ISTANBUL -- More than half a million people rallied in Türkiye's largest city Istanbul on New Year's Day to show solidarity with Gaza.
The demonstration was organized by the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform, a coalition of civil society groups, under the slogan "We will not retreat, we will not remain silent, we will not forget Palestine." Around 400 civil society organizations took part in the rally. According to police, the number of participants was estimated at about 520,000. (Türkiye-Mass Rally-Gaza)
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RAMALLAH -- A Palestinian man was killed and another wounded by Israeli army fire on Thursday in the northern West Bank, according to Palestinian sources.
Khattab Daraghmeh, 26, was killed by Israeli army fire in the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement, providing no further details. (West Bank-Israeli Army Fire-Casualties)
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TEHRAN -- At least three people were killed and 13 security personnel wounded in clashes during protests in two Iranian provinces over the past 24 hours, Iranian media reported.
One person was killed on Wednesday night in Kuhdasht county in the western province of Lorestan, Saeid Pourali, the province's deputy governor for political, security and social affairs, told state television IRIB. (Iran-Unrests-Deaths)
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BEIRUT -- More than 1,800 UN peacekeepers have left southern Lebanon since early November 2025, with over 300 more set to exit by May 2026, a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) official said on Thursday.
The drawdown stems from UN-wide budget reductions, not an early mission closure, UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardell told Xinhua in an exclusive interview, citing UN Security Council Resolution 2790, adopted in late August, which extended UNIFIL's mandate until Dec. 31, 2026, and authorized its gradual withdrawal thereafter. (Lebanon-UNIFIL-Withdrawal)
