Mena Today

Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza said they would release hostages Iair Horn, U.S.-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen and Russian-Israeli Alexandre Sasha Troufanov on Saturday, in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire with Israel.

Saudi Arabia is spearheading urgent Arab efforts to develop a plan for Gaza's future as a counter to U.S. President Donald Trump's ambition for a Middle East Riviera cleared of its Palestinian inhabitants, 10 sources said.

Lebanon on Friday marks 20 years since former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination amid seismic political changes that have weakened Hezbollah and its backers and could herald a comeback for Hariri’s son Saad.

Iran barred Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran on Friday, in a standoff after Lebanon blocked an Iranian civilian flight following what Tehran described as an Israeli threat to attack it.

Saudi Arabia said on Friday it commended the phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and it welcomed the idea of them meeting in the kingdom.

Moves by President Donald Trump's administration to cut U.S. foreign aid funding risk destabilising two camps in northeastern Syria holding tens of thousands of people accused of affiliation with the Islamic State, aid officials, local authorities and diplomats say.

The Vatican's lead diplomat on Thursday criticised President Donald Trump's plan for the U.S. to displace Palestinians from Gaza and "take over" the territory, in the second rebuke of a Trump policy by a top Catholic official this week.

Syria's central bank said that Syrian currency had arrived at Damascus airport from Russia, where banknotes were printed under the rule of toppled President Bashar al-Assad, Syria's state news agency SANA reported on Friday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was making "wrong calculations" regarding the Middle East, adding that heeding "Zionist lies" would only exacerbate conflicts.

France has put together a proposal for United Nations peacekeepers, including French troops, replace Israeli forces at key points to ensure those forces leave Lebanon by a February 18 deadline, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday.

Pope Francis was taken to hospital on Friday morning for tests and to continue treatment of his ongoing bronchitis, the Vatican said, the latest occasion the 88-year-old pontiff has suffered a health problem.

Tens of thousands of Jordanians gathered on Thursday along the road leading to Amman's Marka Airport to welcome King Abdullah upon his return from the United States.