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In reverse of stance, US says UNRWA isn't immune from lawsuits

The Trump administration has decided that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees is not immune from being sued, reversing the U.S. government's position that the organization was protected from civil liability.

The Justice Department revealed its new stance in a letter it filed in federal court in New York on Thursday as part of a lawsuit that aims to hold the agency, known as UNRWA, accountable for the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly attack on Israel by Hamas. The change in position underscores the hardened perspective toward the agency under the Trump administration following allegations by Israel that some of the agency staff was involved in the Hamas rampage.

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Lawyers file legal complaint in UK over Qaradawi's detention in UAE

Lawyers for an Egyptian poet and activist who has been allegedly detained and held in solitary confinement without charge in the United Arab Emirates for over 100 days have filed a legal challenge in the U.K. against UAE authorities.

The filing was made Friday on behalf of Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi, an outspoken critic of Egypt's government who had been residing in Turkey. It urges London's Metropolitan Police to launch a criminal investigation into the activist's alleged abduction, torture and extradition to the UAE.

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9 Druze fighters killed in clashes with security forces near Damascus

Clashes broke out in a suburb of the Syrian capital early Tuesday between local gunmen belonging to the minority Druze sect and pro-government fighters, leaving at least nine people dead, a war monitor and an activist group said.

The fighting in the southern Damascus suburb of Jaramana broke out after an audio clip circulated on social media of a man attacking Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The audio was attributed to a Druze cleric, who later denied being involved.

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Netanyahu says Israeli planes intercepted Iranian ones sent to rescue embattled Assad

Israeli warplanes last year intercepted Iranian aircraft headed toward Syria, preventing them from delivering troops meant to assist the country's embattled president at the time, Bashar Assad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

The remarks in a speech gave a new glimpse into Israel's thinking in the final days in power for Assad, a longtime enemy who was overthrown by insurgents last December.

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Saudi Arabia and Qatar to pay back Syria's debt to the World Bank

Saudi Arabia and Qatar said Sunday they will pay Syria's outstanding debt to the World Bank, a move likely to make the international institution resume its support to the war-torn country.

A joint statement by the finance ministries of Saudi and Qatar said the decision to pay Syria's nearly $15 million debt to the World Bank was made during this month's meetings in Washington by the World Bank and IMF.

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Top UN court opens hearings on Israel's aid obligation to Palestinians

The United Nations' highest court opened hearings Monday into Israel's obligation to "ensure and facilitate" urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories, bringing the ongoing conflict in Gaza back into focus in The Hague.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the hearings part of a "systematic persecution and delegitimization" of his country. Speaking in Jerusalem as the hearings began in The Hague, Saar said the court was "becoming completely politicized." He called the proceeding "shameful."

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Iran accuses Israel's Netanyahu of 'dictating' US policy in nuclear talks

Iran accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday of trying to dictate U.S. policy in negotiations, after he called for the complete dismantling of Tehran's nuclear program and for the inclusion of its ballistic missile capabilities in any deal.

"What is striking... is how brazenly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.

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Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 17 Palestinians

Israeli strikes on the northern Gaza Strip killed at least 17 Palestinians early Monday, according to local health officials.

Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory's 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the militant group to release hostages.

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68 killed in US strikes on Yemen migrant center

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday alleged a U.S. airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people and wounding 47 others. The U.S. military had no immediate comment.

The strike in Yemen's Saada governorate, a stronghold for the Houthis, is the latest incident in the country's decadelong war to kill African migrants from Ethiopia and other nations who risk crossing the nation for a chance to work in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

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Israel intercepts missile fired by Yemen's Houthis

The Israeli military said Sunday it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, where the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the launch, saying it targeted an air base in southern Israel.

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