AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East

Jordan strikes southern Syria after linking church attackers to 'terrorist groups'

2026-10-26T15:46:30-0400

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Monday its air force struck what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that the attackers behind last week's deadly church attack were linked to "terrorist groups" operating there.

There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities and it was not clear if the strikes were carried out after coordination with Damascus.

(Reporting by Jehad Abu ShalbakEditing by Nick Zieminski)

UN inquiry says Israel kept committing genocide in Gaza after truce

2026-10-26T14:46:30-0400

GENEVA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after last October's US-brokered ceasefire in the enclave, a UN commission said in a report published on Monday that Israel dismissed as part of a "misinformation campaign".

The report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel examined violations against Palestinian children since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023 up to September this year.

Netanyahu, rivals trade attacks over Iran as clock counts down to Israel vote

2026-10-26T14:30:26-0400

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up his campaign to remain in power on Monday with a claim that Israel faced potential annihilation at the hands of Iran should his election rivals prevail.

Over the course of a neck-and-neck race, Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, insisting only he can "finish the job" against Tehran and painting his main challenger, ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot, as soft on Israel's sworn foe.

UN raises 'ethnic cleansing' concerns over Israel's Hebron operation

2026-10-26T14:30:26-0400

Israel's military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, launched after a deadly attack by Palestinian gunmen, raises serious concerns of "ethnic cleansing", the United Nations warned Monday.

The municipality in Hebron, the Palestinian territory's largest city, said in a statement that 3,189 people had been forced from their homes by the ongoing operation.

RSF drones knock out five Sudanese power stations, causing blackouts

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T14:29:49-0400

The four impacted states had a combined estimated population of about 14.1 million, according to 2024 UN data.

RSF drones knock out five Sudanese power stations, causing blackouts

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T14:29:49-0400

The four impacted states had a combined estimated population of about 14.1 million, according to 2024 UN data.

RSF drones knock out five Sudanese power stations, causing blackouts

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T14:29:49-0400

The four impacted states had a combined estimated population of about 14.1 million, according to 2024 UN data.

RSF drones knock out five Sudanese power stations, causing blackouts

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T14:29:49-0400

The four impacted states had a combined estimated population of about 14.1 million, according to 2024 UN data.

Riyadh airport reopening faces turbulence as Houthis claim new strikes

Samuel Wendel — 2026-10-26T12:32:10-0400

A trickle of flights landed and departed from the Saudi capital on Monday as the Houthis continued to threaten aviation in the Gulf state.

Riyadh airport reopening faces turbulence as Houthis claim new strikes

Samuel Wendel — 2026-10-26T12:32:10-0400

A trickle of flights landed and departed from the Saudi capital on Monday as the Houthis continued to threaten aviation in the Gulf state.

Riyadh airport reopening faces turbulence as Houthis claim new strikes

Samuel Wendel — 2026-10-26T12:32:10-0400

A trickle of flights landed and departed from the Saudi capital on Monday as the Houthis continued to threaten aviation in the Gulf state.

Riyadh airport reopening faces turbulence as Houthis claim new strikes

Samuel Wendel — 2026-10-26T12:32:10-0400

A trickle of flights landed and departed from the Saudi capital on Monday as the Houthis continued to threaten aviation in the Gulf state.

Egypt parliament authorises military support to Saudi Arabia

2026-10-26T12:30:23-0400

Egypt's parliament authorised on Monday sending military support to Saudi Arabia to defend the kingdom from attacks by Yemen's Houthis, following a request from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The House of Representatives voted with a two-thirds majority in favour of "authorising President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", according to a parliament statement.

The parliament, stacked with supporters of Sisi, had held three rare secret meetings on the matter and postponed the vote twice.

Hezbollah readies for new regional war with funds from Iran, sources say

2026-10-26T11:46:34-0400

By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily

BEIRUT, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has spent three months preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel, after receiving an infusion of cash from Iran, according to Lebanese security personnel briefed on its activities.

The group, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, has been dealt severe blows in two wars with Israel since 2024, with thousands of fighters and many of its leaders killed, and much of its arsenal destroyed.

'No fuel to keep babies warm': shortages push hospitals in Yemen's Taiz to brink

2026-10-26T11:46:34-0400

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Fuel shortages in Yemen's besieged city of Taiz have forced one hospital to cut the number of incubators it can operate from 40 to 10, putting newborn babies at risk as weeks of fighting choke off vital supplies and deepen a humanitarian crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

"There's no oxygen, there's no fuel to run the incubators, to keep the babies warm," said Nada Ahmed, a nurse in the neonatal unit of the Yemeni-Swedish Hospital for Maternity and Childhood.

Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T11:26:25-0400

The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people.

Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T11:26:25-0400

The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people.

Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T11:26:25-0400

The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people.

Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know

Rosaleen Carroll — 2026-10-26T11:26:25-0400

The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people.

As parliament approves, what's driving Egypt's 'defensive' support to Saudi Arabia?

Adam Lucente — 2026-10-26T11:26:08-0400

Egypt, which has one of the region's largest militaries, is reliant on Saudi investment and ties the kingdom's security to its own.