Author: Gulf News Week

Israel has kept attacking Gaza during the first phase, so what will the second phase bring?Hamas is expected to hand over the body of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza in the coming days and has commented that it would be open to discussing “freezing” its weapons to facilitate entering the second phase of the ceasefire.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase would be challenging to achieve but that it could begin as soon as this month.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UN chief says Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza…

Israeli military claims yellow line is ‘new border’ as questions remain over role of stabilisation force in Gaza.As Israel and Hamas prepare to move towards phase two of a United States-led blueprint to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, disagreements loom over the as-yet undefined role of an international stabilisation force in the besieged Palestinian enclave.Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Sunday that the US draft required “a lot of clarifications”. While the group was ready to discuss “freezing or storing” weapons during the ongoing truce, he said it would not accept that an international stabilisation force take charge…

Tunisia beat Asian champions Qatar 3-0, while Palestine draw with Syria to enter the quarterfinals for the first time.Asian champions Qatar have been knocked out of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 after a shocking 3-0 loss to Tunisia, with Palestine advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time with a 0-0 draw against Syria.Home favourites Qatar needed a big win over Tunisia to have any chances of progressing from Group A, where Palestine and Syria were in the lead as the last round of the group fixtures was played on Sunday.A poor defensive display from the Asian Cup winners saw…

Gaza dominates the Doha Forum as experts warn political pressure from nation states undermines international law.After the US government placed sanctions on the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, her life turned upside down.Credit cards stopped working, she told media. A hotel reservation booked by the European Parliament was cancelled. Medical insurance was denied. For Albanese, the consequences of her work on Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza were not just professional — they were personal, too.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Arab, Muslim nations reject Israel exit-only plan for Gaza’s…

The Israeli efforts to establish Palestinian rule in Gaza loyal to the occupation are doomed.“[The death of Yasser Abu Shabab] marks the end of a dark chapter – one that did not reflect our tribe’s history and principles …The Tarabin tribe stands with the Palestinian resistance in all its factions … it refuses to let our tribe’s name or members be exploited to form militias that work for the benefit of the occupation.”This is what Gaza’s Tarabin tribe said in a statement following the killing of its member Yasser Abu Shabab on December 4. There have been conflicting reports about…

Norris finished third behind Max Verstappen in final race to deliver McLaren its first world drivers’ crown since 2008.A tearful Lando Norris claimed his maiden Formula One world drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, ending Max Verstappen’s four-year reign.The Briton finished third in the season closer behind race winner Verstappen and the other title challenger, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, to claim the crown by two points.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Thrown under the bus’: Salah’s future in doubt as he slams Liverpoollist 2 of 4Messi wins first MLS league title with 3-1 triumph over Vancouverlist 3…

A year on from al-Assad’s fall, Syria’s new leadership faces the danger of Syrians feeling frustrated by justice efforts delayed or denied.Ziad Mahmoud al-Amayiri sat with photographs of his 10 lost family members laid out in front of him.“There are two options: either the government gives me justice, or I take justice myself.”Al-Amayiri’s threat is directed at one man: Fadi Saqr.Saqr was a commander of the National Defence Forces (NDF), a militia loyal to Bashar al-Assad that was accused of atrocities like the 2013 Tadamon massacre, where, according to local Syrian officials, activists and leaked videos, dozens of people were…

German chancellor reaffirms his country’s support for Israel on inaugural visit, despite recent turbulence over Gaza genocide.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has affirmed support for the creation of a Palestinian state, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again rejected such a move, during the German leader’s inaugural visit to the country.At a joint press conference on Sunday following a meeting in Jerusalem, the two leaders spoke of their respective priorities for Gaza and the occupied West Bank.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Berlin shutdown of pro-Palestine conference was unlawful, court ruleslist 2 of 4Top global arms producers’ revenues…

The community I grew up in near Bethlehem is being squeezed out by Israeli settlers.I grew up less than a mile from Shepherds’ Field in Beit Sahour in the occupied West Bank – the hillside where, according to the Gospel of Luke, the news of Jesus’s birth was first proclaimed. For my family, these were not distant biblical landscapes. They were the backdrop of our daily lives: The olive groves we played in, the terraces we tended, the land where our faith and identity were rooted.Today, for the first time in my life, I felt fear that the community that…

Speaking at the Doha Forum, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says you cannot resolve a conflict ‘if you have no one speaking to non-state actors’.Doha, Qatar – The prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has called for inclusive engagement, including with non-state actors such as the Palestinian group Hamas, as the only viable route to regional peace.Speaking to United States journalist Tucker Carlson on Sunday at the Doha Forum, Sheikh Mohammed said you cannot resolve or reach a solution “if you have no one speaking to non-state actors”.Recommended Stories…