The Takeaway: Erdogan’s incendiary remarks about Israel worsen ties with Washington The fallout of the Turkish president’s comments could compound problems for country’s beleaguered economy; Israel-Palestinian frictions dominate region’s news; Libya’s mercenaries; and more! By Andrew Parasiliti, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Joe Snell
Germany bans and raids organizations for alleged Hezbollah ties Germany designated Hezbollah in its entirety a terrorist organization in 2020. By Al-Monitor Staff
US condemns Erdogan remarks toward Israel as anti-Semitic The US State Department Tuesday condemned comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as anti-Semitic, a claim Ankara officials refuted and said distracts from ongoing violence in Israel. By Diego Cupolo
50 Gaza schools damaged in Israeli strikes, Save The Children says Amid the heavy fighting, schools remain closed in Gaza and southern Israel “putting education out of reach for hundreds of thousands of children." By Al-Monitor Staff
House Democrats move to block Israel arms sale amid Gaza conflict The gesture underscores a groundswell of opposition to Israel's policies among progressive lawmakers. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Lebanon's foreign minister resigns after TV interview During a televised interview, Charbel Wehbe drew a link between the wealthy Gulf states and the rise of the Islamic State. By Al-Monitor Staff
Raisi, Larijani likely top candidates for Iran's presidential election Iran's Guardian Council, an unelected body that gets to decide a final list of candidates, is winnowing down the number of candidates allowed to run in the June 18 election. By Al-Monitor Staff
US expects 'significant de-escalation today,' Biden tells Netanyahu As President Joe Biden appealed for calm, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday there was no timeframe for ending the conflict with Hamas. By Al-Monitor Staff
Congressional Democrats urge US administration to help Lebanon The lawmakers criticized Hezbollah and asked for greater French involvement in a letter to the US secretary of state. By Al-Monitor Staff
Yemenis lower expectations regarding US peace effort Since his appointment in February, the US envoy to Yemen has striven to revive diplomatic efforts in a bid to stop the war; yet the situation in Yemen remains bleak, and violence has not ebbed away. By A correspondent in Yemen
Europe sends Israel mixed signals on cease-fire with Hamas A special meeting of EU foreign ministers called upon Israel and Hamas to advance a cease-fire but the long debate reached no formal conclusions. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
These civilians died in Israeli raid on their homes in Gaza City At least 42 Palestinians, including 10 children and 12 women, were killed in an Israeli airstrike that leveled three residential buildings in central Gaza City. By Rasha Abou Jalal In Gaza City, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Turkey, Russia pressure SDF to restore electricity to northeast Syria The Syrian Democratic Forces continue to cut power in the areas under the control of the Turkish-backed opposition in northeast Syria, under the pretext that Turkey is responsible for the drop in water levels in the Euphrates River. By Mohammed Hardan
Kurdish journalists in Iraq criticized after Iranian immolates himself on camera The asylum seeker from Iran told the Kurdish media outlet Rudaw that he has no work. By Al-Monitor Staff
Rocket fire continues on Israel-Lebanon border The Israeli military fired at targets in Lebanon following rockets being launched from Lebanon toward Israel. By Al-Monitor Staff
How an exiled mafia boss became the center of Turkish politics An ultranationalist mafia boss, Sedat Peker, who had connections with the ruling elite for decades, now wages war against top officials with his camera and tripod from abroad. By Pinar Tremblay