Mena Today

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday there would be "hell to pay" in the Middle East if hostages held in the Gaza Strip were not released prior to his Jan. 20 inauguration.

Hilton has announced a significant expansion in Morocco, aiming to more than double its hotel portfolio to over 20 properties in the coming years. 

The French government is all but certain to collapse later this week after far-right and left-wing parties said they would vote a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Hamas said on Monday that 33 hostages in Gaza had been killed during the almost 14-month-old war between the Palestinian militant group and Israel in the enclave, without giving their nationalities.

Hezbollah said it carried out a "defensive warning strike" on an Israeli military position in the disputed Shebaa Farms area on Monday, citing repeated Israeli ceasefire violations including airstrikes and shelling in Lebanon.

Syrian rebel fighters began preparations to seize Aleppo a year ago but the operation was delayed by war in Gaza and ultimately launched last week when a ceasefire took hold in Lebanon, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad told Reuters.

Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will arrive in Britain on Monday for a two-day state visit hosted by King Charles and during which he will also meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is seeking deeper ties with wealthy Gulf states.

The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates have discussed with each other the possibility of lifting sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he peels himself away from Iran and cuts off weapons routes to Lebanon's Hezbollah, five people familiar with the matter said.

Syrian rebels' capture of Aleppo from President Bashar al-Assad has brought the Syrian civil war back into focus, jolting frontlines that had been dormant for years with implications for the region and beyond.

Developments in Syria show the need for the Syrian government to reconcile with its people and the opposition, and Turkey is ready to contribute to such a dialogue, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan and "discussed the need for de-escalation and the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure" in Syria, against the backdrop of rebel attacks in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama in the northwest of the country. 

The Lufthansa group that includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings said on Monday that it was extending the suspension of its flights to Israel until January 31, 2025.