https://www.scmp.com/rss/516864/feed On October 7, 2023, armed Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza, firing thousands of rockets and breaking through the Gaza-Israel barrier. At least 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attacks, which included an assault on a music festival, and hundreds more civilians and soldiers were taken hostage. In response, the Israeli government declared war on Hamas. The resulting barrage of artillery on Gaza and a subsequent blockade of aid caused the deaths of thousands of... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press The UK government said on Thursday that the country was facing an antisemitism emergency and pledged to increase security for Jewish communities after a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing that have sparked fear and anger among Jews. The country’s official terror threat level was raised from substantial to severe after Wednesday’s stabbing attack in London, which police have called an act of terrorism with potential links to Iran. Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352030/uk-tackle-antisemitism-emergency-police-probe-double-stabbing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352030/uk-tackle-antisemitism-emergency-police-probe-double-stabbing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:49:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli forces near the southern Greek island of Crete intercepted more than 20 boats from a flotilla of several dozen seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and planned to transport about 175 detained activists to Greece on Thursday, Israeli authorities said. Activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces stormed their vessels overnight, smashing engines and detaining some of those on board while they were sailing in international waters near Greece, hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351997/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-flotilla-international-waters-greece-detaining-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351997/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-flotilla-international-waters-greece-detaining-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:19:37 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said the US and Nato were faced with a “marriage crisis” as frustrations mount on both sides of the Atlantic, urging Washington to stand with its allies or risk America’s fall. Francken, speaking at a think tank event in Washington on Tuesday, likened the strained transatlantic relationship, which has held for close to 80 years, to a “crisis”, saying “it’s very difficult”. “I’m convinced that we’re having a marriage crisis … There’s a lot of frustration on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351763/us-and-nato-faced-frustrating-marriage-crisis-belgian-defence-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351763/us-and-nato-faced-frustrating-marriage-crisis-belgian-defence-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:00:50 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Lebanon’s social affairs minister has backed calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, but cautioned the process would take time before a “political settlement” could be reached, noting that the group is also a “community”. Haneen Sayed told a discussion in Washington on Monday that disarming Hezbollah – an Iran-backed militant group – was a demand of her government and its people, and that it “must happen”. “Of course, we understand that implementation is not easy. It’s not instant coffee. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:33:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals said on Sunday they were joining forces in a bid to oust his coalition government in the coming election expected later this year. The former prime ministers - right-wing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid - issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and There is a Future. “We are standing here together for the sake of our ‌children. The State of Israel must change direction,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351517/netanyahus-biggest-rivals-join-forces-israels-coming-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351517/netanyahus-biggest-rivals-join-forces-israels-coming-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:55:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Palestinians on Saturday buried a woman pregnant with twins and two of her children who were among at least 13 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza. The toll on Friday included two men who were killed in Gaza City, and eight others killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to local hospitals. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said the eight people, including four police officers, were killed after Israel targeted a police vehicle. While the heaviest fighting has mostly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351438/palestinians-bury-pregnant-woman-and-2-her-children-killed-israeli-attacks-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351438/palestinians-bury-pregnant-woman-and-2-her-children-killed-israeli-attacks-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:57:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A second French soldier died on Wednesday from wounds suffered in a weekend ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon blamed on Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said. A first soldier, staff sergeant Florian Montorio, was shot dead in the Saturday ambush, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility. “Corporal Anicet Girardin … brought home yesterday from Lebanon, where he was badly wounded by Hezbollah fighters, died this morning of the consequences of his wounds,” Macron posted on X. One... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351049/second-french-peacekeeper-dies-after-ambush-blamed-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351049/second-french-peacekeeper-dies-after-ambush-blamed-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:19:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that planned talks with Israel aimed to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, even as Hezbollah and its supporters rejected the negotiations. Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has sharply criticised the Lebanese government’s negotiations with Israel, which were set to enter a second round on Thursday. After the first round of talks last week, US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day truce pausing more than six weeks of war... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350795/lebanons-president-aoun-says-aiming-end-hostilities-israel-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350795/lebanons-president-aoun-says-aiming-end-hostilities-israel-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:46:50 +0000 Agencies Agencies Israel on Monday told residents of south Lebanon ⁠to stay out of a belt of territory running the length of the border and not to approach the area of the Litani River, entrenching its grip over southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah. The US-mediated, 10-day ceasefire took effect on Thursday, largely halting the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that spiralled out of the ‌conflict between the United States and Iran. But it remains fragile, with Israeli troops... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350658/israel-says-military-use-full-force-lebanon-despite-truce-if-soldiers-face-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350658/israel-says-military-use-full-force-lebanon-despite-truce-if-soldiers-face-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:35:39 +0000 dpa dpa Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed more than 38,000 women and girls between October 2023 and the end of 2025, a UN report published on Friday showed. Palestinian health authorities put the estimated total death toll by the end of 2025 at just over 71,000, rising to more than 72,000 by mid-April as Israel continued sporadic attacks despite a ceasefire with the Islamist group Hamas. According to the analysis by UN Women, this means over half of all the victims in Gaza by the end of 2025 were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350527/israeli-attacks-killed-over-38000-women-girls-gaza-october-2023-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350527/israeli-attacks-killed-over-38000-women-girls-gaza-october-2023-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:42:52 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to be holding on Friday, a breakthrough that could provide critical relief to Washington’s strained temporary truce with Tehran Announcing the ceasefire, which came into effect at 5pm EST Thursday (5am Friday Hong Kong time), US President Donald Trump said it followed what he described as “excellent conversations” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. “These two Leaders have agreed that in order... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350372/israel-and-lebanon-agree-10-day-ceasefire-us-pushes-broader-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350372/israel-and-lebanon-agree-10-day-ceasefire-us-pushes-broader-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:32:37 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Washington’s senior envoys to the United Nations took a victory lap in Senate testimony on Wednesday over the US-inspired cuts and efficiency drive at the multilateral agency, even as they slammed its inability to end the conflict in Ukraine, stem the Iran war started by the US and Israel or curb China’s growing clout. Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, touted the US$570 million in UN budget cuts, 3,000 fewer jobs and the US decision to pull out of several UN agencies, even as he defended US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350229/us-envoy-waltz-touts-america-first-policy-budget-cuts-senate-swipe-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350229/us-envoy-waltz-touts-america-first-policy-budget-cuts-senate-swipe-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:29:48 +0000 James David Spellman James David Spellman The fraying of the ceasefire in the US-Israel war against Iran reflects grim patterns of history. Truces are often doomed because they focus on stopping battle-related violence and rarely begin to address the underlying struggles that ignited hostilities. A pause without a shared common endgame often resets the battlefield as reasons harden for prolonging warfare. Viable political solutions seldom follow and take hold for peace to endure. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the perils. The Minsk... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held rare face-to-face talks, facilitated by Washington, on Tuesday, with all sides agreeing to launch “direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue”. “Israel expressed its commitment to engage in direct negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace that will strengthen security, stability and prosperity in the region,” as per a readout issued by the US State Department. The statement said that Lebanon called for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:41:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters Dozens of protesters were detained by ⁠police in New ⁠York City on Monday during demonstrations ⁠calling for the blocking of arms sales to Israel and an end to US military support for its ally. Demonstrators included anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, which said around 90 people were detained. ‌Among those detained was whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier and WikiLeaks source. The New York City Police Department said there were “multiple” arrests but did not provide a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:57:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Sunday he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, even as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in south Lebanon that the fight there was far from over. The Lebanese Red Cross said in a statement that one of its paramedics had been killed in the south. They said its teams had been “directly targeted by an Israeli drone” while on a humanitarian mission, even though “the ambulances and their crews bore the protective Red Cross... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349819/israels-netanyahu-south-lebanon-says-threat-invasion-removed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349819/israels-netanyahu-south-lebanon-says-threat-invasion-removed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:10:38 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wrapped in bloodied bandages, seven-year-old Aline Saeed barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives. The strike on the Saeed family home in the village of Srifa took place on Wednesday, the first day ‌of a US-Iran ceasefire that many in Lebanon hoped would apply to their country, too. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349814/israeli-bombardment-kills-infant-lebanon-during-fathers-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349814/israeli-bombardment-kills-infant-lebanon-during-fathers-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:41:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona to try to break the Israeli blockade. About 30 boats planned ‌to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route towards Palestine. The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organisation in October last year as they attempted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349802/sumud-aid-flotilla-departs-spain-gaza-break-israeli-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349802/sumud-aid-flotilla-departs-spain-gaza-break-israeli-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 10:40:57 +0000 Reuters Reuters A private spy firm founded by former members ⁠of Israeli intelligence ⁠has confirmed its involvement in ⁠a sting operation targeting state officials and private interests in Cyprus, saying it wanted to expose corruption. A senior aide to President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides resigned in January after a video posted online showed ‌him discussing investment projects in Cyprus. It also featured a businessman who suggested he had direct access to Christodoulides, and a former minister speaking... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349756/israeli-spy-firm-black-cube-involved-cyprus-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349756/israeli-spy-firm-black-cube-involved-cyprus-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:03:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Friday marks six months since Gaza’s ceasefire deal took effect, a milestone largely lost in the confusion over the new and even more fragile ceasefire in the Iran war. The ravaged Palestinian territory of 2 million people has seen the most intense fighting stop between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants. But most of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its two-decade rule to deploying an international stabilisation force and beginning vast reconstruction.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349651/gaza-marks-6-months-ceasefire-does-it-offer-lessons-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349651/gaza-marks-6-months-ceasefire-does-it-offer-lessons-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:14:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial will resume on Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court confirmed, after emergency restrictions imposed during the conflict with Iran were lifted. A court statement on Thursday said that “the return to work of the judicial system” means Netanyahu’s trial is cleared to continue, beginning with a hearing on Sunday set to include testimony from a defence witness. Court business in Israel had been interrupted by the conflict but the military’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349573/netanyahu-corruption-trial-resume-sunday-after-israel-eases-war-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349573/netanyahu-corruption-trial-resume-sunday-after-israel-eases-war-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:44:48 +0000 Agencies Agencies Israel renewed its strikes in southern Lebanon and urged residents in parts of Beirut to evacuate on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the US-Iran truce does not extend to the war against Hezbollah. Israel hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Israel’s military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349405/israel-says-battle-lebanon-continues-despite-iran-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349405/israel-says-battle-lebanon-continues-despite-iran-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:12:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Three assailants opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead, Turkish officials said. The two other assailants were captured with injuries. Two police officers sustained slight injuries in the clash, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters. The assailants were carrying long-barrelled weapons. Interior Minister Mustafa Cifti wrote on X that the attackers had travelled to Istanbul from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349279/least-2-dead-gunfight-outside-israeli-consulate-istanbul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349279/least-2-dead-gunfight-outside-israeli-consulate-istanbul?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:42:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US$656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities has been reinstated by appeal judges, following a US Supreme Court ruling in favour of Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel. The decision from the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals comes a decade after it first tossed out a verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority on the grounds that US courts could not consider lawsuits against foreign groups over overseas attacks that were not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349107/appeal-court-reinstates-us656-million-judgment-against-plo-and-palestinian-authority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349107/appeal-court-reinstates-us656-million-judgment-against-plo-and-palestinian-authority?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 21:54:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has reached unprecedented levels since the start of the war with Iran, with NGOs and opposition figures denouncing an environment of impunity. While so-called “Jewish terrorism” has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. Assaults by violent settlers against Palestinians have been carried out for years, often to the indifference of mainstream Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348798/surging-jewish-terrorism-west-bank-condemned-goes-unpunished?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348798/surging-jewish-terrorism-west-bank-condemned-goes-unpunished?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:45:00 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The killing of three Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is a stern test of Jakarta’s Middle East policy, with analysts saying the incident has raised questions over the risks of overseas deployment in Gaza and the region, as well as limits to global accountability. Several Indonesian lawmakers and observers said the deaths had exposed how little protection diplomatic positions could offer during a spiralling conflict, arguing that Jakarta should reassess its role in Lebanon and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348679/indonesian-peacekeepers-deaths-spur-calls-middle-east-exit-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348679/indonesian-peacekeepers-deaths-spur-calls-middle-east-exit-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:13:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Monday that Iran’s Islamic republic would eventually fall, though he again said that was not the objective of the US-Israeli war on the country. “I think this regime will collapse internally. But at the moment, right now, what we’re doing is just degrading their military capacity, degrading their missile capacity, degrading their nuclear capacity and also weakening them from the inside,” Netanyahu told conservative US broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:36:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A man who crashed his pickup truck into a Detroit-area synagogue earlier in March was carrying out an attack inspired by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah and had sought to inflict as much damage as possible, the FBI said on Monday. Ayman Ghazali made a video before the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, saying he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can”, said Jennifer Runyan, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Detroit, who announced new information more... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348458/fbi-says-man-who-crashed-his-truck-michigan-synagogue-was-inspired-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348458/fbi-says-man-who-crashed-his-truck-michigan-synagogue-was-inspired-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:00:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel’s parliament on Monday passed a law approving the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. The bill’s passage marked a major victory for Israel’s far-right, which has pushed hard for the measure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the chamber to vote yes in person. The law makes the death penalty – by hanging – the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted for nationalistic killings. The law also gives Israeli courts the authority to impose... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348454/israeli-parliament-approves-death-penalty-palestinians-convicted-murdering-israelis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348454/israeli-parliament-approves-death-penalty-palestinians-convicted-murdering-israelis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:49:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Israeli military has suspended a battalion whose soldiers assaulted a CNN crew in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in a rare case of punishment for soldier misconduct. The army announced on Monday it was suspending the Netzah Yehuda battalion after soldiers were filmed assaulting the CNN crew last week. Netzah Yehuda is a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers that has been linked to abuses of Palestinian civilians in the past, including the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian American man after his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348440/israel-suspends-military-unit-assaulted-cnn-crew-west-bank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348440/israel-suspends-military-unit-assaulted-cnn-crew-west-bank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:41:57 +0000 Agencies Agencies Four European countries have called on Israel to abandon a bill seeking to revive the death penalty for people convicted of acts of terrorism, a measure opponents say would target only Palestinians. In a joint statement on Sunday ahead of an anticipated final vote in the Knesset on Monday, foreign ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom expressed their “deep concern” about the bill. “The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading form of punishment without any deterring... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348328/european-countries-appeal-israel-abandon-plans-revive-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348328/european-countries-appeal-israel-abandon-plans-revive-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 22:26:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will on Monday convene senior government and military officials alongside energy, shipping, finance and insurance sector leaders to discuss the Middle East war, his office said late on Sunday. The round table meeting in Downing Street will examine the impact of Iran’s effective closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up oil prices and costs in various sectors around the world. Participants will include representatives from energy giants Shell,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348327/uks-pm-starmer-host-industry-leaders-middle-east-war-talks-monday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348327/uks-pm-starmer-host-industry-leaders-middle-east-war-talks-monday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:52:57 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel will widen its invasion of southern Lebanon. Netanyahu said Israel would expand what he called the “existing security strip” in Lebanon as Israeli forces continue to target the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. “We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north,” he said on a visit to northern Israel, adding that “Hezbollah still has residual capability to fire rockets at us”. There were no immediate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348324/netanyahu-says-israel-will-widen-its-invasion-southern-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348324/netanyahu-says-israel-will-widen-its-invasion-southern-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:59:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate mass on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday for the first time in centuries, the Latin Patriarchate said on Sunday. Jerusalem’s major holy sites, including the church, are closed because of the continuing war in Iran, as the city has come under frequent fire from Iranian missiles. The Catholic Church called the police decision “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348322/israeli-police-prevent-catholic-leaders-celebrating-palm-sunday-mass-jerusalem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348322/israeli-police-prevent-catholic-leaders-celebrating-palm-sunday-mass-jerusalem?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:43:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A series of strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday and early Tuesday, the first attack on the Hezbollah stronghold in days, as Israel’s military said it captured two members of the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon. An earlier Israeli strike hit the upscale, predominantly Christian area of Hazmieh near Beirut, with Israel saying it targeted a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm. AFPTV’s live broadcast showed clouds of smoke over the capital’s southern... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347646/israel-strikes-south-beirut-claims-it-captured-hezbollah-members?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347646/israel-strikes-south-beirut-claims-it-captured-hezbollah-members?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:24:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Less than 48 hours before the US-Israeli strike on Iran began, Prime Minister Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu spoke by phone to US President Donald Trump about the reasons for launching the kind of complex, far-off war the American leader once had campaigned against. Both ⁠Trump and Netanyahu knew from intelligence briefings earlier in the week that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his key lieutenants would soon meet at his compound in Tehran, making them vulnerable to a “decapitation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347640/trump-approved-iran-operation-after-netanyahu-argued-joint-killing-khamenei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347640/trump-approved-iran-operation-after-netanyahu-argued-joint-killing-khamenei?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:59:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s military said it was investigating whether its own fire killed an Israeli civilian near the Lebanese border on Sunday, after Hezbollah claimed an attack in the same area. Israeli emergency workers said earlier on Sunday that a man was killed in a “direct hit” on his car by a rocket from Lebanon. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said after the incident that its fighters had attacked Israeli soldiers in the same area. But the Israeli army later said it was “conducting a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347503/hezbollah-claims-rocket-killed-one-israeli-army-demolishes-houses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347503/hezbollah-claims-rocket-killed-one-israeli-army-demolishes-houses?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:54:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Trump administration filed a lawsuit on Friday against Harvard University, accusing the institution of allowing a “hostile environment” towards Jewish and Israeli students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus from 2023 to 2025. President Donald Trump has launched an offensive against major American universities, accusing them of giving free rein on their campuses to pro-Palestinian movements in the face of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, action which he equates with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347411/us-government-sues-harvard-over-anti-israel-protests-cites-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347411/us-government-sues-harvard-over-anti-israel-protests-cites-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 05:27:23 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo If you think the Israeli-American war of aggression against Iran is bad, it could get a lot worse. For the first time, a senior American official has openly acknowledged that Israel possesses nuclear warheads and could deploy them in the war. “Israel is getting hit harder than they’ve ever been hit before in their history,” said David Sacks, the White House’s artificial intelligence and crypto tsar, on the All-In Podcast. “If this war continues for weeks or months, then Israel could just be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347172/why-world-may-now-need-iranian-nuclear-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347172/why-world-may-now-need-iranian-nuclear-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Pedro Pascal knows a thing or two about stealing the spotlight. The Last of Us actor showed up at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15 wearing custom Chanel. He paired a white poplin shirt with black tuxedo pants and accessorised with a sleek cummerbund and a Chanel Boy Friend watch. The highlight of the ensemble was a white floral brooch – a creation of silk and feathers. “What I love about this look is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously,” he told the outlet, adding, “The tuxedo is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3347016/meet-rafael-olarra-pedro-pascals-rumoured-boyfriend-and-luke-evans-ex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3347016/meet-rafael-olarra-pedro-pascals-rumoured-boyfriend-and-luke-evans-ex?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An explosion was heard in Baghdad early Wednesday, an Agence France-Presse journalist said, as Iraqi officials reported a drone and rocket attack targeting the US embassy. The latest explosion came hours after multiple blasts were heard across the Iraqi capital, where a witness said he saw detonations likely caused by air defences intercepting projectiles over the embassy. Diners at a restaurant in the city seemed undisturbed by the initial sounds of the blasts. Another witness saw a fire on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346936/fire-us-embassy-baghdad-security-official-reports-drone-and-rocket-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346936/fire-us-embassy-baghdad-security-official-reports-drone-and-rocket-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:59:00 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Sunday sought to pressure Nato allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit that Iran has effectively closed in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against Tehran. With the conflict creating turmoil across the Middle East and shaking up global energy markets in its third week, Trump insisted that nations relying heavily on oil from the Gulf have a responsibility to help protect the strait. “I’m demanding that these... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346692/starmer-holds-calls-trump-and-carney-irans-hormuz-blockage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346692/starmer-holds-calls-trump-and-carney-irans-hormuz-blockage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:59:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hundreds of people turned out in London on Sunday for a pro-Palestinian march banned by the government after police said it was organised by a group “supportive of the Iranian regime”. Police said in a statement they had arrested 12 people and were investigating anti-Israeli chants allegedly made at the rally. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said earlier this week she had agreed to the ban to “prevent serious public disorder” in the context of the continuing conflict in the Middle East, where... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346690/police-arrest-12-hundreds-join-banned-pro-palestinian-march-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346690/police-arrest-12-hundreds-join-banned-pro-palestinian-march-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 19:43:29 +0000 Agencies Agencies Gaza’s ⁠main gateway, ⁠the Rafah crossing with Egypt that was closed at the start of ‌the Iran war, will open on Wednesday for limited movement of people in both directions, Israel’s COGAT, the ⁠military body in charge of humanitarian ‌matters, said on Sunday. The crossing had reopened ‌in early February after being largely ⁠shut ⁠since May 2024, in the ‌early months of Israel’s war against Hamas ‌in ‌Gaza. Its reopening offered ‌some relief to Palestinians who ⁠want to leave Gaza for ⁠medical... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346689/gazas-rafah-crossing-open-wednesday-limited-movement-people-israel-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346689/gazas-rafah-crossing-open-wednesday-limited-movement-people-israel-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 18:49:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Turkey expressed deep concern on Saturday over Israel’s ongoing strikes on Lebanon, voicing fears it could commit “a new genocide” under the guise of fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah. “We are frankly concerned [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is moving toward a new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a news conference. “The international community must act as soon as possible in the face of the crimes that Israel continues to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346629/israel-may-commit-new-genocide-lebanon-using-iran-war-pretext-turkey-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346629/israel-may-commit-new-genocide-lebanon-using-iran-war-pretext-turkey-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 17:40:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees said a travel ban imposed by Donald Trump’s administration is preventing him from attending Sunday’s Academy Awards, whose nominees include a movie in which he has a starring role. The Voice ‌of Hind Rajab, a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024, has been Oscar-nominated for best international feature film. Malhees, who plays the role of a call centre operator attempting to help her, said he cannot attend the Academy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346583/palestinian-actor-motaz-malhees-blocked-oscars-trump-travel-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346583/palestinian-actor-motaz-malhees-blocked-oscars-trump-travel-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 05:34:36 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The US-Israeli attacks on Iran have profound implications for the global governance order. For America, the world’s mightiest power, to attack another nation without congressional or UN approval condemns the rules-based order to the dustbin of history. Governance is about checks and balance by rules, self-restraint or simply a humble appreciation that waging “forever wars” often ends up in self-destruction. War is such an extreme and costly measure it should only be undertaken after careful... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346410/us-israeli-war-iran-makes-mockery-global-governance-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346410/us-israeli-war-iran-makes-mockery-global-governance-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press California Governor Gavin Newsom said there was no imminent threat to the state, despite a warning from the FBI that Iran could send drones to the west coast in retaliation for war. Newsom said drone issues “have always been top of mind”. “We’ve been aware of that information. … It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,” the governor said on Wednesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently warned police departments about Iran and a possible California... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346422/californias-governor-newsom-says-no-imminent-threat-despite-warning-iran-drone-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346422/californias-governor-newsom-says-no-imminent-threat-despite-warning-iran-drone-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 23:29:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday issued ⁠a veiled threat to kill Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei even as he acknowledged that Israel’s joint air war with the US may not lead to a collapse of Tehran’s clerical government. Holding his first press conference since the start of the war, ‌the Israeli leader said that Iran was “no longer the same” after nearly two weeks of bombardment and that Tehran had suffered blows to its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps and Basij... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346419/netanyahu-threatens-irans-new-supreme-leader-defends-joint-assault-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346419/netanyahu-threatens-irans-new-supreme-leader-defends-joint-assault-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:31:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli strikes and mass evacuation orders have seen nearly 700,000 people flee their homes in Lebanon in just over a week, with more than 100,000 fleeing in 24 hours, the UN said on Tuesday. “Lives have been upended on a massive scale,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, the representative in Lebanon of UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. In just over a week since the new escalation in Lebanon, Israeli air strikes and evacuation warnings to residents of dozens of villages “forced families... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346067/war-middle-east-nearly-500-dead-lebanon-israeli-offensive-last-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346067/war-middle-east-nearly-500-dead-lebanon-israeli-offensive-last-week?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:22:42 +0000