Political factions in Iraq have been maneuvering since the parliamentary election more than a month ago to form alliances that will shape the next government.

The November election didn't produce a bloc with a decisive majority, opening the door to a prolonged period of negotiations.

A high-level Turkish delegation is set to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus Monday, Turkey's foreign ministry announced.

Both countries have developed close ties since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, and the visit by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler allows for a "general assessment" of relations, a ministry source told AFP.

Saudi Arabia has awarded its highest national honor to Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his visit to Riyadh, Pakistan's military said Monday, underscoring deepening ties between the two countries, including cooperation on counterterrorism.

Munir received the King Abdulaziz Medal of the Excellent Class on Sunday, months after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a defense pact with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighting the longstanding strategic relationship between the two countries.

Israel's security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the country's far-right finance minister said on Sunday was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

A Syria monitor said Saturday that at least five Islamic State jihadist group members including a cell leader were killed in U.S. strikes overnight after a deadly attack on American troops last weekend.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged the disarmament of Hamas but voiced hope for headway on reaching the next stage of a Gaza ceasefire as regional officials met.

UAE airport authorities cancelled or delayed dozens of flights and roads were flooded in major cities as the heaviest rainstorm in months lashed the desert nation on Friday.

Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, arrived in Gaza Friday for Christmas Mass at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, which hosts the Palestinian territory's only Roman Catholic church.

Syria's foreign ministry on Friday welcomed the permanent ending by the United States of the so-called Caesar sanctions, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation.

More than a month after Iraq's parliamentary elections, the country's top leaders remain locked in talks to form a government while facing pressure from Washington to exclude Tehran-backed armed groups.