Middle East

The main Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and Arab-led party leaders have denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleging foreign interference following the election which saw his coalition lose its majority. Netanyahu’s Likud accused Israel’s Arab-led parties of “stealing” the election. Home security agency Shin Bet is investigating whether they …

Partial results from Israel’s general election show veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading his rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but is still short of a majority in parliament. With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies were on track to win …

This would be a seismic shift for Israeli politics. Only one independent Arab party has ever formally been part of a coalition, in 2021, and it didn’t last long. Eisenkot and every other Jewish party in his bloc bar one have already ruled out entering government with them. But right …

This would be a seismic shift for Israeli politics. Only one independent Arab party has ever formally been part of a coalition, in 2021, and it didn’t last long. Eisenkot and every other Jewish party in his bloc bar one have already ruled out entering government with them. But right …

Many saw this as a make-or-break election to defeat Israel’s most right-wing-ever government, accusing it of stoking racism and hatred. A huge caveat in all of the current analysis is that the high number of as-yet-uncounted absentee ballots – mostly representing the votes of Israeli soldiers – mean that we …

At the headquarters of Eisenkot’s Yashar party in Tel Aviv, his supporters cheered and chanted “Bibi, go home!” after the initial exit polls published by public broadcaster Kan, Channel 12 and Channel 13 projected that his bloc would emerge as the biggest in the Knesset, with between 52 and 53 …

Polls have closed in the Israeli election and votes are being counted. Exit polls suggest Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc have won the largest number of seats, but has not wont a majority. The polls also suggest Netanyahu’s Likud party is set to be the biggest single party in the parliament. The …

The CPJ said Mada Masr, which was founded in 2013, was a vital source of critical reporting in Egypt and that it had long faced pressure from authorities over its journalism. The site had repeatedly sought an operating licence from the Supreme Media Regulatory Council (SMRC) since a new media …

Israelis are voting in what many view as one of the most pivotal elections in the country’s history. Polling published on Friday suggests incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu is in a near neck-and-neck race with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to become prime minister. But where do the two rivals stand when …

Israelis are heading to the polls for what many view as one of the most pivotal elections in the country’s history. An unprecedented 70,000 people have reportedly flown home from abroad to vote, while half a million are set to cast ballots for the first time. Polling published on Friday …

Karak is home to a sizeable Christian community in the Muslim-majority kingdom. Verified CCTV footage from Friday showed three men holding guns approaching and firing on St George’s church. A second video showed dead and wounded people lying on the ground amid chaotic scenes. One man who was at the …

The prime minister has traditionally relied on a stable base of right-wing voters, but is projected to see a thinning of support in this election. Some voters may be slipping away to opposition parties like Eisenkot’s. Others, including some die-hard Likud voters we spoke to, said the 7 October attacks …

Furious protesters are denouncing Israeli security forces as “Nazis” – but this is not a scene from a pro-Palestinian rally on the streets of London or Paris. This clash is in the heart of Israel, in which hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men in white shirts, black fedoras and long black frock …

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said about 2,000 residents had been displaced by the operation, which has led to at least one whole street appearing to have been flattened, according to footage shared online. Even before the entry and exit bans on workers were announced by the IDF on Sunday, …

Hebron’s Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari said the operation had been centred on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhoods, and targeted homes, businesses, industrial sites and infrastructure. He said dozens of families had been forced to spend the night outside, with some told to leave without taking their vehicles, while …

Iran has “substantially increased efforts to target US personnel” in the Middle East and other areas, the US national intelligence director has warned in a memo seen by the BBC. Jay Clayton’s assessment come as the US State Department makes adjustments to staffing at diplomatic posts in the region, including …

Five Israelis have been wounded and two suspected Palestinian attackers killed by Israeli security forces following a shooting in the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials say. Unverified footage shared on social media shows an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen, at a military checkpoint at the entrance to …

“It was very difficult,” says their father, Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, a softly spoken shepherd. “We didn’t find cars or transportation. One kind person brought us here [on the fourth day] while others refused.” As the family walked, the twins got weaker, according to their mother Lina. “They were exhausted… …

A year on from the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel continues to carry out near-daily strikes on the territory – saying it is targeting Hamas operatives – and maintains control of more than half of it. More than 74,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October …

More than half a million first-time voters will cast their ballots in this election, which many Israelis see as existential for Israel’s future security and identity. Polls suggest it will be a tight race, and the new young voters could help decide the result. More than 16% are planning to …