JERUSALEM, Jan 28 (Reuters) - In Silwan in East Jerusalem, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Kayed Rajabi and his neighbors have been handed eviction orders in favor of an Israeli settler organization which has already taken over parts of the Palestinian district.

Rajabi's home is surrounded by buildings that have raised large Israeli flags - a sign they are owned by settlers, who he said began buying homes in 2004, and have obtained about 40 buildings in Silwan now, many via forced evictions.

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse.

"Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!" Trump wrote in a social media post.

By Steven Scheer

JERUSALEM, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Israel's parliament was expected to take its initial vote on the 2026 state budget draft on Wednesday, in a test of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government at a time when his coalition has been beset by political fractures.

The budget, as well as an accompanying economic plan, faces an uphill battle for approval as the government has become increasingly polarized. By law it must be approved by the end of March or a snap election would be triggered.

Israel on Wednesday laid to rest the last hostage from Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at the funeral that the country's enemies would pay a heavy price for any future aggression.

Netanyahu's threat came as Hamas told AFP it was prepared to carry out a full transfer of governance in Gaza to a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee established under a US-backed ceasefire plan.

By Ahmed Rasheed and Michael Georgy

BAGHDAD/DUBAI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who appeared poised for a remarkable comeback despite accusations he stoked sectarian strife and allowed the rise of Islamic State,now finds himself in U.S. President Donald Trump's crosshairs.

Inhis latest direct intervention in another country’s politics,Trump on Tuesday warned Iraq that if it picked the Iranian-backed Maliki as its prime minister again Washington would no longer help the major oil producer and close U.S. ally.

Iran's foreign minister warned Wednesday its forces would respond immediately and forcefully to any US military operation after President Donald Trump declared time was running out to avoid one, but did not rule out a new deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

The Islamic republic's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi warned its forces have their "fingers on the trigger" to "powerfully respond" to any US strikes, but also used language strikingly similar to Trump's to describe a possible agreement to defuse the stand-off through a new nuclear deal.

VATICAN CITY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Pope Leo appealed against the global rise of anti-Semitism on Wednesday, marking the annual commemoration of the Holocaust during his weekly audience at the Vatican with a prayer for a world without prejudice or racism.

"On this annual occasion of painful remembrance, I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world with no more antisemitism and, with no more prejudice, oppression, or persecution of any human being," said the pope.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow on Wednesday, as the Kremlin seeks to secure the future of military bases vital for its operations in the Middle East.

Russia was a key ally of Sharaa's predecessor Bashar al-Assad during the bloody 14-year Syrian civil war.

His toppling at the hands of Sharaa's rebel forces dealt a major blow to Russia's influence in the region and threw the status of its prized military bases in Syria into doubt.

ANKARA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign minister on Wednesday urged the U.S. to resolve its disputes with Iran "one by one" instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Washington had an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.

DUBAI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied being in contact with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days or requesting negotiations, state media reported on Wednesday.

The foreign minister added Tehran remains in contact with mediating countries that are "holding consultations".

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Sharon Singleton)