Israel

A dispute over allegedly looted Ukrainian grain has pushed Kyiv and Israel into a sharp diplomatic clash, opening another front in the international fallout from Russia’s war. Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest grain exporters, has for months accused Russia of shipping out agricultural goods taken from occupied areas seized after Moscow’s February 2022 invasion. "Another vessel carrying such grain has arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a statement on…

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has accused Israeli authorities of systematically denying Gaza’s population the water needed to survive, describing the policy as a form of “collective punishment” against Palestinians. The medical charity said the widespread destruction of civilian water systems across the enclave, combined with restrictions on access, forms “an integral part of Israel’s genocide”. In its report, "Water as a Weapon", MSF said this “engineered scarcity” is unfolding in parallel with the…

Monday April 27, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Israel has named its first ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, moving ahead with diplomatic ties months after becoming the first country to recognize the self-declared republic, the foreign ministry said Sunday. Michael Lotem, who currently serves as Israel’s roaming economic ambassador to Africa, will take up the post in North Western State of Somalia. He has previously represented Israel in Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Israel formally recognized North Western State of…

Olamilekan OkebiorunSunday April 26, 2026 Turkey and Israel are racing to deepen their footprint in the Horn of Africa, with Somalia and North Western State of Somalia emerging as prized territory in a wider contest over energy, military leverage and the sea lanes that feed global trade through the Red Sea. For Ankara, the push has already taken shape in concrete terms: signed deals with Somalia’s federal government covering offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration, plus an expanding military presence anchored by its…

By  MATTHEW LEE and BASSEM MROUEFriday April 24, 2026 President Donald Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to keep their ceasefire in place for another three weeks, following White House talks that he described as productive and a potential opening toward broader peace. Speaking after the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States met for the second time in a week, Trump called the session “very well” while also noting in the Oval Office that “they do have Hezbollah to think about.” The…

A fragile truce in the Middle East was given more time on Thursday after Israel and Lebanon agreed at the White House to extend their ceasefire by three weeks, while US President Donald Trump signalled he was willing to hold out for what he called “the best deal” to ⁠end his conflict with Iran. Mr Trump brought together Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador to the US, Nada Moawad, in the Oval Office for a second round of talks mediated by the United States. “The Meeting went very well!…

Sunday April 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A diplomatic move by Israel has drawn sharp criticism from 12 Muslim-majority countries, which say the appointment of a representative to North Western State of Somalia violates Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. In a joint declaration released in Islamabad on April 18, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Turkey, Indonesia and Kuwait denounced the step as a “flagrant violation” of the unity…

Saturday April 18, 2026 Ahmed Aboul Gheit at the opening of an emergency meeting among the Arab League foreign ministers, held to discuss issues about Libya, at the headquarters in Cairo March 2, 2011. REUTERS/Amr A Mogadishu (AX) — Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Saturday sharply criticized Israel’s decision to appoint an ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, describing it as a dangerous escalation that infringes on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement, Aboul Gheit said…

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is set to begin at 10 o'clock tonight (Irish time), opening a narrow but potentially significant window for talks on a permanent security and peace agreement, the US State Department said. It added that both sides could extend the truce by mutual agreement. Israel's military campaign in Lebanon has become a central stumbling block in efforts to secure the broader peace deal sought by US President Donald Trump to end the war on Iran, which he launched with Israel in late February.…

Thursday April 16, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Israel has taken a significant new step in its outreach to North Western State of Somalia, naming its first ambassador to the self-governing territory after formally recognizing it as an independent state earlier this year. Israel’s public broadcaster reported Wednesday that Michael Lotem, an experienced diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Kenya, will represent Israel in North Western State of Somalia. His appointment comes after Israel’s December decision to recognize…