shaabi -- an umbrella group for various militias -- said in a...

Police in Turkey detained dozens of people suspected of links to Daesh (ISIS), the state-run news agency reported Monday, in an apparent sweep against the militant group ahead of New Year celebrations. At least 33 foreign nationals were detained in the capital Ankara in a joint operation by...

Operations resumed at Iraq's southern Nassiriya oilfield Monday, two oil sources said, but it will take up to two days for output to be fully restored. Protesters broke into the oilfield, which produces 80,000-85,000 barrels of oil per day, Saturday and forced employees to cut off...