JERUSALEM: Israel is determined to disarm Palestinian fighter group Hamas, the country&#39;s military chief said on Wednesday, describing 2026 as a &quot;decisive year&quot; for Israel&#39;s security. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in Gaza, just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the issue of Hamas disarmament in talks with US President Donald Trump. &quot;The year 2026 will be a decisive year in shaping the security reality of the state of Israel. Our determination to disarm Hamas of its weapons is absolute,&quot; Zamir told troops in Gaza. &quot;We will not allow the Hamas terrorist organization to rebuild its capabilities and threaten us,&quot; he added. Trump and Netanyahu presented a united front on Monday after the two discussed several issues as part of crucial talks on moving to the next stage of the fragile Gaza truce plan, including the disarmament of Hamas. &quot;If they don&#39;t disarm as they agreed to do, then there will be hell to pay for them,&quot; Trump told reporters after the two leaders met. &quot;They have to disarm in a fairly short period of time.&quot; Hamas has repeatedly said it would not surrender its weapons. Since Oct. 10, a truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but some White House officials fear both are slow-walking the second stage of the ceasefire. Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to gradually withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons. An interim authority is meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed. Both sides, however, have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.

Middle East

Under the second stage of the ceasefire plan, Israel is to gradually withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is to lay down its weapons; an interim authority is meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed.

Israel's determination to disarm Hamas is 'absolute': Military chief

NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, the young upstart of the US left, was sworn in early Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a four-year term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. The 34-year-old Democrat took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop under City Hall just after midnight to take the helm of the United States&rsquo; largest city. He will be New York&#39;s first Muslim mayor. More to follow

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 31: New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces a series of top appointments, including the city’s new schools chancellor, ahead of his swearing-in on December 31, 2025, in New York City. Mamdani announced Kamar Samuel

Americas

Mamdani, leftist opponent of Trump, sworn in as New York mayor

PARIS:&nbsp;Revelers around the world toasted the start of 2026 on Thursday, bidding farewell to a volatile year when temperatures soared, US President Donald Trump upended global trade, and the brutal conflict in Ukraine raged on. While a fragile truce took hold in devastated Gaza, violence in Sudan continued unabated.&nbsp; A new American pope was installed at the Vatican, the world lost pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, and Labubu dolls sparked a worldwide frenzy. In Sydney, partygoers paused for a minute of silence to remember the victims of the mass shooting on Bondi Beach before fireworks lit up the skies at the stroke of midnight. Heavily armed police patrolled the shoreline, packed with hundreds of thousands of people, barely two weeks after 15 people were gunned down at a Jewish festival in Australia&#39;s deadliest mass shooting for almost 30 years. Bathed in white lightThe famed Sydney Harbour Bridge was bathed in white light to symbolize peace. Pacific nations, including Kiribati and New Zealand, were the first to see in 2026, with Seoul and Tokyo following Sydney in celebrations that make their way around the globe with each passing hour.In Hong Kong, a major New Year fireworks display was cancelled&nbsp;in homage to 161 people killed in a fire in November that engulfed several apartment blocks. &lsquo;10 percent&rsquo; awayUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was &ldquo;10 percent&rdquo; away from a deal to end the fighting, soon to reach the four-year mark. Russia&rsquo;s Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, used his traditional New Year address to urge his compatriots to believe that Moscow would deliver a victory in Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II. In the Ukrainian city of Vyshgorod, beauty salon manager Daria Lushchyk said the war had made her work &ldquo;hell&rdquo; but that her clients were still showing up. &ldquo;Nothing can stop our Ukrainian girls from coming in and getting themselves glam,&rdquo; Lushchyk said. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Tariff blitz and fragile truce </h2>This year has brought a mix of stress and excitement for many, war for others still -- and a daring jewel heist at the Louvre. Pop megastar Taylor Swift got engaged to her American football player boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and K-pop heartthrobs BTS made their long-awaited return. Trump returned as US president in January, launching a tariff blitz that sent global trade and world stock markets into meltdown. As he prepared to host a New Year&#39;s party at his lavish Florida home, the Republican president launched a broadside at Oscar-winning actor George Clooney. After two years of war that left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins, pressure from Trump helped land a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October -- though both sides have accused each other of flagrant violations. &ldquo;We bid farewell to 2025 with deep sorrow and grief,&rdquo; said Gaza City resident Shireen Al-Kayali. &ldquo;We lost a lot of people and our possessions. We lived a difficult and harsh life, displaced from one city to another, under bombardment and in terror.&rdquo; Optimism in Syria&nbsp;In contrast, there was optimism despite abiding internal challenges in Syria, where residents of the capital Damascus celebrated a full year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. &ldquo;There is no fear, the people are happy, all of Syria is one and united, and God willing&hellip;it will be a good year for the people and the wise leadership,&rdquo; marketing manager Sahar al-Said, 33, told AFP as bells rang in Damascus. Fireworks in DubaiIn Dubai, thousands of revelers queued for up to nine hours for a spectacular fireworks and laser display at the Burj Khalifa, the world&rsquo;s tallest building. Revelers popped champagne near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Bulgaria adopted the euro, and huge crowds danced at Edinburgh&#39;s Hogmanay street party. More than 2.5 million people were expected to pack Rio de Janeiro&#39;s Copacabana Beach for what authorities have called the world&rsquo;s biggest New Year&#39;s Eve party. Crowds packed the city&#39;s expansive coastline for concerts and fireworks, mostly dressed in white, a tradition related to Iemanja, the goddess of the sea in Afro-Brazilian faiths. In the US capital, the Washington Monument will be lit up to kick off America&#39;s 250th birthday celebration year. And in New York, thousands gathered in freezing temperatures amid tight security for the traditional ball drop in Times Square. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Sports, space and AI &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>The coming 12 months promise to be full of sports, space, and questions over artificial intelligence. Athletes will gather in Italy in February for the Winter Olympics. And for a few weeks in June and July, 48 nations will compete in the biggest football World Cup in history in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. NASA is planning a crewed mission to circle the moon during a 10-day flight, more than 50 years since the last Apollo lunar mission. And after years of unbridled enthusiasm, AI is facing scrutiny, and nervous investors are questioning whether the boom might now resemble a market bubble.

Australasia

Europe

The coming 12 months promise to be full of sports, space, and questions over AI; in February, athletes will take part in the Winter Olympics, and in June and July, 48 nations will compete in the football World Cup.

World welcomes 2026 with fireworks after year of Trump and turmoil

BRUSSELS: A total of 128 journalists, including 56 media professionals in Gaza, were killed around the world in 2025, the International Federation of Journalists said on Thursday. The grim toll, up from 2024, &quot;is not just a statistic, it&#39;s a global red alert for our colleagues,&quot; IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger told AFP. The press group voiced particular alarm over the situation in the Palestinian territories, where it recorded 56 media professionals killed in 2025 as Israel&#39;s war with Hamas ground on in Gaza. &quot;We&#39;ve never seen anything like this: so many deaths in such a short time, in such a small area,&quot; Bellanger said. Journalists were also killed in Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan, Peru, India, and elsewhere. Bellanger condemned what he called &quot;impunity&quot; for those behind the attacks. &quot;Without justice, it allows the killers of journalists to thrive,&quot; he warned. Meanwhile, the IFJ said that across the globe, 533 journalists were currently in prison &mdash; a figure that has more than doubled over the past half-decade. China topped the list as the highest jailer of reporters with 143 behind bars, including in Hong Kong, where Western nations have criticised authorities for imposing national security laws quashing dissent. The IFJ&#39;s count for the number of journalists killed is typically far higher than that of Reporters Without Borders, due to different counting methods. This year&#39;s IFJ toll also included nine accidental deaths. Reporters Without Borders said 67 journalists were killed in the course of their work this year, while UNESCO puts the figure at 93.

Journalists also killed in India, Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan, Peru; International Federation of Journalists general secretary condemns what he called 'impunity' for those behind the attacks; says across the globe, 533 journalists are in prison — a figure that has more than doubled over the past half-decade.

128 journalists, including 56 in Gaza, killed worldwide in 2025: Press group

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed troops fighting in an &quot;alien land&quot; in a New Year message to soldiers, state media reported Thursday, in which he underscored Pyongyang&#39;s alliance with Russia. Without mentioning Ukraine, Kim addressed personnel in what the state-run Korean Central News Agency&nbsp;described as &quot;overseas operations units,&quot; congratulating their &quot;heroic&quot; defense of the nation&#39;s honor and instructing them to &quot;be brave.&quot; &quot;As the whole country is enveloped in a festive atmosphere of greeting the new year, I all the more miss you, who are fighting bravely on the battlefields in the alien land even at this moment, true to the order of your homeland,&quot; he said, according to the KCNA. &quot;Behind you are Pyongyang and Moscow,&quot; Kim said in the message. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia&#39;s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. At least 600 have died and thousands more have sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates. Analysts say North Korea is receiving financial aid, military technology, and food and energy supplies from Russia in return. North Korean soldiers are instructed to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, according to South Korea&#39;s intelligence service. The North Korean leader praised soldiers for strengthening the &quot;invincible alliance&quot; with Russia and called on them to fight &quot;for the fraternal Russian people.&quot; Two North Korean prisoners of war held by Ukraine said they hoped to start a &quot;new life&quot; in the South, according to a letter seen by AFP in December. Previous reports had indicated that the two men, held captive by Kyiv since January 2025 after sustaining injuries on the battlefield, were seeking to defect to the South. In the letter, the two prisoners thanked those working on their behalf &quot;for encouraging us and seeing this situation not as a tragedy but as the beginning of a new life.&quot; &quot;We firmly believe that we are never alone, and we think of those in South Korea as our own parents and siblings and have decided to go into their embrace,&quot; they wrote.

Asia

North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia's nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies; at least 600 have died and thousands more have sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates.

North Korea's Kim hails troops fighting in 'alien land': Report

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday his country was &quot;10%&quot; away from a peace deal with Russia, but cautioned that the most important issues were still unsolved and that any agreement should not reward Moscow. In his New Year&#39;s Eve address, the wartime president said his country wanted an end to the war but not at &quot;any cost,&quot; and that any agreement needed strong security guarantees to deter Russia from invading again. &quot;The peace agreement is 90% ready. 10% remains. And that is far more than just numbers,&quot; Zelensky said in the address, posted on his Telegram account. &quot;Those are the 10% that will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe,&quot; he added. The United States has sought to craft a peace deal with input from both Moscow and Kyiv, but has failed to reach a breakthrough on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pushing for full control of Ukraine&#39;s eastern Donbas region as part of a deal, but Zelensky said in his address that he did not believe Russia would stop at the Donbas if Ukraine withdrew. &quot;&#39;Pull out from the Donbas, and it will all be over.&#39; That is how deception sounds when translated from Russian &mdash; into Ukrainian, into English, into German, into French, and, in fact, into any language in the world,&quot; he said.

Russian President Putin has been pushing for full control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as part of a deal, but Zelensky says he did not believe Russia would stop at the Donbas if Ukraine withdrew.

We are '10%’ away from peace, Zelensky tells Ukrainians

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of the Defence Forces&nbsp;Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has warned India that its proxies in Balochistan will face &ldquo;stern action&rdquo; for sabotaging peace and development. &ldquo;Indian-sponsored proxies continue to propagate violence and disrupt development in Balochistan,&rdquo; the ISPR quoted the field marshal as saying in a press statement here on Wednesday. &ldquo;Such inimical designs will be thwarted through stern action by security forces to rid the province of terrorism and unrest,&rdquo; the field marshal said while addressing participants of the 18th National Workshop on Balochistan at General Headquarters (GHQ). The workshop focused on exploring Balochistan&rsquo;s socio-economic development and its strategic importance for Pakistan. The ISPR statement said Field Marshal&nbsp;Munir spoke at length about Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to ensure regional peace and stability. Munir is credited with leading the defense forces and repelling an Indian attack on Pakistan on May 7. International media have not only analyzed the spectacular defense mounted by Pakistan&rsquo;s forces but have also highlighted Field Marshal&nbsp;Munir&rsquo;s growing role in regional and international affairs. Coverage has highlighted his engagements with global leaders, including meetings with US President Donald Trump, as well as his influence on regional and global security dynamics. According to the ISPR, Field Marshal&nbsp;Munir reaffirmed the security forces&rsquo; commitment to rooting out terrorism and protecting Pakistan&rsquo;s territorial integrity. &ldquo;Any violation of Pakistan&rsquo;s territorial integrity, whether direct or indirect, will be met with a firm and decisive response. The Pakistan Armed Forces remain committed to protecting the lives and well-being of their citizens,&rdquo; the ISPR statement quoted Munir as saying. During his address, the field marshal praised the resilience and patriotism of the people of Balochistan and highlighted the province&rsquo;s pivotal importance to Pakistan&rsquo;s prosperity and development. He lauded the wide-ranging initiatives being undertaken by the federal and provincial governments, underscoring a people-centric approach aimed at improving socio-economic conditions and unlocking Balochistan&rsquo;s vast economic potential for the benefit of its people. Munir acknowledged the constructive role of civil society, particularly in debunking propaganda, and highlighted its crucial contribution to driving sustainable development. He stressed the importance of rejecting vested political agendas to ensure that Balochistan&rsquo;s future is shaped by long-term prosperity for all its residents. The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, during which Field Marshal Munir responded to queries and spoke about ongoing efforts to develop Balochistan and ensure its security.

Security

Says Indian-sponsored proxies engage in violence and disrupt development in Balochistan; vows decisive action against direct or indirect threats to Pakistan.

Field Marshal Munir warns India against sabotaging peace

Maryam Shah

ISLAMABAD: As 2025 comes to a close, Pakistani women across sports, culture, exploration, and legal activism have made their mark on national and international stages. From cricket grounds and mountain summits to pageants and courtrooms, these trailblazers have expanded opportunities and challenged conventional boundaries. Sidra Amin&rsquo;s cricket milestones<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cf94c1a3-e5a6-4fec-8907-fc3f939f7423.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @sidraamin31 Opening batter Sidra Amin, 33, emerged as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most consistent performers during the 2025 ICC Women&rsquo;s ODI World Cup. The Lahore-born cricketer became the first Pakistani to score back-to-back ODI centuries, a landmark in Pakistan&rsquo;s cricket history. <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back-to-back centuries for Sidra Amin as the batter continues her brilliant run with the willow 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">#PAKvSA</a> 📝: <a href="https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7</a> | 📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">@TheRealPCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/LMXPJ7cVzj" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pic.twitter.com/LMXPJ7cVzj</a>&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1969093586667855973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote></div> According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official match report, Amin also recorded the fastest ODI century by a Pakistani woman, reaching 100 runs in just 97 balls. With more than 150 international appearances and 2,221 ODI runs, including six centuries, she remained a linchpin of Pakistan&rsquo;s batting line-up. Gaddafi Stadium has become her personal stronghold, where she has scored three centuries at an average exceeding 120. Since debuting in 2011, Amin has helped elevate women&rsquo;s cricket in Pakistan to new heights. Naila Kiani&rsquo;s unprecedented climbing record<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/611a7e42-2866-45d0-a73a-3855db9729f0.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Picture credits: Radio Pakistan Mountaineer Naila Kiani continued her extraordinary ascent in 2025, having summited 12 of the world&rsquo;s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. Imagine Nepal, the expedition organizer, confirmed that Kiani scaled Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the world&rsquo;s third-highest mountain, in May, staying on course to become the first Pakistani woman to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders. A former aerospace engineer and a mother of two, Kiani also became the fastest Pakistani to summit 11 eight-thousanders in under three years, Alpine Club of Pakistan reported. The Embassy of Pakistan in Turkiye also congratulated her on this achievement.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1787508031929962698&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2696e4393e4ed6d9d4f0ffa87d85e770d1536c72&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Beyond her personal achievements, she has championed reforms in Pakistan&rsquo;s mountaineering sector, helping reduce helicopter rescue costs and exposing exploitative commercial practices. According to Radio Pakistan, Naila Kiani remains the only female athlete to currently hold the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.&nbsp; Roma Riaz at Miss Universe<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/6a61b8ec-3923-4895-a670-e3e057da2cd4.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @romariaz_official Roma Riaz, 25, a British-Pakistani from Lahore, represented Pakistan at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand after winning the Miss Universe Pakistan title earlier in the year. Her participation returned Pakistan to the global pageant stage and sparked conversations about beauty standards, colorism, and representation. Raised between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, Riaz is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and has worked in merchandising and international fashion. Her advocacy focuses on girls&rsquo; education and challenging narrow definitions of beauty. In response to criticism over her skin tone and background, she posted an Instagram reel condemning colorist and body-shaming remarks, asserting that diversity should be celebrated, not policed. Mahnoor Omer and discriminatory taxation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/aeb6f1e9-2e44-46f3-9f28-e37cedb48d66.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @learningwithmahnoor Lawyer and gender rights advocate Mahnoor Omer, 25, gained national and international attention in 2025 for challenging Pakistan&rsquo;s taxation of sanitary products. A former Supreme Court law clerk, Omer is pursuing postgraduate studies in Gender, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics. She has also served as a Gender Consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, co-authoring Pakistan&rsquo;s first UNODC Gender Equality Strategy. Her constitutional petition contends that menstrual hygiene products, essential for women&rsquo;s health, are unfairly taxed, violating constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity.&nbsp; Natasha Noorani&rsquo;s cultural innovation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/e235b212-ad97-4260-bf42-9a6cd0616e0f.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @natashanoorani Emerging artist Natasha Noorani has established herself as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most innovative contemporary musicians. Her debut album Ronaq, released in 2023, continued to influence the country&rsquo;s music scene throughout 2025. Blending R&amp;B, pop, electronic music, and neo-soul, the album reflects both creativity and cultural depth. Noorani coined the term &ldquo;Lolly-Pop&rdquo; to describe her approach, which merges retro subcontinental sounds from the 1940s&ndash;1980s with modern electronic production. Produced by Talal Qureshi and Abdullah Siddiqui, Ronaq features tracks including &ldquo;Choro,&rdquo; &ldquo;Thandi,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Faltu Pyar,&rdquo; a collaboration with Hasan Raheem. Her work continues to bridge Pakistan&rsquo;s musical past with its contemporary soundscape. While their paths differed, a common thread ran through their stories, questioning long-standing norms and opening space for wider participation.&nbsp; As Pakistan moves into 2026, the impact of these women&rsquo;s work continues to shape public debate. It offers a broader understanding of what achievement and leadership look like for Pakistani women today.

Pakistani women who made headlines in 2025 (Pakistan TV Digital)

Entertainment

In 2025, Pakistani women made headlines across cricket, mountaineering, music, law, and global platforms, redefining representation and excellence while challenging social norms through record-breaking achievements, creative innovation, and rights-based advocacy at home and abroad. 

Pakistan's Powerhouses: The Women Who Owned 2025

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed &ldquo;complete solidarity&rdquo; with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and urged all parties to maintain regional peace through dialogue during a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. PM&nbsp;Sharif and the Saudi&nbsp;crown prince reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties between the two nations, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. The call followed a statement earlier Wednesday from Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office regarding a resurgence of violence in Yemen. &ldquo;Pakistan expresses complete solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reaffirms its commitment to the security of the Kingdom,&rdquo; the Foreign Office statement said. Pakistan reiterated its support for Yemen&#39;s unity and territorial integrity and called for a de-escalation of tensions. &ldquo;Pakistan maintains its firm support for the resolution of the Yemen issue through dialogue and diplomacy,&rdquo; the statement said. The Foreign Office also expressed hope that Yemen&rsquo;s people and regional powers would work together toward an &ldquo;inclusive and enduring settlement of the issue, safeguarding regional stability.&rdquo;

Foreign Affairs

PM Sharif pledges solidarity with Saudi Arabia, while urging a diplomatic solution in Yemen during a call with the crown prince.

Pakistan expresses ‘solidarity’ with Saudi Arabia, urges regional peace and stability

JERUSALEM: Israel has said 37 aid organizations will be banned from operating in Gaza from Thursday unless they comply with guidelines requiring detailed information on Palestinian staff, drawing criticism from the United Nations and the European Union.&nbsp;Several NGOs have told AFP the new rules will have a major impact on food and medical shipments to Gaza, at a time when humanitarian organisations say the amount of aid getting in is inadequate to the devastated territory&#39;s needs.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s deadline for NGOs to provide the details expires at midnight on Wednesday.&nbsp;&quot;They refuse to provide lists of their Palestinian employees because they know, just as we know, that some of them are involved in terrorism or linked to Hamas,&quot; spokesman for the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Gilad Zwick told AFP, naming 37 NGOs that had so far failed to meet the new requirements.&nbsp;&quot;I highly doubt that what they haven&#39;t done for 10 months, they will suddenly do in less than 12 hours,&quot; Zwick said. &quot;We certainly won&#39;t accept any cooperation that is just for show, simply to get an extension.&quot;&nbsp;The ministry had said in a statement on Wednesday that the move was part of Israel&#39;s decision to &quot;strengthen and update&quot; regulations governing the activities of international NGOs in the Palestinian territory.&nbsp;A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October, following a deadly war waged by Israel in response to Hamas&#39;s unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.&nbsp;For Israel, it says the new regulation aims to prevent bodies it accuses of supporting terrorism from operating in the Palestinian territories.&nbsp;On Tuesday, Israel specified that &quot;acts of de-legitimising Israel&quot; or denial of events surrounding Hamas&#39; October 7 attack would be &quot;grounds for license withdrawal&quot;.&nbsp;Israel has singled out international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), alleging that it had two employees who were members of Palestinian militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas.&nbsp;Apart from MSF, some of the 37 NGOs to be hit with the ban are the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International, CARE and Oxfam, according to the list given by Zwick.&nbsp;Guarantee accessOn Wednesday, the United Nations rights chief Volker Turk described Israel&#39;s decision as &quot;outrageous&quot;, calling on states to urgently insist Israel shift course.&nbsp;&quot;Israel&#39;s suspension of numerous aid agencies from Gaza is outrageous,&quot; he said in a statement, warning that &quot;such arbitrary suspensions make an already intolerable situation even worse for the people of Gaza&quot;.&nbsp;The European Union also warned that Israel&#39;s decision would block &quot;life-saving&quot; assistance from reaching Gazans.&nbsp;&quot;The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law cannot be implemented in its current form,&quot; EU humanitarian chief Hadja Lahbib posted on X.&nbsp;&quot;IHL (international humanitarian law) leaves no room for doubt: aid must reach those in need,&quot; Lahbib wrote.&nbsp;On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of ten countries, including France and the United Kingdom, had already urged Israel to &quot;guarantee access&quot; to aid in the Gaza Strip, where they said the humanitarian situation remains &quot;catastrophic.&quot;&nbsp;In a territory with 2.2 million inhabitants, &quot;1.3 million people still require urgent shelter support,&quot; the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland said.&nbsp;While a deal for a ceasefire that started on October 10 stipulated the entry of 600 trucks per day, only 100 to 300 are carrying humanitarian aid, according to NGOs and the United Nations.&nbsp;COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said last week that on average 4,200 aid trucks enter Gaza weekly, which corresponds to around 600 daily.&nbsp;

Israel says it will ban 37 NGOs from Gaza unless they share Palestinian staff details, drawing UN and EU criticism as aid groups warn the move will further restrict food and medical assistance amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

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