Syrian Bedouin fighters mount new offensive in Sweida against Druze fighters despite truce
17/07/2025
Israeli strike hits Gaza church, killing 3 and wounding priest who was close to Pope Francis
Middle East
17/07/2025
Who are the Middle East's Druze minority?
Middle East
17/07/2025
New ceasefire holds in Syria's Sweida
Middle East
17/07/2025
Lebanese Abdallah held since 1984 for US, Israeli diplomat murders
Middle East
17/07/2025
New ceasefire agreement holds in Syria's Sweida
Middle East
17/07/2025
Lebanese militant Abdallah to be free after 40 years in prison
Middle East
17/07/2025
Syria's al-Sharaa vows justice after deadly Druze clashes
Middle East
17/07/2025
Al-Sharaa vows to protect Druze rights in Syria's Sweida
Middle East
17/07/2025
Strike on Gaza's only Catholic church injures several people
Middle East
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AFP
2 hours ago
- AFP
Posts about PNG sending troops to Israel misuse old footage
"PNG is in the 7 allied force the Israelites," reads a caption of a video shared by a Facebook user in Papua New Guinea. It includes a video of soldiers of news organisation at the bottom right corner. Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on July 24 with a red X added by AFP The post, which includes the hashtags "#iranisraelconflict" and "#warzone", has been viewed over 130,000 times and shared more than 500 times. It also circulated on TikTok. Israel launched an unprecedented surprise bombing campaign against Iran on June 13, prompting Tehran to respond with drone and missile attacks. A ceasefire between the long-time foes has been in effect since June 24 (archived link). While some Facebook users expressed scepticism over the video, a few appeared to believe the false claim. One user criticised the supposed move as "inviting disaster to a country with no superpower at all". Another said they could "smell WW3... just around the corner". James Marape has said his country "continues to stand with Israel" when asked about the conflict with Iran in late June (archived link). But posts about troop deployment to the Middle East are false, according to any conflict region like in the Middle East, Europe or elsewhere". k , four weeks before the Iran-Israel war erupted (archived link). The report was about a month-long military exercise called the North Queensland Warfighter (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison between false post (L) and 7News report - which included troops from Papua New Guinea, Japan, Malaysia and the United States -- were also featured on the Australian Army's official YouTube page (archived link). The Israeli army did not take part in the exercises, Australia's Department of Defence told AFP. AFP has fact-checked other false claims related to the Iran-Israel war here.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce as clashes resume
Thailand 's army accused Cambodia Tuesday of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that engulfed their jungle-clad frontier. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. "At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory," said Thai army spokesman Winthai Suwaree. "This constitutes a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust, he added in a statement. "Thailand is compelled to respond appropriately, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense." Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been "no armed clashes against each other in any regions". However, both sides said morning meetings scheduled between opposing regional commanders along the border as part of the truce pact had either begun or were still scheduled to start. "I saw photos of the two leaders shaking hands," said 32-year-old pharmacy worker Kittisak Sukwilai in the Thai city of Surin -- 50 kilometres from the border. "I just hope it's not just a photo op with fake smiles -- and that those hands aren't actually preparing to stab each other in the back." In Cambodia's Samraong city -- 20 kilometres from the frontier -- an AFP journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until mid morning. "The frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook. 01:41 'Good faith' Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 38 people since last Thursday and displaced nearly 300,000 more -- prompting intervention from US President Donald Trump over the weekend. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. "When I heard the news I was so happy because I miss my home and my belongings that I left behind," Phean Neth told AFP on Monday evening at a sprawling camp for Cambodian evacuees on a temple site away from the fighting. "I am so happy that I can't describe it," said the 45-year-old. A joint statement from both countries -- as well as Malaysia which hosted the peace talks -- said the ceasefire was "a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security". A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Monday evening that "he urges both countries to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing long-standing issues and achieving lasting peace". Both sides are courting Trump for trade deals to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs, and the US State Department said its officials had been "on the ground" to shepherd peace talks. The joint statement said China also had "active participation" in the talks, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN bloc chair Anwar Ibrahim in his country's administrative capital Putrajaya. Hun Manet thanked Trump for his "decisive" support, while his counterpart, Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said it should be "carried out in good faith by both sides". Post-truce tariff deals Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace had been cancelled amid the strife. Each side had already agreed to a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals. Thailand says 11 of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. More than 138,000 people have fled Thailand's border regions, while around 140,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Calls for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians at UN grow louder
There is no alternative to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia Monday that was boycotted by Israel and branded a stunt by Washington. "Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the three-day meeting. Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would formally recognise Palestinian statehood in September, provoking strong opposition from Israel and the United States. Luxembourg hinted Monday that it could follow France and recognise a Palestinian state in September, with the possibility that other countries could announce similar plans when the conference resumes Tuesday. "All states have a responsibility to act now," said Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa at the start of the meeting, calling for an international force to help underwrite Palestinian statehood. He called for the world to recognize Palestinian statehood, while later demanding that Hamas surrender control of the Gaza Strip and its arms as part of a deal to end fighting in the territory. France is hoping Britain will follow its lead. More than 200 British members of parliament on Friday voiced support for the idea, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that recognition of a Palestinian state "must be part of a wider plan." 06:24 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting "the two-state solution is farther than ever before." According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988. In 1947, in a resolution approved by the General Assembly, the United Nations decided to partition Palestine, then under a British mandate, into Jewish and Arab states. Israel was proclaimed in 1948. For decades, most UN members have supported a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side. But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could become geographically impossible. The current war in Gaza started following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded with a large-scale military response that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives and destroyed most infrastructure in the enclave. Barrot said it would be an "illusion to think that you can get to a lasting ceasefire without having an outline of what's going to happen in Gaza after the end of the war and having a political horizon." Israeli unilateral actions' Beyond facilitating conditions for recognizing Palestine, the meeting will focus on three other issues: reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian public life, and normalization of relations with Israel by Arab states. However, no new normalisation deals are expected to be announced at the meeting, according to a French diplomatic source. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said US President Donald Trump could be a "catalyst" to ending the war in Gaza and jump-starting the two-state solution, stressing Riyadh had no plans to normalize relations with Israel. Following his plea to Trump, the US State Department labeled the three-day event "unproductive and ill-timed," as well as a "publicity stunt" that would make finding peace harder. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said action was needed to counter Israeli "settlements, land confiscation (and) encroachments on the holy sites." Israel and the United States were not taking part in the meeting, amid growing international pressure on Israel to end nearly two years of war in Gaza. Despite "tactical pauses" announced by Israel, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza will dominate speeches. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said "this conference does not promote a solution."
