The United States does not believe that genocide is occurring in Gaza but Israel must do more to protect Palestinian civilians, President Joe Biden's top national security official said Monday.
As ceasefire talks stall and Israel continued striking the southern city of Rafah, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan insisted that the responsibility for peace lay with militant group Hamas.
The Kuwaiti emir's move to dissolve parliament and assume some of its powers has crippled the most active democratic institution in the monarchical Gulf.
Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah's order, effectively halting political life, will be in place "for a period not exceeding four years", official media said on Friday.
The 83-year-old has taken aim at the constant stand-offs between the elected parliament and the royal-appointed government since he came to the throne in December.
- What's behind the emir's order? -
Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof said Monday he had left Iran clandestinely after being sentenced to jail on national security charges, a day ahead of the opening of the Cannes Film Festival where his new film is in the main competition.
"I am grateful to my friends, acquaintances, and people who kindly, selflessly, and sometimes by risking their lives, helped me get out of the border and reach a safe place on the difficult and long path of this journey," Rasoulof, whose film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" is to premiere at Cannes, wrote on his official Instagram page.
An area of Jerusalem's national military cemetery, where soldiers killed in Gaza are buried, was on Monday filled with mourners and emotion as Israel marked a painful Memorial Day.
Troops from various units, distinguished by their red, purple or green berets, stood with their heads bowed, while relatives and friends cried quietly.
Yom hazikaron, or Memorial Day, pays tribute to soldiers killed in the line of duty and to victims of attacks in Israel. Commemoration events began at sunset on Sunday and lasted through sunset Monday.
Israel battled Hamas in Gaza on Monday, including in far-southern Rafah, despite US warnings against a full-scale invasion of the crowded city and of the threat from post-war anarchy or insurgency.
Clashes also raged in northern and central Gaza as Israel marked a sombre Memorial Day, followed by Independence Day from Monday night, more than seven months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
Thousands fled northern Gaza on Monday as renewed shelling pounded areas where Israel says Hamas militants have regrouped, despite having announced them cleared months ago.
"The army dropped leaflets and sent a message on mobile phones warning everyone to leave Jabalia," said Umm Odai Nassar, after reaching Gaza City from nearby Jabalia refugee camp in the far north of the Gaza Strip.
Tunisian lawyers protested and launched a nationwide strike on Monday over the arrest of a lawyer and political commentator in a weekend police raid.
"The strike was observed 100 percent," Laroussi Zguir, head of the bar association's Tunis division, told journalists at the Tunis court of first instance.
Several rallied outside the court against the arrest of commentator and lawyer Sonia Dahmani, demanding her immediate release and chanting that the judiciary is working "under orders".
Israel battled Hamas in Gaza on Monday, including in far-southern Rafah, despite US warnings against a full-scale invasion of the crowded city and of the threat of post-war "anarchy" across the Palestinian territory.
Clashes also raged in northern and central areas of the besieged Gaza Strip, AFP correspondents and witnesses said, as Israel prepared to mark a sombre Independence Day, beginning Monday night, more than seven months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack.
Anyone expecting immediate results from Saudi Arabia's unprecedented splurge on football stars was probably disappointed as the billion-dollar spending created a lopsided season with no international silverware so far.
Despite last year's pyrotechnical unveilings for superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar, the new-look Saudi Pro League has provided few fireworks since.
Israelis stood still and flags flew at half-mast on Sunday as the country marked an especially painful Memorial Day following the carnage of the October 7 attack.
At 8:00 pm local time (1700 GMT), sirens sounded across Israel, prompting a minute's silence in honour of its fallen soldiers and civilian victims of attacks.
"Tonight, we have no peace, and there is no silence," President Isaac Herzog said at a special ceremony on Sunday evening at Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray.
