Arab–Israeli conflict

Seven years of conflict in Syria have left more than 350,000 people dead, according to an updated overall death toll released yesterday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

 France wants air strikes in Syria to end and calls for the opening of humanitarian corridors as soon as possible, the French defense minister said on Friday.

"We are very preoccupied and are monitoring the situation on the ground very carefully. The air strikes need to end," Florence Parly said on France Inter radio, giving no further details.

The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution against recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital city. The resolution scored support of 14 members of the UN Security Council.

Talks aimed at ending the war in Syria restarted on Nov. 28 with the Damascus regime enforcing its will, warning the United Nations it would not tolerate any discussion of President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster from power.  

As Islamists continue to lose ground, the US administration reportedly fears that northern territories, where its troops have been training rebel forces, will fall to the Syrian government.

Iran on Nov. 21 dismissed as "worthless" a resolution by Arab League foreign ministers that accused the Islamic republic of "aggression" against Arab states.

In the Kazakh capital, Astana, a seventh round of talks on settling Syrian war brokered by Turkey, Russia and Iran will address strengthening ceasefire, release of captives and hostages, TRT World reports.
A seventh round of talks on bringing peace to Syria begin on Monday in the Kazakh capital, Astana.

Israelis are celebrating 50 years since the Six-Day War — and with good reason. That victory saved us from destruction and reunited our holiest city. Ultimately, it also brought us peace with Egypt and Jordan and a strategic alliance with the United States. The Palestinians, by contrast, are mourning a half-century of suffering.

US President Donald Trump has signed a waiver allowing him to delay any decision on moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, it has emerged.
A statement issued by the White House on Thursday, however, said that the president still intends to relocate the US’ diplomatic seat in the country, and that the move was a question of “when not if”.

A number of ISIS fighters were killed after exchanging fire in the first direct clashes between Israel and the Islamic State on Sunday in the southern Golan Heights. In the incident, the Shuhada al-Yarmouk organization, which has pledged allegiance to ISIS, exchanged fire with Israeli forces. No soldiers were wounded.