Mena Today

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Republic of Azerbaijan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth US$5 billion aimed at supporting demining operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Israeli media outlets, including Channel 13, revealed on Wednesday the details of assurances provided by the United States to Israeli authorities.

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah held on Wednesday after the two sides struck a deal brokered by the U.S. and France, but Israel warned local residents not to return to the border area yet.

A ceasefire deal agreed to by Lebanon and Israel expands the area expected to be free of Hezbollah's arms and spells out the Lebanese security forces entitled to carry weapons, sharpening language from prior U.N. resolutions on the matter in ways that appear to corner Hezbollah, diplomats and analysts said.

France said on Wednesday it believed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had immunity to actions by the International Criminal Court which is seeking his arrest for alleged war crimes in Gaza, given Israel has not signed up to the court statutes.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey was ready to help in any way possible to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, and expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire agreement that has come into effect in Lebanon.

British police said they had arrested six people and were searching a Kurdish community centre in London as part of a counter terrorism investigation into suspected activity linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK.

U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration was pushing for an elusive ceasefire in Gaza and that it is possible that Saudi Arabia and Israel could normalize relations.

A ceasefire proposal agreed to by Lebanon and Israel stipulates that only "official military and security forces" in Lebanon are authorised to carry arms in the country, according to a copy of the deal dated on Tuesday and seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah ceased fire under a deal that aims to end more than a year of hostilities ignited by the Gaza conflict.

A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the U.S. and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region traumatised by two devastating wars for over a year.