Analysis From UNRWA to ICC, how Republican Congress would shift Middle East policy Bills to cut aid for Palestinians and expedite arms sales to Israel faced Democratic pushback, but they could now easily become law. By Megan Mineiro In Washington, DC, reporting on US Congress
Analysis Saudi Arabia to pursue two-track approach for Trump presidency Riyadh is likely to compartmentalize business dealings with incoming President Donald Trump separately from its foreign policy engagements, where there is likely to be disagreement. By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
ICC issues arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas' Deif Six months after International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan submitted his request to prosecute them, the world court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Israel
Shin Bet chief discusses Gaza truce in Turkey: What we know The Israeli official's travel to Turkey marks a dramatic development considering that Ankara has not played a part in these negotiations over the past year and Israel-Turkey relations have significantly deteriorated amid the Gaza war. Israel
US lawmakers grapple with Egypt policy as Sisi’s clampdown continues As President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratchets up the rights abuses, some in Congress say the Trump administration is giving the Egyptian strongman a pass. Egypt
Arms from Iran, Western countries prolonging Yemen’s war: UN A panel of UN investigators found all of Yemen's rival factions have violated international law and in some cases, may have committed war crimes. Yemen
Intel: House Democrats want answers from Saudi ambassador over jailed female activists A group of seven congressional Democrats laid into Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday for failing to respond to their repeated requests to discuss the kingdom’s continued detention of female rights activists. Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s warring parties urged to reveal whereabouts of detainees A group of eight human rights organizations called on Yemen's rival factions to urgently release all of their arbitrarily detained prisoners. Yemen
Amnesty International accuses Iran of using torture to extract confessions after 2019 protests Some 7,000 people were arrested by Iranian authorities, including children as young as 10, the rights group reported. Iran
Can an American activist sue Egypt’s ex-PM? Torture suit a test of diplomatic immunity Mohamed Soltan’s lawsuit against the former interim prime minister of Egypt has thrust the longstanding practice of diplomatic immunity into the spotlight. Egypt
Mother of Iranian sons sentenced claims they were tortured In today's Iran media review, the mother of three brothers who received sentences in an Iranian prison says they were tortured. And Iranian media outlets react to Lebanon's new prime minister. Iran
Turkish human rights lawyer dies after hunger strike Ebru Timtik died on the 238th day of her strike, which she launched to draw attention to what rights groups have described as an unfair trial. Turkey
Suspicion mars death of Egyptian activist in custody An activist has died while in pre-trial detention at a prison in Cairo, shedding light on the state of human rights in Egypt and the fate of thousands of political prisoners. Egypt
Trump, Kadhimi launch new chapter in US-Iraq relations US offers Iraqi prime minister aid, energy deals and continued cooperation against Islamic State. Iraq
Activists continue to be killed in Basra The killing of an Iraqi activist in Bara took place even as Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was visiting Washington; it was just the latest in a series of violent attacks against protesters and others in the southern city. Iraq
Islamist parties challenge Iraqi domestic violence draft law The potential enactment of a domestic violence bill into law has engendered a major struggle between civil society activists and Shiite Islamist parties that believe the law will split families. Iraq
