Wang Yi launches Middle East tour to boost China’s regional role
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has begun a multi-nation diplomatic tour of the Middle East, showing Beijing’s deepening engagement in a region und...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Hamas to be expelled from the region on Tuesday. The coment on his X account comes a day after the United Nations Security Council endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war that offers Hamas amnesty.
In one post, he applauded Trump and in another he wrote the Israeli government believes the plan would lead to peace and prosperity because it calls for the "full demilitarization, disarmament, and deradicalization of Gaza".
"Israel extends its hand in peace and prosperity to all of our neighbours" and calls on neighbouring countries to "join us in expelling Hamas and its supporters from the region," he said.
Asked what the prime minister had meant, a spokesperson said that it would mean "ensuring there is no Hamas in Gaza as outlined in the 20-point plan, and Hamas has no ability to govern the Palestinian people inside the Gaza Strip".

Trump's 20-point peace plan
Notably, Trump's 20-point plan includes a clause saying that Hamas members "who commit to peaceful coexistence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty" and members who wish to leave will be given safe passage to third countries.
Another clause says Hamas will agree to not having any role in Gaza's governance. There is no clause that explicitly calls for the Islamist militant group to disband or to leave Gaza.
The plan says reforms to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority may ultimately allow conditions "for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood".
However, ahead of the UN vote, Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel remained opposed to Palestinian statehood.
Previously Netanyahu publicly endorsed the plan during a White House visit in late September. However, his latest remarks appear to show that there are differences with the United States on the path forward. Hamas has also objected to parts of the plan.
It's reported that diplomats have said privately that entrenched positions on both the Israeli and Hamas sides have made it difficult to advance the plan, which lacks specific timelines or enforcement mechanisms. However, it has received strong international backing.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 10 October as part of Trump's multi-phased plan to end the war. Israel has partially withdrawn its forces but still controls 53% of Gaza and the sides have accused each other of violations.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their tensions through dialogue and engagement, as it pledged to work with the international community to help improve relations between the two countries.
Kazakhstan has begun redirecting part of its crude exports, sending oil from Kashagan to China as the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) operates at reduced capacity.
Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction in Karabakh is attracting international attention. The book by British author Graeme Wilson documents this journey, combining first-hand reporting and digital storytelling to highlight both the region’s restoration and the human stories behind it.
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has welcomed the expansion of ties with neighbouring Azerbaijan, stating that Tehran and Baku are committed to building a ‘shared, secure and mutually respectful’ future, local media reported on Friday.
Tashkent is hosting the 2025 Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Annual General Assemblies, one of the most significant events in global motorsport and mobility governance, bringing together officials and delegates from around the world.
The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
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