Libya's central bank on Thursday said unidentified individuals raided its headquarters in Tripoli, hours after parliament said it had accepted a request from its governor to resign.

The incident comes more than two months after bank governor Naji Issa first announced his resignation, which the parliament rejected at the time.

Beset by instability since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is divided between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

Earlier this month, a new speaker took the helm of parliament, which sits in the eastern city of Benghazi under Haftar control.

The legislature said on Thursday it had belatedly accepted Issa's resignation "in principle" and appointed central bank board member Fauzi Abokhzam to be interim governor pending a final decision.

The central bank said the raid on its headquarters took place while Issa was away, adding that it held responsible for the incident "all parties that participated in this act".

It singled out "the defence ministry, which is tasked with protecting the bank's headquarters", without providing further details on its involvement.

The government in Tripoli did not issue a comment on the reported raid.

Issa's 2024 appointment by parliament as central bank chief had followed a political standoff that saw a halt in oil production amid a deep financial crisis.

It remains unclear why he had presented his resignation in August of this year.

A Tunisian military court sentenced opposition politician Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison on charges of plotting against state security and inciting the military to disobey orders, her lawyer said on Wednesday, the latest move against opponents of President Kais Saied.

Hamdi, the leader of the Third Republic Party who holds US citizenship, was detained at Tunisia's main airport after disembarking from a flight in February.

She had been living abroad and previously served as CEO of Tunisia's national carrier Tunisair.

Hamdi has repeatedly criticized Saied’s rule and called for a transitional government and early presidential elections.

The sentence comprises two separate two-year prison terms and total fines of 80,000 dinars ($26,000), her lawyer Akram Moussa told Reuters. Hamdi was sentenced in March in a separate case to two years in prison.

Many opposition leaders, along with activists and journalists, are behind bars, with critics accusing Saied of having turned Tunisia into a prison since 2021.

Saied rejects the accusations, saying he is not a dictator and that the law applies to everyone, regardless of their position.

Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against Saied in years last weekend, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy in a growing challenge to his rule.

Indonesia should reconsider its involvement in US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan because it is being shaped by Israel and the US and lacks a Palestinian voice, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories told Reuters on Thursday.

The "Board of Peace," of which Indonesia is a key troop-contributing ​member, was unveiled by Trump in January to address global conflicts ​typically handled by the United Nations. The world's largest Muslim-majority nation has also pledged troops to be deployed to Gaza as part of an international stabilisation force.

Francesca Albanese, a prominent human rights lawyer known for her vocal criticism of Israel, said in an interview in Jakarta that Indonesia has historically supported the Palestinian cause, but joining the board was dangerous.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Board of Peace discussions remained on hold, reiterating its earlier position.

Albanese has drawn the ire of a number of Western capitals. The US has imposed sanctions on her, and others, including her own native Italy, have called for her resignation.

"I understand (Indonesia's) good intentions. I still think that it's very dangerous, because it risks to normalise a very abnormal mechanism," she said.

Albanese said that, legally, Israel could not have a role in determining the future of Palestinians.

Rights experts have criticised the board for not including a ​Palestinian representative even though it is meant to supervise the ​temporary governance of a Palestinian territory.

The Board of Peace did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside US business hours.

Indonesia, which backs a two-state solution and has repeatedly condemned Israeli violence, has drawn criticism from domestic Muslim groups for agreeing to join the board, which also counts Israel as a member.

President Prabowo Subianto has vowed to quit if it does not bring benefits to Palestinians, his office has previously said, adding that joining the board would allow Indonesia to push for cessation of violence.

Albanese said Indonesia risked compromising its close ties with Palestinians. "It's very risky to do so when the rules are set by Israel," she said.

Albanese recommended Jakarta join the Hague Group of countries, which includes South Africa and Indonesia's neighbour Malaysia and seeks to uphold international law and processes, including in the International Criminal Court over Israel's actions.

Trump's Gaza plan has stalled. A 2025 ceasefire secured the release of the remaining captives held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian detainees, but efforts to disarm Hamas and secure an Israeli withdrawal have faltered, while Israeli forces continue near-daily attacks in Gaza.

A US photojournalist working for The Washington Post has recounted how Palestinian youths helped save her during a brutal attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank that left her seriously injured. 

Heidi Levine was attacked by a group of settlers last Friday while covering the olive harvest near Abu Falah, north-east of Ramallah, alongside Palestinian villagers, journalists and activists.

She said local Palestinians formed a “protective shield” to help protect her from the attackers. 

“The Palestinian youth put themselves in front and were trying to keep them [the settlers] away, keep a protective shield, which was amazing,” Levine told British newspaper The Guardian on Wednesday.

She described the scene as being “like a biblical battle”. 

The Guardian cited witnesses who said Palestinian youths drove the settlers back, allowing US journalist Jasper Nathaniel and other reporters to reach Levine and help her to safety. 

Levine said the violence escalated after Israeli forces arrived at the scene.

A group of masked Israeli settlers had appeared on a nearby hilltop, watching the Palestinian villagers, journalists and human rights activists accompanying the harvesters. 

“Then all hell broke loose. Some of the farmers started to gather their tarps and bags of olives that they had picked,” she said. 

“Then all of a sudden I hear a machine gun, and then saw tear gas in the distance. I started to run … It was just like a lot of commotion and then all of a sudden I see a dozen of them and they started charging at me.” 

Levine sustained four fractured vertebrae, two broken ribs and four puncture wounds after being knocked to the ground and repeatedly beaten by the masked settlers.

She said she was kicked and struck with sticks “probably more than a hundred times”, even after attempting to play dead. 

The photojournalist also said she feared she could have suffered brain damage or lost an eye had she not managed to keep her face towards the ground during the beating. 

Despite her injuries, Levine said she intended to resume reporting from the occupied West Bank once she had recovered. 

“My work is important,” she said. “They have bruised me, broken some bones, but they haven’t cracked my spirit.” 

Meanwhile, fellow US journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who helped rescue Levine, wrote on his website that the young Palestinians had been instrumental in saving her life, stressing that they were “prepared to defend the community against the invaders”. 

Nathaniel added that “had the shabab (young men in Arabic) not stepped up to protect her, she might well be dead”. 

“It is no exaggeration to say that young Palestinians armed only with stones risked their lives to save Heidi Levine’s,” he wrote. 

Levine also condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office for questioning accounts of the assault in a statement posted on the social media platform X, which referred to an “alleged attack”. 

The statement further claimed that some footage “appears to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual”. 

"That’s such bullshit. They helped me up because they couldn’t get my things off of me. That’s why," Levine told The Guardian. 

"They robbed me of everything I have – a pouch with my documents, my American passport, credit card, camera disk and a small camera bag with two other lenses. Everything is gone … That’s why [they stood me up], and then they threw me back down and continued to kick and hit me."

Levine, who is Jewish and has lived in Israel for four decades, said Israeli President Isaac Herzog had personally called her to apologise for the attack. She quoted him as saying the settlers responsible were "not representative of who this country is". 

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also condemned the assault as a “despicable act of terror” and called for those responsible to be prosecuted. 

Israeli police have since arrested 10 suspects following the incident in Abu Falah.

However, an Israeli court released four suspects in the assault on Levine on Wednesday and placed them under house arrest, citing insufficient evidence to keep them in custody. 

Asked whether she expected her attackers to face justice, Levine rated her confidence at “two out of 10”. 

“I am not very hopeful,” she told The Guardian. “Of course, if the government made the decision to do something and crack down on this and get people arrested, they would do it.” 

Israeli settlers have intimidated Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank for decades.

However, this year has seen a sharp escalation in violence, alongside widespread theft of crops, according to Palestinian witnesses, rights groups and the United Nations. 

Israeli rights group Yesh Din reported on Wednesday that it had documented 125 physical attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters during the 24 days since the season began, alongside 168 incidents of crop theft. Israeli military forces were present in at least a quarter of the cases. 

Yesh Din warned that settler violence was "part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing, paving the way for the annexation of the West Bank without its Palestinian population". 

UN bodies, with support from countries around the world, have repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in territory occupied during war are illegal under international law governing military occupation.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has approved the expansion of gun licence across 11 additional illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, despite warnings from Israeli security officials of a potential wave of settler attacks against Palestinians following next week's elections.

The decision, reported by Israel's Channel 14 on Thursday, comes as the Israeli military, Shin Bet security service and police face mounting criticism over their failure to contain settler violence, with security officials warning that extremist groups could attempt to seize more Palestinian land if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses power.

Ben-Gvir's move will allow residents of 11 more settlements and outposts in the northern occupied West Bank to apply for firearms licences, provided they meet the criteria set by Israel's National Security Ministry.

"We are continuing the arming revolution and expanding this reform to include the new settlements we have established in the northern West Bank," Ben-Gvir was quoted as saying by Channel 14.

The extremist minister pledged to continue expanding the programme, which his ministry claims is intended to strengthen security within settlements and enable residents to respond to attacks.

The expansion comes amid a campaign of settler violence against Palestinians, including assaults on farmers, land seizures and attacks aimed at forcing residents from their homes.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Northern West Bank Settlements Council, welcomed the decision, arguing that settlers who had served in Israeli combat units or military reserves needed weapons to defend their families and settlements.

He described the northern occupied West Bank as a "strategic defensive line" for Israel.

Fears of settler violence after Israeli elections

The expansion comes just days before Israel's 27 October parliamentary elections, with Israeli security officials warning that extremist settlers could launch a coordinated campaign of attacks against Palestinians if Netanyahu's governing bloc loses power.

According to Haaretz, which cited sources familiar with military assessments, far-right activists could seek to establish new illegal outposts, seize Palestinian land and attack residents in an attempt to prevent a future government from dismantling illegal settlements.

The concern is that extremist settlers may refuse to accept a change in government and instead attempt to impose new realities on the ground before any incoming administration can act.

The growing availability of firearms among settlers could further complicate efforts to evacuate illegal outposts, potentially increasing the risk of armed resistance to any future government seeking to remove them.

Israeli military officials are reportedly reinforcing troop deployments in the West Bank and seeking additional Border Police personnel in areas where violent settler groups operate.

Yet sources familiar with the security assessments have acknowledged that the army, Shin Bet and police are struggling to contain attacks, particularly when settlers strike several locations simultaneously.

"Anyone who tells you there is control is lying. The army, Shin Bet and police have lost control of the area," a security source familiar with the situation told Haaretz.

"They are running from one location to another chasing rioters. The problem is that no real effort is being made to regain control."

The remarks reflect growing frustration within Israel's own security establishment over the authorities' failure to stop settler terrorism, despite knowing where violent groups operate and the identities of prominent perpetrators.

Military officials have reportedly questioned why no effective preventive plan has been developed, rather than relying on forces to respond after attacks have already taken place.

Israeli security chiefs meet but take no action

Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir convened a meeting on Tuesday with senior security officials to discuss the escalating attacks and the risk of further violence surrounding the elections.

Despite the warnings, the meeting ended without significant new decisions, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Officials within the military's Central Command reportedly criticised the absence of representatives from Netanyahu's office, Defence Minister Israel Katz and the National Security Council, arguing that the situation required direct political intervention.

One source described the meeting as little more than an exercise in recording a security assessment, with no meaningful steps agreed to prevent further attacks.

The failure to act comes as Katz has discontinued the use of administrative detention against Israeli settlers, removing a measure previously available to security forces dealing with extremist violence.

Instead, the military, Shin Bet and legal authorities are reportedly preparing exclusion orders that would bar individuals involved in incitement or attacks from entering the West Bank.

Security officials have acknowledged, however, that such orders would do little to prevent other settlers from establishing illegal outposts, seizing Palestinian farmland or carrying out attacks.

Ben-Gvir's drive to arm settlers

Ben-Gvir has made expanding access to firearms a central policy since becoming national security minister in early 2023, easing licensing requirements and widening the categories of Israelis eligible to carry weapons.

The programme accelerated following the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, alongside an intensification of Israeli military raids and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank.

On 21 January 2026, Ben-Gvir approved the addition of 18 settlements in the occupied territory to the list of locations whose residents could apply for firearms licences.

According to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, more than 200 cities, towns and other localities had been included in the expanded eligibility programme during 2026.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into occupied territory.

Syrian authorities have arrested a former brigadier general accused of ordering attacks on civilians under Bashar al-Assad's regime, alongside five other suspects, as the country's new government continues efforts to prosecute those implicated in atrocities during the civil war.

Brigadier General Abdul Hakim Wanous, former chief of staff of the 35th Special Forces Regiment, was detained by military police in the central province of Hama on Wednesday, according to local judicial authorities.

Wanous is accused of ordering artillery attacks, carrying out arbitrary arrests and participating in military raids and operations targeting civilian areas in the Damascus countryside and the Ghab Plain in Hama province.

Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, head of the transitional justice prosecution office in Hama, said the former officer was suspected of involvement in serious violations and crimes against humanity committed during the Syrian uprising.

The five other detainees, whose identities have not been disclosed, are also suspected of involvement in abuses against civilians under the former government.

Judicial authorities said preliminary investigations were continuing before the suspects are referred to Hama's specialised transitional justice investigation chamber.

Hama's attorney general, Mohammed Ahmed al-Naasan, stressed the importance of pursuing those implicated in abuses through legal proceedings that ensure accountability, justice for victims and compensation for those affected.

The arrests come amid a broader campaign by Syria's new authorities to locate former military and intelligence personnel accused of atrocities during Assad's rule, which ended in December 2024.

In a separate operation on Wednesday, security forces reportedly detained around 12 former regime officers and personnel in the Masyaf area of Hama province.

A security source told Lebanese newspaper Al-Modon that the operation involved internal security and counterterrorism units, and targeted former regime personnel who had previously undergone security reconciliation procedures after Assad's overthrow.

The detainees are suspected of continuing to gather intelligence on behalf of Assad loyalist networks despite having formally regularised their status with the new authorities.

Al-Modon also reported the arrest of Younes Mohammed, a former prison official accused of involvement in abuses against detainees at the Balouna prison in Homs and the notorious Saydnaya prison near Damascus.

Mohammed was reportedly arrested in Qadmus, in Tartous province, after security forces tracked him to a business he was operating under his wife's name. The allegations against him have not been independently verified.

Earlier this month, Hama authorities referred 30 suspects accused of crimes including murder, kidnapping, sexual violence and extortion to the transitional justice authorities following investigations in the Salamiyah area.

The arrests form part of Syria's attempts to confront the legacy of decades of repression under the Assad family, particularly the widespread detention, torture and killing of civilians during the civil war.

Following Assad's overthrow, the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa established a National Commission for Transitional Justice in May 2025 to investigate crimes committed by the former regime, support victims and pursue accountability.

Syria began its first public trial of senior Assad-era officials in April 2026, including Atef Najib, a former intelligence chief and cousin of Bashar al-Assad, whose treatment of detained teenagers in Daraa helped ignite the 2011 uprising.

In August, a Damascus court convicted Najib and several other former regime figures, including Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher, who were tried in absentia, over crimes committed during the uprising.

However, human rights organisations have raised concerns about the capacity of Syria's judicial system to prosecute the vast number of alleged perpetrators while ensuring fair trials and protecting witnesses.

Human Rights Watch has warned that gaps in the country's legal framework, alongside questions over judicial independence and due process, could undermine accountability for crimes committed during the conflict.

The organisation has also called for investigations into abuses committed by all parties to the civil war, rather than limiting prosecutions to former government officials.

Saudi Aramco reportedly ordered employees to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely on Thursday, amid escalating Houthi attacks on oil facilities across Saudi Arabia.

Reuters, citing six sources familiar with the matter, reported that it was the first time since the resumption of the war in Yemen in September 2026 that the Saudi oil giant had instructed staff to leave its main headquarters.

Aramco did not respond to the news agency's request for comment.

Bloomberg separately reported that the evacuation followed an alarm at the company's headquarters, citing people familiar with the situation.

The cause of the alarm was not immediately known, while neither Aramco nor the Saudi Energy Ministry responded to Bloomberg's requests for comment.

The evacuation comes just over a week after Aramco's headquarters was targeted in an attack on 13 October, which reportedly caused damage to several floors of the complex.

Reuters, citing three people familiar with the incident, reported at the time that the strike caused extensive damage and sparked a fire that spread across multiple floors.

Bloomberg reported that the attack struck a tower within the office complex, damaging approximately three floors.

However, the Saudi Energy Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the attack had caused only a limited fire and resulted in no injuries or deaths.

Strategic oil operations centre

Aramco's Dhahran headquarters houses a major operations centre responsible for monitoring and coordinating the company's vast oil and gas infrastructure.

The facility helps oversee onshore and offshore oilfields, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometres of pipelines.

Its operations coordination centre plays a central role in monitoring production and distribution networks, coordinating activities and responding to disruptions.

According to Aramco's 2017 annual report, the Dhahran operations centre monitors the company's distribution network to ensure continuity and respond to operational problems.

Dhahran, located between Dammam and Khobar in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, is home to Aramco's main administrative, operational and research facilities.

The company also established a research and development centre in the city in 2000.

The surrounding Eastern Province is the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, containing some of the kingdom's most important energy facilities.

These include the giant onshore Ghawar oilfield and the offshore Safaniya field, as well as major crude processing and export infrastructure.

At Abqaiq, Aramco operates its largest crude oil processing and stabilisation facilities, while Ras Tanura is home to a major oil export port and terminals.

An extensive pipeline network connects the oilfields to processing, refining and export facilities, while the East-West Pipeline transports crude from the Eastern Province to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.

Houthi attacks target oilfield and airport

Thursday's evacuation followed Houthi attacks on Saudi energy and transport infrastructure the previous day.

On Wednesday, Houthi forces targeted the Shaybah oilfield and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in the latest escalation of attacks against the kingdom.

Saudi authorities said the airport attack killed two people and injured eight others.

Airport operations subsequently resumed, with air traffic returning to normal.

Bloomberg, citing the Saudi Energy Ministry, reported that the attack on the Shaybah oilfield had not affected production.

The latest incidents have raised concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia's critical energy infrastructure as the conflict with the Houthis intensifies.

Aramco, one of the world's largest oil producers, operates an extensive network of facilities that are central to Saudi Arabia's economy and global oil supplies.

The evacuation of its main headquarters marks a significant precautionary measure amid the continuing attacks, although there was no immediate indication that Thursday's evacuation had disrupted oil production or exports.

Two days of military talks between Lebanon and Israel at the headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, Florida, appear to have ended without a breakthrough, as Israel continues its attacks on southern Lebanon and rejects Lebanese demands for a third-party mechanism to verify the Lebanese army's operations.

Lebanese military sources told The New Arab on Thursday that no further negotiating session had been scheduled, although concluding bilateral discussions with CENTCOM could still take place.

The sources said the United States was expected to issue a statement on the talks, which have been dominated by disagreements over monitoring the Lebanese army's activities in designated pilot areas of southern Lebanon and Israel's refusal to halt its military operations.

"No breakthrough has been recorded so far. There is intransigence in Israeli positions, while the Lebanese side is holding firm to its demands that steps must be reciprocal," the sources said.

They stressed that Lebanon could not be expected to fulfil its commitments unilaterally while Israel continued its attacks, bulldozing operations, demolitions, explosions and ground incursions.

The Lebanese army has also rejected Israeli demands for direct coordination between the two militaries on the ground.

Instead, Beirut is insisting on an independent verification mechanism involving third parties, potentially including France, the United States and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), similar to the committee established to monitor the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.

"The Lebanese army is fully carrying out its duties, and all Israeli allegations against it are false," the military sources said.

They argued that Israel's continuing attacks and violations were the main obstacles to the army's deployment and the implementation of agreements, as had been the case following the ceasefire on 27 November 2024.

Dispute over Israeli withdrawal and disarmament

Lebanon is demanding that Israel halt its military attacks and operations across the south, which continue to endanger the lives of the area's residents.

Beirut is also pressing for farmers to be allowed access to their land to harvest crops, alongside broader demands for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the release of prisoners, the return of displaced residents and reconstruction.

Lebanese authorities are calling for a clear timetable to implement the commitments outlined in a framework agreement signed with Israel in Washington on 26 June.

The agreement is intended to advance Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory while the Lebanese state extends its authority across the country through its own security forces and establishes a monopoly over weapons.

However, major disagreements remain over how these commitments should be implemented.

Israel has refused to expand the pilot areas designated for Lebanese army operations beyond a single zone announced in July, which includes the towns of Srifa, Froun and western Zawtar.

Israeli authorities claim the Lebanese army has failed to disarm Hezbollah in these areas and are pushing for direct military coordination through joint operations rooms.

Lebanon has rejected this demand, insisting that any verification must be carried out through an independent mechanism rather than direct cooperation with the Israeli military.

Israel has also refused to suspend its attacks or abandon the security zone it has established in southern Lebanon.

Washington, meanwhile, is attempting to narrow the differences between the two sides and maintain the negotiations, viewing the June framework agreement as the principal route towards stability and security.

Israeli attacks continue across southern Lebanon

The diplomatic deadlock coincided with another day of Israeli military escalation in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, Israeli forces carried out two explosions in the towns of Tallouseh and Bani Hayyan in the Marjayoun district, according to reports from southern Lebanon.

Israeli aircraft also struck the outskirts of Qantara in Marjayoun and Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district.

Israeli tanks were seen advancing towards the Nabaa al-Khoukh area on the outskirts of Hebbariyeh in the Hasbaya district and artillery shelling tageted several towns in south Lebanon.

The attacks have continued despite diplomatic efforts to secure an Israeli withdrawal and advance arrangements for the Lebanese army's deployment in the south.

Lebanese officials have repeatedly said that the ongoing Israeli military operations are obstructing reconstruction, preventing displaced residents from returning home and exposing civilians to further danger.

Lebanese cabinet faces explosives case

Separately, Lebanon's cabinet was due to meet at Baabda Palace on Thursday afternoon under the chairmanship of President Joseph Aoun, with a politically sensitive explosives case expected to feature on the agenda.

The Justice Ministry has requested that the case involving explosives seized in Dahr al-Baydar on 5 October and in al-Qasr, in Baalbek-Hermel governorate, on 9 October be referred to the Judicial Council, Lebanon's highest court for cases involving state security.

The request also covers any other matters found by investigators to be directly or indirectly connected to the seized explosives.

According to information obtained by The New Arab, extensive political and judicial consultations have taken place, including discussions involving Lebanon's president, prime minister, and Speaker of Parliment, who represent the country's three largest religious sects, over the potential consequences of referring the case to the Judicial Council.

Approval of the request could trigger a confrontation with Hezbollah.

Some political figures have favoured delaying a decision until security and judicial investigations, which remain at an early stage, have progressed further.

However, several ministers, particularly those opposed to Hezbollah, are insisting that the case should be referred to the Judicial Council.

Sources close to Justice Minister Adel Nassar told The New Arab that the seriousness of the case required such a referral.

"The gravity of the case requires its referral to the Judicial Council. This concerns the country's national security, and there can be no leniency or complacency," the sources said.

They stressed that investigations were continuing and that the ministry was determined to pursue the case without granting special treatment to anyone.

"We are determined to move forward with the investigations, without leniency towards anyone. That era is over," they added.

The UAE has formally nominated veteran diplomat Lana Nusseibeh to become the next UN secretary-general, placing one of its most experienced international representatives in the race to succeed Antonio Guterres.

The nomination was submitted on Wednesday by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a letter to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

Nusseibeh, 48, is a former UAE ambassador to the UN who spent more than a decade in international diplomacy, including during the country's 2022-23 membership of the Security Council.

If successful, she would become the first woman to lead the UN and the second person from the Middle East and North Africa to hold the position, following Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Who is Lana Nusseibeh?

Nusseibeh is the daughter of Zaki Nusseibeh, a senior Emirati presidential adviser who has served successive UAE leaders for decades. However, the Nusseibeh family are originally from Palestine and have longstanding connections to Jerusalem.

Her grandfather, Anwar Nusseibeh, was a prominent Palestinian politician and lawyer who served in senior government positions in Jordan.

She studied history at the University of Cambridge before obtaining a master's degree in Israeli and Jewish Diaspora Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.

Nusseibeh founded the UAE foreign ministry's Policy Planning Department in 2009, becoming its first director, and subsequently served as a joint special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In September 2013, she became the first Emirati woman appointed as the country's permanent representative to the UN, a position she held until April 2024.

During her tenure, she served as president of the executive board of UN Women in 2017 and as a vice-president of the General Assembly. She also co-chaired negotiations concerning UN institutional reform.

Her most prominent diplomatic role came during the UAE's membership of the Security Council between 2022 and 2023, when she twice presided over the body.

During Israel's war on Gaza, Nusseibeh helped secure Security Council Resolution 2720 in December 2023, establishing a UN mechanism intended to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.

She was also involved in securing resolutions condemning the Taliban's restrictions on Afghan women working for the UN and addressing the relationship between hate speech, discrimination and international security.

Following her departure from New York, she continued serving in senior positions within the UAE foreign ministry, becoming a minister of state in September 2025.

Can she become UN secretary-general?

Nusseibeh enters the contest as the organisation confronts financial pressures, questions over its effectiveness in responding to conflicts and growing divisions between major powers.

Her campaign programme, titled 'A United Nations for the Next Eighty Years', advocates strengthening conflict prevention, reducing institutional duplication and improving accountability.

Her extensive diplomatic experience could prove advantageous in a contest where leading candidates have struggled to secure the consensus required for appointment.

Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, head of UN Trade and Development, and Argentina's Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, are among her principal rivals.

However, Nusseibeh's candidacy could encounter geopolitical obstacles.

The UAE has faced serious allegations of supplying weapons and financial support to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose members and allied militias were determined by the US in January 2025 to have committed genocide.

Amnesty International has documented weapons it believes reached the RSF through the UAE, while Abu Dhabi has consistently denied providing military support to either side in Sudan's war.

The controversy could complicate Nusseibeh's candidacy, although no evidence has been presented implicating her personally in the alleged arms transfers.

Regional rivalries, particularly the UAE's complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia, could also influence the contest, alongside expectations that the next secretary-general should come from Latin America.

Ultimately, her prospects will depend on securing at least nine Security Council votes without facing a veto from any of its five permanent members.

The successful candidate will take office on 1 January 2027, succeeding Guterres after two five-year terms.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly met parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss the ongoing confrontation with the United States and Israel, including preparations to strengthen the country's defences against further attacks.

The meeting focused on the latest developments in "military, economic and cognitive warfare" being waged against the country by the US and Israel, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.

The two officials stressed the need to strengthen Iran's national capabilities and maintain domestic unity amid continuing tensions with Washington.

They also discussed the role of parliament in preserving social cohesion and national solidarity, as well as the importance of continued public mobilisation and participation in gatherings across the country.

According to Tasnim, Khamenei and Ghalibaf emphasised the need for greater cooperation between the government and parliament to address economic difficulties and the rising cost of living, as Iran continues to grapple with the consequences of the conflict.

The discussions also covered efforts to strengthen relations with Iran's strategic partners.

Ghalibaf briefed Khamenei on parliament's activities since the outbreak of the US-led war against Iran, outlining measures already taken and plans to address the country's political and economic challenges.

The meeting comes amid renewed tensions following months of military confrontation between Iran and the United States.

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on 28 February, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes against Israel and US military positions across the region.

A ceasefire was reached in April, but hostilities subsequently resumed as negotiations between Washington and Tehran quickly broke down, despite the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.

The United States launched further attacks on Iranian targets on 8 July, prompting Tehran to announce the renewed closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on 12 July.

The waterway, through which a significant share of global oil supplies normally passes, has become a major flashpoint in the confrontation, raising concerns about regional security and international energy markets.

Wednesday's meeting highlighted the Iranian leadership's focus on maintaining political unity, strengthening national defences and addressing economic pressures as the confrontation with Washington and Israel continues.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday met with US special envoy to Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack in Damascus.

The meeting was also attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and covered political and security developments in Syria and the wider region, according to the Syrian state SANA news agency.

The previous day, Barrack called for an end to Israeli incursions inside Syrian territory, while speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, saying that there was a danger that this would expand the conflict in the region.

Barrack added that diplomacy and dialogue were essential to preventing new regional crises.

On Thursday, Israeli troops launched another attack into Syrian territory killing a man with a disability in the village of Jamla in Deraa province, according to AFP.

Earlier, the media office of the Rif Dimashq governorate denied social media reports claiming that Israeli occupation forces had been patrolling the road between Daraa and Kiswah, a suburb of Damascus, saying that these “rumours” were “entirely false”.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights recently reported that at least 69 other Syrians have been killed in Israeli attacks since December 2024, when the regime of former dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown.

After rebels led by current President Ahmed Al-Sharaa overthrew the regime in that month, Israeli forces invaded southwestern Syria, seizing land beyond the Golan Heights, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, and launching hundreds of airstrikes.

Sharaa has offered Israel a security deal if it returns to the 1974 disengagement lines, while ruling out full normalisation of relations.

He has also adopted a pro-Western foreign policy, improving relations with the US, while distancing Syria from Iran, a key backer of the former Assad regime.

Barrack praised Sharaa’s management of the transitional period, noting that Damascus had demonstrated a serious willingness to engage in dialogue and negotiations to reach a security deal with Israel.

He argued that potential understandings could include a “non-aggression agreement,” which could pave the way for the normalisation of relations in the future.

Barrack’s discussions with Sharaa addressed ways to ease tensions on the ground and support economic recovery through the Syria Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund (START), a multi-donor fund which Syria agreed with the World Bank earlier this week.

Syria is still suffering from the devastation caused by 14 years of brutal civil war, with around 90 percent of the population living in poverty.

The meeting in Damascus follows a series of intensive diplomatic consultations between Barrack and the Syrian government.

These have included previous meetings with al-Shaibani in Ankara, as well as an earlier meeting between President al-Sharaa and the US envoy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last September.

The Egyptian parliament has postponed a vote which would authorise the government to provide military support to Saudi Arabia and defend it against Yemen's Houthi attacks, raising questions about Cairo’s willingness to become militarily involved in the regional conflict.

The vote, initially scheduled for Monday 19 October, has been delayed until 26 October.

Parliament convened an emergency session on Sunday at the request of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, an hour after the National Defence Council, comprising the president and senior ministers and military and security officials, approved the principle of supporting Saudi Arabia.

The postponement is significant, given that parliament, dominated by pro-government forces, routinely approves major executive decisions without prolonged debate. This time, MPs held consecutive sessions without reaching a vote before postponing it for another week.

The move is unprecedented, as emergency parliamentary sessions have previously lasted no more than three consecutive days.

Parliamentary sources told The New Arab that the delay was partly due to the absence of the usual directives sent to blocs aligned with the government to guide their positions on major decisions. MPs had received no clear guidance on how to vote on Sisi's request, amid uncertainty over the leadership's position on the nature and limits of any potential military involvement in Yemen.

The sources said this didn't necessarily indicate opposition to supporting Saudi Arabia, but suggested the decision had yet to reach the political stage required for approval through parliament's usual procedures.

Cairo may still be examining its options or waiting for greater clarity on the confrontation before deciding whether to participate, the sources added.

Saudi support remains under consideration

The same sources explained that the delay was down to military and economic calculations surrounding any potential Egyptian involvement. The establishment of a military logistical air corridor between Egypt and Saudi Arabia doesn't mean that the decision to deploy troops has been made, they said.

Key questions remain over the expected cost of the war, the scope of Egypt's possible contribution and the military and financial obligations involved. Providing defensive assistance inside Saudi Arabia would entail different tasks and risks from participating in direct combat operations inside Yemen.

Any deployment would require assessments of its duration, the number of troops and capabilities needed, command and coordination arrangements, as well as regard given to the potential expansion of the conflict and its regional security implications.

These concerns were also raised by political parties and MPs during parliamentary discussions, particularly over the lack of information about the mission's objectives, duration, likely cost and risks to Egyptian soldiers.

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party said its parliamentary bloc intended to abstain from the vote, citing ambiguity over the mission and its obligations. Other MPs called for further discussion before a vote was taken.

Party MP Freddy ElBaiady told The New Arab that parliament's role extended beyond voting on the authorisation request to examining its implications and ensuring that the mission's purpose and limits were clearly defined.

Supporting Saudi Arabia and safeguarding its stability did not necessarily mean direct military intervention was the only available option, he said.

ElBaiady added that any military decision should account for potential casualties, financial costs and additional pressure on Egypt's economy, as well as possible repercussions for shipping through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

A lawmaker from a liberal party aligned with the government, who requested anonymity, said neither Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Defence Minister Ashraf Salem Zaher, nor any of their representatives had attended closed-door discussions to explain the authorisation request.

This left MPs unable to assess the military assistance Riyadh might seek, the duration of the proposed authorisation or the financial burden on Egyptian citizens, the lawmaker said.

The MP said he opposed the authorisation despite his party's supportive position, adding that the lack of a clear government vision had left lawmakers to make their own assessments. Many were prepared, in principle, to provide Saudi forces with equipment and experts to help them counter Houthi attacks, but wanted clear government plans before committing Egyptian troops to combat abroad.

Strategic ties with Gulf states

Egypt's close financial and investment ties with Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, make supporting Riyadh an important strategic consideration for Cairo. However, these relationships do not remove the need to assess the costs of military involvement.

Article 152 of Egypt's constitution stipulates that deploying troops on a combat mission outside the country requires consultation with the National Defence Council and approval by a two-thirds majority of parliament.

The vote is therefore a constitutional requirement, not merely a formality. Even if MPs approve the authorisation, this would not necessarily mean an immediate deployment or settle the form and timing of Egyptian involvement.

Granting the political leadership authority to act if necessary remains distinct from taking a specific executive decision on troop numbers, mission objectives and the theatre of operations.

This article was originally published by The New Arab's Arabic language edition, and has been translated into English. Click here to read the original Arabic version.

The Joint List, an alliance of predominantly Palestinian parties contesting Israel's 27 October Knesset elections, has made removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies from power its main priority.

But while the alliance is prepared to help bring about a change of government, it insists that any support for an alternative to Netanyahu must come with clear conditions and must not compromise its political principles.

The Joint List brings together the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), the National Democratic Assembly (Balad) and the Arab Movement for Change (Ta'al).

The alliance has signalled that it is willing to use its parliamentary influence to help oust Netanyahu, potentially by providing outside support to an alternative government.

However, it has ruled out backing a government that expands illegal settlements, wages war or allows attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and other religious sites.

It also says it will not support a government that continues Israel's attacks in the occupied West Bank, its genocide in Gaza or violations against Palestinians in Jerusalem and inside Israel.

The Joint List's willingness to support a new government will depend on whether opposition parties agree to a minimum set of political demands.

These include tackling racism, addressing the violence and organised crime affecting Palestinian communities in Israel, advancing equality for Palestinian citizens and reopening dialogue with the Palestinian leadership.

Its approach differs from that of the United Arab List (Ra'am), led by Mansour Abbas, which is competing for the Palestinian vote.

While the Joint List favours supporting a government from outside parliament's governing coalition, Ra'am has expressed its willingness to directly join government, arguing that participation would give it greater influence over policy and help secure funding and services for Palestinian communities.

Despite their differences, both alliances face growing hostility and incitement from Israeli right-wing groups, raising concerns about possible intimidation and violence against Palestinian voters on election day.

Opinion polls suggest the two lists could win a combined 13 to 15 seats, potentially giving Palestinian voters a decisive role in determining the next government.

Much will depend on turnout among the more than one million eligible Palestinian voters in Israel, as well as the performance of other parties and whether they pass the electoral threshold.

Against this backdrop, The New Arab spoke to Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh, whose candidacy was previously disqualified by Israel's Supreme Court, about the election, the challenges facing Palestinian citizens of Israel and the Joint List's priorities in a possible post-Netanyahu political landscape.

Below is an edited version of the interview:

Q. You have been travelling extensively through Arab towns and villages. What is the mood like ahead of the election?

Abu Shehadeh: We are just one week away from election day, and it is a decisive moment. We are out every day meeting people in our towns and villages. In nearly 30 years of political work, I have never seen Palestinian citizens of Israel, both men and women, so ready to go out and vote. Our aim is to achieve a turnout of more than 70%, a level we have not seen in years. But reaching that target will require even more work.

Q. You are aiming to win 10 seats, but opinion polls put you at eight or nine. Is your target realistic?

Abu Shehadeh: Week after week, the polls have shown turnout projections rising. And every day, as we travel through our communities, we see strong support for the Joint List.

We are now entering the final week, which is both the most important and the most difficult. The Israeli far right exists in both political camps, Netanyahu's bloc and the bloc opposing him.

I believe the more they recognise the strength and political influence of Palestinians in Israel, the more the incitement against us will intensify. We are also concerned that this could escalate into violence. There is no precedent in human history for a far-right fascist government like the one currently ruling Israel losing an election and accepting the result. We are facing a critical week, with extremely sensitive and difficult issues at stake.

Q. Are you concerned that Arab voters could face restrictions at polling stations, including extremist monitors attempting to prevent them from voting?

Abu Shehadeh: Ultimately, elections come down to numbers. The attacks on Palestinians in Israel and attempts to suppress turnout are driven by electoral calculations. Israel's Jewish majority is split into two almost equally matched political camps. The Knesset has 120 seats, and opinion polls put each camp at around 50 seats, give or take a few. That means Arab voters will decide this election.

This explains the attempts to target and disqualify the Joint List, the United Arab List, Hadash candidate and Knesset member Ofer Cassif, and Balad. My own candidacy was effectively disqualified, and we are now hearing about further measures aimed at reducing turnout among Arab voters. We have also seen growing incitement and physical attacks against male and female students, as well as bus drivers. This is not a simple battle. Israeli Jewish society is deeply racist, and it now faces a major challenge: the majority cannot decide the election on its own. The votes of the Arab minority will determine the outcome.

In a normal country, there would be nothing unusual about that. But because of racism in Israel, the prospect is seen as a serious threat. That is why we are so concerned about what could happen in the coming days.

Q. How do you intend to use this potentially decisive influence?

Abu Shehadeh: Our community makes up around 20% of Israel's population, and we have the power to decide this election. That is exactly what we intend to do. Our first priority is to prevent the government responsible for genocide from returning to power. We will do everything we can to achieve that.

Q. You have also criticised the opposition bloc that could replace Netanyahu, saying you do not trust it. Isn't that a contradiction?

Abu Shehadeh: There is no contradiction. The political reality in Israel is extremely difficult. There is no peace camp, no political bloc committed to ending the occupation, and no camp seeking to build a democratic state based on justice and equality.

The choices are bad. For the Joint List and Arab society, the choice is between bad and worse. That is not an easy position to be in. We say this openly and explain it to people. Our community is educated and politically aware. People understand the situation for themselves.

In this existential struggle, our first priority is to stop the bloodshed, ease people's suffering and preserve the hope that change will one day be possible. Netanyahu and his ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, have made it clear that they want to continue the genocide in Gaza and "resolve" the situation in the West Bank, by which they mean ethnic cleansing. They also want to deal with Palestinian citizens of Israel, who are already facing political persecution and restrictions.The situation is extremely dangerous.

At times like these, political leaders must act wisely and responsibly and make difficult decisions. We are not pretending that there is a good option. We wish there were, but there isn't. We say that with great pain. We would have welcomed a genuine partner among Israel's Zionist parties, one that wanted to end the war and work towards peace.

Q. But wouldn't providing a "safety net" for an alternative government come at a political cost?

Abu Shehadeh: There has been a misunderstanding about what we mean by a safety net. I was the first to propose the idea. The safety net we are talking about is for our people and our communities. It is intended to protect them from the racist policies targeting Palestinians and the Palestinian cause.

We have never used the term in the Israeli political sense of providing a safety net for one Zionist politician or another. We proposed it as a way of protecting our community, because our people need security.

Our people are suffering everywhere: in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and inside Israel. One of the most urgent problems facing Palestinian citizens of Israel is organised crime. Our communities need security. That is why we formed the Joint List, bringing three parties together to create a political force capable of protecting our people. That is what we mean by a safety net, not the way the term is understood in Israeli politics.

Q. But wouldn't such a safety net also benefit the political bloc opposed to Netanyahu?

Abu Shehadeh:  First, there is no single possible outcome to this election. We are facing a situation in which Israel's Jewish majority is divided into two political camps of almost equal strength. Some Zionist parties are hovering around the electoral threshold, and whether they make it into the Knesset could have a major impact on the results.

There are several possible scenarios—Netanyahu could refuse to accept the election results. A national unity government could emerge. Or all the right-wing and far-right parties could pass the electoral threshold, allowing Netanyahu to return to power. There are other possibilities too. We cannot know the outcome in advance.

Once the results are announced, we will sit down, examine them carefully, consider what they mean for our people and our cause, discuss the options and then decide how to proceed.

Q. What is your message to Arab voters ahead of the election?

Abu Shehadeh: We have developed a political programme with the help of dozens of professionals, specialists and political leaders. It addresses the most urgent demands of our people, and by that I mean the entire Palestinian people.

We see the Joint List as a source of security for our people in what is the most important election we have faced since the Nakba. Our list brings together an exceptional group of candidates with expertise in different fields, setting us apart from competing lists in both Arab and Jewish politics. They have the energy, experience and knowledge needed to represent people's concerns and confront the major challenges ahead.

What I have been telling people in recent days is that the time has come to reap what we have sown. We must turn out in large numbers and bring down this government after four years of oppression, persecution, genocide, ethnic cleansing, home demolitions, rampant crime and suffering on every front. We have an opportunity to bring about change.

The Joint List has a political programme that is different from both Netanyahu's camp and the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. We want to end the war and work towards peace and a political solution between the two peoples, based on justice, equality, freedom and human rights. Our community wants change. It wants to stop Netanyahu and his gang from returning to power.

The decision is in our hands. That is why we need a strong Joint List, and why we must push turnout above 70%. With enough determination, we can achieve that.

As for what happens after the election, we will deal with those scenarios when the time comes.

This interview was originally published by The New Arab's Arabic language edition, and has been translated into English. Click here to read the original Arabic version.

Egyptian authorities on Wednesday evening ordered the release on bail of Lina Attalah, co-founder and editor-in-chief of independent news website Mada Masr, after summoning her for questioning in the latest case brought against her, amid a continued crackdown on journalists in the country.

The decision came hours after Attalah's questioning began. Mada Masr said the session lasted around three hours at the Supreme State Security Prosecution's headquarters in New Cairo and was attended by her defence team.

The summons sent to Attalah did not specify the reasons for the investigation or the allegations in the new case. No further official details have been announced.

The latest summons followed the publication of a Mada Masr report detailing complaints by detainees who said they had been subjected to violations inside Egyptian prisons.

"Prosecutors have been investigating Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah for three hours at the headquarters of the Supreme State Security Prosecution in New Cairo. Her defence team has been present with her throughout the questioning. The investigation session is ongoing," Mada Masr wrote on X on Wednesday.

The news site said this was the sixth case brought against the outlet, its journalists or its editor-in-chief over the past six years.

The most recent was in August 2025, when the State Security Prosecution ordered Attalah's release on bail of 30,000 Egyptian pounds after charging her with "publishing false news" and "using a website without a licence".

Egyptian authorities arrested Attalah in May 2020 while she was interviewing Laila Soueif, the mother of political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, outside Tora Prison, where he was being held at the time. Attalah was detained for seven hours before being released on bail.

The latest summons comes amid mounting pressure and a continued crackdown on press freedom in Egypt. In September, authorities arrested six journalists from the fact-checking platform Matsad2sh (Don't Believe It).

After five days in secret detention under the country's anti-terrorism law, the six journalists appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution.

Some said they had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including blindfolding, being handcuffed behind their backs, being stripped of their clothes, beatings and electric shocks.

On 13 October, the prosecution ordered the journalists' detention to be extended by a further 15 days pending investigation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution. They face charges of joining and financing a "terrorist group" and "publishing false news".

Egypt ranks 169th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The organisation says 18 Egyptian journalists are currently behind bars.

A man with a disability was killed Thursday by the Israeli army during an attack on southern Syria, where it has stepped up its invasion, Syrian state news agency said.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the Israeli army has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria and regular invasions into its territory.

"A civilian with a disability was killed Thursday by fire from the Israeli occupation forces during their incursion into the village of Jamla" in Deraa province, SANA news agency said.

Israeli forces deployed in one neighbourhood of the village and placed snipers on the rooftops after bombing the area late on Wednesday, the report said.

After Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power in Damascus in late 2024, Israel launched hundreds of strikes against Syria.

The Israeli military also expanded its occupation of Syria's south and deployed troops in the UN-monitored buffer zone along on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

In recent days, Israeli forces have also uprooted vast olive groves in Quneitra province, near Deraa, according to the agency.

Trees were destroyed across an area of about 1.3 hectares by the village of Saida, SANA said. The village faces the buffer zone where the Israeli army has been building fortifications.

"Tanks entered my land without any warning," Mohammad Ali al-Chaghla, 58, the owner of the field, told AFP. "They cut down and destroyed some 400 trees during their incursion."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned "the intensification of incursions by the Israeli occupation" in Quneitra and Deraa.

Israeli officials have repeatedly stated their intention to maintain troops in the "security zone".

The two countries have launched negotiations to reach a security agreement, so far without success due to Israeli actions.

A late-night attack on Saudi Arabia's Dammam airport killed two people and injured eight others, the civil aviation authority said on Thursday, as strikes by Yemen's Houthis intensify.

A Saudi and an Indian man were killed in the attack on Wednesday, the general authority of civil aviation said in a statement, updating an earlier death toll. Damage to the airport was being assessed, it added.

In recent weeks, Houthi attacks on Saudi oil and civilian infrastructure have reached an unprecedented scale, forcing Riyadh to shut its main airport and postpone a major investment conference.

A total of 22 people have been killed in attacks on Saudi airports this month, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

A Houthi maritime blockade in the Red Sea is also threatening oil shipments from Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest exporter of crude.

The Houthi attacks follow the collapse in July of a years-long truce in Yemen's civil war, where the Iran-backed group is fighting the government supported by a Saudi-led coalition.

The Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities, before launching a major offensive in September in which they seized government-held territory along the Red Sea coast.

In response, the Saudi air force has frequently targeted areas under Houthi control, which includes much of impoverished Yemen.

This live blog has now ended. Make sure to follow us for the latest news on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Here were the key updates from today:

• US president Donald Trump denied that negotiations were happening with Iran, adding that the situation will resolve "fairly soon" without elaborating
   
• Iran's IRGC reported that its navy struck four ships involved in oil transfers in the Gulf, with three other vessels on fire after hitting mines near Hormuz
   
• The Yemen war rages with deaths and wounded within the country and across the border in Saudi Arabia
   
• Israeli attacks continue on Gaza, occupied West Bank, south Lebanon and southern Syria despite any agreements or alleged ceasefires

A Tunisian court on Wednesday sentenced 10 environmental activists to up to a year in prison over an anti-pollution protest they attended in 2020, a defence lawyer said.

Eight of them were sentenced to six-month suspended sentences, lawyer Hamida Chaieb said.

The activists had taken part in a demonstration against a major phosphate-processing factory in southern Tunisia's coastal city of Gabes, where locals have complained about pollution and health issues they linked to the plant.

The case stemmed from a complaint by the state-run factory, which accused the activists of obstructing its operations, Chaieb said.

The activists were arrested at the time but later released amid pressure from rights groups.

They believed the case against them had been dropped, said Khayreddine Debaya, head of the campaign group, Stop Pollution, which has led several protests against the facility.

But in March this year, the activists discovered they had been sentenced in 2023 to one year in prison in absentia.

The court retried them in their presence this time, handing only two of them one-year jail terms while Debaya was among those who received six-month suspended sentences.

The plant, inaugurated in 1972, processes phosphate to make fertilisers, and some of the gases and waste it discharges into the open air and the Mediterranean are radioactive and can cause cancer, researchers have found.

In February, a court rejected demands to suspend the facility's operations.

Taking advantage of rising prices for fertiliser on global markets, Tunisia now wants its output to increase more than fourfold by 2030.

President Kais Saied has long vowed to revive Tunisia's phosphate sector, hindered by years of underinvestment and unrest, calling it a "pillar of the national economy".

Egypt rejected on Wednesday Libya's eastern-based parliament's ratification of a long-disputed maritime agreement with Turkey, saying it infringed on Cairo's rights in the Mediterranean.

The agreement "constitutes a clear infringement upon Egypt's sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf", Egypt's foreign ministry said.

Cairo said the agreement violates the Law of the Sea, and was therefore "null and void, possesses no legal effect, and its ratification by the Libyan House of Representatives carries no legal consequences for Egypt".

The agreement was ratified Tuesday by Libya's Benghazi-based parliament, backed by military leader Khalifa Haftar.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was historically one of Haftar's strongest backers, but experts say relations have cooled in recent years due to Haftar allowing his territory to be used to funnel support to Sudanese paramilitaries.

Turkey and Egypt are also currently close security allies, and cooperate on a host of regional issues, though they have historically been on opposing sides in Libya.

Haftar's forces have for years rivalled the internationally recognised government in Tripoli.

The parliament had also rejected the maritime deal first agreed by Ankara and the Tripoli-based government in 2019.

The deal has also angered European countries after it saw Ankara claim large and potentially gas-rich areas of the eastern Mediterranean.

The European Union on Tuesday reiterated its objection to the deal, calling it "null and void" and saying it "infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states", including member states Greece and Cyprus.

In recent years, relations between Turkey and the authorities in eastern Libya have warmed significantly, with both sides increasing political and economic contacts following years of hostility.