Egypt prepares for worst-case scenario as Israeli offensive in Rafah looms Recent reports indicate Egypt is constructing a fenced-in zone south of the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side in preparation for the exodus of Palestinians from Gaza. Egypt
US designation of Houthis as terror group comes into effect The Houthi struck a Panama-flagged tanker ship in the Gulf of Aden with a missile as Washington restored its terror designation on the group in a bid to clamp down on its attacks on commercial shipping. Gulf
A year on from Iran-Saudi thaw, little to show beyond photo ops Despite the detente, the two sides appear to have adopted few tangible measures to narrow their long-standing differences over regional influence, while their covert divergence on the Gaza war has only added to the complications of their fragile rapprochement. Iran
Can Turkey, Iraq pull off 'Dry Canal' project? While experts believe the ‘Dry Canal’ project involving road and rail networks faces an uphill battle, the initiative seems to stand a better chance than its alternatives. Turkey
WHO official: 'Never seen anything like' Rafah crisis in 30-year career Richard Brennan, regional emergency director of the World Health Organization, told Al-Monitor that only three fully functioning hospitals are serving Gaza's population of 2.3 million people. Palestine
Sweden's Kurds pay price of NATO deal with Turkey It's increasingly clear that Sweden's sizable Kurdish population was the loser in the wrangling between Ankara and Stockholm over the latter's bid to join the NATO alliance. Turkey
Hezbollah says Israel will pay in ‘blood’ as cross-border fighting intensifies The fire exchanges that have been ongoing between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel since October have intensified this week, raising fears of a full-blown conflict. Lebanon
Dubai mega-resort axes casino plans amid UAE gambling ambiguity MGM Resorts International said its $2.5 billion mega-project in Dubai will not have a casino, though the United Arab Emirates could allow gambling in the not-so-distant future. Gulf
Two people killed in shooting in south of Israel Police are now investigating an incident in the south of Israel where a Palestinian man shot into a crowd near a bus station, killing two civilians. Israel
