Middle East - International News - Iraq, Israel, Lebanon

President Obama with the new Saudi leader, King Salman, on Tuesday.

Obama Meets With New King of Saudi Arabia

By MICHAEL R. GORDON and PETER BAKER

A group of prominent current and former officials joined President Obama as he offered his condolences on the death of King Abdullah and sought to reinforce relations.

Group Linked to ISIS Says It’s Behind Assault on Libyan Hotel

By SULIMAN ALI ZWAY and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

The deadly attack was the most significant in a string of terrorist assaults against Western interests and institutions in Tripoli since the ouster of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.

This still image taken from video released by the Islamic State's branch in Raqqa, Syria, shows the capture of Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, the Jordanian pilot shot down over Syria a month ago. The militant group has threatened to kill the pilot and a Japanese hostage within 24 hours.

ISIS Issues New Threat Against Hostages

By ROD NORDLAND

The Islamic State gave Jordan 24 hours or less to release a prisoner. If not, the militants said, they will kill not only a Japanese hostage, but also a captured Jordanian pilot

Flydubai Jet Hit by Gunfire as It Lands in Baghdad

By KAREEM FAHIM

The attack, which left a young passenger slightly wounded, added to fears that Iraq’s airports are increasingly vulnerable to militant attacks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel attended a ceremony on Tuesday in Jerusalem on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi camps at Auschwitz.

Israeli Opposition Takes Aim at Netanyahu Over Planned Speech to Congress

By JODI RUDOREN

Critics are attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who plans to address Congress before Israeli elections, for politicizing a key interest: curbing Iran’s nuclear program.

The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was criticized for the stroll he took with Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Jan. 14.

U.S. and Iranian Lawmakers Look to Take Nuclear Issue Into Their Own Hands

By DAVID E. SANGER

While the House of Representatives weighs whether to impose new sanctions on Tehran, the Iranian Parliament is working on a resolution of its own.

Israeli troops at a post near the cease-fire line with Syria in the Golan Heights.

Two Rockets Fired From Syria Hit Israeli-Controlled Part of Golan Heights

By ISABEL KERSHNER

The rockets fell on open ground and no casualties were reported. The Israeli military responded with artillery fire on the suspected launching sites.

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Chemical Weapons in Iraq: Revealing the Pentagon’s Long-Held Secrets

Produced by TROY GRIGGS and SHREEYA SINHA

Mohammed Uraibi/Associated Press

Staff Sgt. James F. Burns in Baghdad in 2004.

Explore The Times investigation on secret casualties of Iraq’s abandoned chemical weapons, and the Pentagon’s response, including follow-up care for those exposed.

Notes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era.

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Amir Hekmati’s Letter to President Hassan Rouhani of Iran

The letter disclosed previously unpublicized details of Mr. Hekmati’s confinement in Evin Prison in Tehran, including assertions of isolation in a small cell for the first four months, and starvation and deception by Iranian officials.

Interactive Graphic

How the Air Campaign Against ISIS Grew

By JEREMY ASHKENAS, K.K. REBECCA LAI, ARCHIE TSE, TIM WALLACE, DEREK WATKINS and KAREN YOURISH

The American-led air campaign against the Islamic State began as a limited operation, but quickly grew into what officials said will be a multi-year effort to destroy the group that will require local forces on the ground.

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Text of Draft Palestinian Resolution

The draft, edited by diplomats from Arab countries and Palestinian diplomats, sets a one-year deadline for negotiations with Israel and sets down targets for Palestinian sovereignty, including “full and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces” from the West Bank by the end of 2017.

The museum is within the Al-Mathaf Hotel, and displays 350 artifacts, including tools, coins and jars, from the Islamic, crusader, Roman and Byzantine periods.

Safeguarding Gaza’s Ancient Past

By KATE SHUTTLEWORTH

Jawdat Khoudary, an entrepreneur and collector of art and antiquities, keeps Gaza's rich history available to the public at the Gaza Museum of Archeology.