Middle East

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Pullman Yards in Atlanta.

Biden: Netanyahu 'hurting Israel' by not preventing more civilian deaths in Gaza

5:36am March 10, 2024

by The Associated Press

President Joe Biden said Saturday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "hurting Israel more than helping Israel" in how he is approaching its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The U.S. airdrops humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, on Saturday.

World News

Sweden and Canada resume funding the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians

9:15pm March 09, 2024

by The Associated Press

Many countries halted funding after Israel accused 12 of UNRWA's thousands of employees of participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Palestinians fear Israeli restrictions on Al Aqsa mosque ahead of Ramadan

6:12pm March 09, 2024

by Fatma Tanis

As Ramadan approaches, all eyes are on the Al Aqsa compound. Palestinians worry Israel will restrict access to the mosque. Israel has said entry will be permitted for the first week of Ramadan.

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A tattered Israeli flag waves on Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

World News

Five ways Israelis have changed, after 5 months of war

1:41pm March 09, 2024

The state of Israeli society, five months after the Oct. 7 attack, is crucial to understanding where the Israel-Hamas conflict might lead. Here are five ways Israel has been transformed.

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Ibrahim Abu Hani, head baker and co-owner of Batool Cakes, a family business in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.

World News

Cake in the time of war, in Gaza

1:01pm March 09, 2024

Batool Cakes, a professional bakery in Rafah, has reopened to meet the demand of displaced Palestinians seeking cakes to celebrate life even amid war.

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World News

Ceasefire talks stall even as conditions in Gaza worsen

8:06am March 09, 2024

As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches, and ceasefire talks stall, there are increasing fears of worsening conditions in Gaza.

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)

Yemen's rebels target Singapore-flagged ship as U.S. and allies down Houthi drones

4:07am March 09, 2024

by The Associated Press

An attack by Houthi rebels set off explosions ahead of a Singapore-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over Israel's war on Hamas.

This Gaza bakery is making cakes for Palestinians trying celebrate life amid war

6:28pm March 08, 2024

by Anas Babas

A professional bakery in Gaza has reopened, using solar panels for refrigeration and flour from the black market, to meet the demand of displaced Palestinians seeking cakes to celebrate life amid war.

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Amid mass killings and hunger in Gaza, Ramadan takes on a new meaning for Muslims

4:55pm March 08, 2024

Ramadan is approaching at a challenging time for Muslims worldwide as they watch atrocities unfold in Gaza. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Imam Omar Suleiman about how to approach Ramadan this year.

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After a week of negotiation, Gaza ceasefire is unlikely before Ramadan

4:55pm March 08, 2024

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute where he directs the Program on Palestine and Palestinian Affairs, about the status of Gaza ceasefire talks.