Middle Eastern Politics Headlines at 5:00 p.m. GMT
Protesters in Syria demand justice for disappeared activists and accountability from all factions
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The HillJournalist disrupts Blinken press conference: ‘How does it feel for your legacy to be genocide?’
Two journalists disrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s last press briefing Thursday with criticism over his handling of the war in Gaza. “Your father-in-law was an Israel lobbyist. Your grandfather was an Israel lobbyist. Are you compromised by Israel? Why did you allow the Holocaust of our time to happen?” Max Blumenthal, editor of the blog Grayzone, asked…
- Associated Press
Mysterious airstrip appears on a Yemeni island as Houthi rebel attacks threaten region
A mysterious airstrip being built on a remote island in Yemen is nearing completion, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show, one of several built in a nation mired in a stalemated war threatening to reignite. The airstrip on Abd al-Kuri Island, which rises out of the Indian Ocean near the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, could provide a key landing zone for military operations patrolling that waterway.
- The Independent
Israel-Hamas ceasefire latest: Netanyahu says US will back return to war with only hours until Gaza ceasefire
The ceasefire deal was signed off by Israel’s government on Saturday morning - but attacks have continued on the Gaza Strip
- The Independent
Ukraine-Russia latest: Four dead in Kyiv as Putin’s forces launch barrage of drones and missiles
“This aggressive Russian action is not acceptable,” the French defense minister said
- Reuters
US says Gaza ceasefire to start as planned despite 'loose end'
The Gaza Strip ceasefire should begin on Sunday as planned, despite the need for negotiators to tie up a "loose end" at the last minute, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. With longstanding divisions apparent among ministers, Israel delayed cabinet meetings to ratify the ceasefire with Hamas, and media reports said voting could occur Friday or even Saturday, although the deal is expected to be approved. Israel blamed the militant group for the hold-up, even as Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza in some of the most intense strikes for months.
- The Telegraph
Pro-Palestinian protesters prepare to defy police ban on march near synagogue
Pro-Palestinian activists are preparing to defy a police ban on staging a march outside the BBC’s headquarters, which senior officials fear could lead to disruption at a nearby synagogue.
- Associated Press
Netanyahu says deal to release hostages held in Gaza has been reached after last minute snags
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war. Netanyahu said he would convene his security Cabinet later Friday, and then the government to approve the long-awaited hostage deal. Netanyahu's pre-dawn statement appeared to clear the way for Israeli approval of the deal, which would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and see dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
- Associated Press
Students lead massive protests in Serbia against state broadcaster and president
Tens of thousands of protesters led by university students held a noisy rally Friday outside Serbia’s state television headquarters in Belgrade to protest what they called the broadcaster's pro-government bias. The demonstration, one of the biggest in years against alleged pro-government bias by the RTS television station, is part of wider protests that erupted after the fall of a concrete canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad last November, killing 15 people.
- Reuters Videos
Right-wing protesters block highway in Jerusalem over ceasefire deal
STORY: :: Right-wing protesters in Israel block a highway in Jerusalem over the ceasefire deal:: January 16, 2025Protesters marched on a road junction, some with hands painted red.The ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. to stop the war that began with deadly Hamas attacks on Israel and saw Israeli forces kill tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastate Gaza.Around 200 protesters attended a rally near the Israeli parliament and government ministries, where the founder of Israeli settler organization Nachala called on the United States and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to defend the "Land of Israel."
- The Independent
‘The next nightmare is just beginning’: Ceasefire raises new fears for Gazans
In Gaza, Palestinians fear the last hours before the fighting is expected to stop on Sunday will be ‘bloody and dangerous’
- BBC
Israel delays vote to approve Gaza ceasefire deal
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a "loose end" was being tied up but he was confident the ceasefire would begin on Sunday as planned.
- The Observers
How Syria’s Tishrin Dam has become a focal point of fighting between rebel groups
Several Syrian civilians were killed during a pro-Kurdish protest near Tishrin Dam on January 8. The dam, which sits on the Euphrates River in northern Syria and is an important source of water and power for local communities, has become a focal point of fighting between Kurdish rebel groups and Turkish-backed rebels from the Syrian National Army. Both sides are also carrying out the battle online, where they both have been claiming to control this strategic crossing site. Tishrin Dam has become
- The Guardian
A visual guide to the destruction of Gaza
Satellite imagery, maps, video footage and graphics show how Gaza has been left in ruins by Israel’s war against Hamas
- BBC
How did we reach the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in Gaza?
The ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war follows 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
- Associated Press
How long will it take and how much will it cost to rebuild Gaza?
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave miserable tent camps and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the Israel-Hamas war, but many will find there is nothing left and no way to rebuild. Israeli bombardment and ground operations have transformed entire neighborhoods in several cities into rubble-strewn wastelands, with blackened shells of buildings and mounds of debris stretching away in all directions. The agreement for a phased ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas-led militants does not say who will govern Gaza after the war, or whether Israel and Egypt will lift a blockade limiting the movement of people and goods that they imposed when Hamas seized power in 2007.
- PA Media: UK News
Eight arrested at pro-Palestine rally as hundreds gather amid police presence
The rally comes after police curtailed organisers’ plans for a march past the BBC and near a synagogue.
- Evening Standard
London protests LIVE: Up to 30 arrests as thousands join pro-Palestine rally in Westminster
Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally took place in Whitehall after huge row over its planned route’s proximity to a synagogue
- The Independent
North Korea troops fighting for Putin ‘could all be dead or wounded by April’ as casualties mount
North Korean troops have suffered thousands of casualties in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Ukrainian estimates
- BBC
Israel's cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
The vote paves the way for exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners to begin on Sunday.
- CNN
Israel’s approval of the Gaza deal unmasks deep schisms that could threaten the ceasefire and Netanyahu’s political future
Don’t let Israel’s approval of the Gaza ceasefire fool you: There are deep schisms in Israeli politics that could threaten the longevity of the deal.