After meeting Netanyahu, Kushner agrees Hamas disarmament precedes Israel's withdrawal Israel and the Gaza Board of Peace have agreed that the Israeli military will begin withdrawing from the Gaza Strip after Hamas disarms. Israel
Analysis How Israel's rivalry, defense deals prompted Turkey to join Mecca pact Turkey’s growing rivalry with Israel and mounting regional instability are driving its defense alignment with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, despite risks of strategic entanglement and friction with NATO partners. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel moves against West Bank settlers after Huckabee criticism Who benefits from Lebanon’s amnesty law; Turkey's Fidan heads to Egypt amid questions over Saudi-led defense pact; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Fidan heads to Egypt amid questions over Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan pact Conflicting accounts of why Egypt stayed out of the agreement have exposed the competing interests shaping the region’s emerging defense architecture. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: FutureVerse Red Sea tech risks resurface By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran denies negotiations with US after Trump calls off strikes By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Despite COVID-19 crisis, Egypt’s prestigious Opera House holds Christmas events The Egyptian Opera House organized Christmas celebrations with the participation of many musical groups, while taking into account precautionary measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Egypt
Egypt clears police officers of Giulio Regeni murder Italian authorities charged four Egyptian police personnel and gave them until today to present evidence in their defense. Egypt
Egypt works to alter Turkey's Libya road map The first official visit from Egypt to Libya's internationally recognized Tripoli government aims to prevent a possible military push against strategic Sirte under the control of the rival group. Egypt
Egypt launches first monitoring tobacco center in region as smoking on the rise In cooperation with the World Health Organization, Egypt launched the first observatory to monitor tobacco companies in the Middle East, as the country faces a growing number of tobacco users. Egypt
Trump administration pushes last-minute arms deals to Middle East The move to go forward with a proposed $290 million sale of precision-guided bombs for Saudi Arabia comes just weeks before the Biden administration arrives. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt agree to sell Nile waters? Wall Street has started trading in water futures contracts, just like gold, oil and basic commodities, coinciding with the stalled negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which raises the question of whether Egypt will agree to sell the Nile waters. Egypt
Egyptian cinema industry declares war on streaming services The crisis has intensified between the makers of "Saheb Al Maqam," an Egyptian film first made available on digital platforms, and the Chamber of Cinema Industry, which has blocked it from being screened in movie theaters. Egypt
Sudan joins forces with Egypt to crack down on Muslim Brotherhood Since former President Omar al-Bashir's overthrow, Sudan and Egypt are boosting cooperation to confront extremist ideas and groups. Egypt
Israeli, American submarine activity suggests show of force against Iran Israel reportedly dispatched a submarine to the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in what has been taken as a clear warning to Iran not to escalate tensions at this sensitive time of transition. Egypt
Egypt denies plans to join states opening Western Sahara consulates Cairo has denied Moroccan reports that Egypt plans to inaugurate a consulate in Western Sahara, which has been disputed for decades between Morocco and the Polisario Front backed by Algeria. Egypt
Egypt looks to protect investments at risk by Ethiopian civil war Egypt is seeking to appoint an international law firm to protect investments in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Egypt
Acquittal in assault of Christian woman casts pall over Christmas for Egypt's Coptic community The acquittal by a Minya court of three defendants who in May 2016 stripped an elderly Christian woman naked and dragged her through the streets of her village has provoked outrage among Christians and rights groups. Egypt