The French Senate has approved a bill to ban the wearing of the hijab during sporting events. "This bill is designed for political purposes: it is a way of fighting Islam under the pretext of defending secularism," said Socialist Selvi Robert.

In the city of Balashikha, near Moscow, a drunken man beat 11-year-old Egor with derogatory language that many Russians use to describe Central Asians.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the official Damascus have reached a significant agreement to strengthen cooperation and consolidate stability in the north and east of the country. According to it, the SDF and the security services will be integrated into the Syrian army, and non-Syrian militants will be expelled from the region.

Qatar's Al Jazeera television channel, citing sources, said Hamas was ready to release Israeli prisoners all at once in exchange for a permanent ceasefire. The Palestinian group also confirmed that it would hand over the bodies of four prisoners on Thursday and release six more live prisoners on Saturday.

An Israeli soldier who arrived in Amsterdam on February 17 and committed war crimes in Gaza and his accomplice fled the Dutch capital for fear of being arrested. Earlier, Israeli reservist Yuval Vagdani fled Brazil for the same reason.

The first talks between the United States and Russia since the war in Ukraine began have been held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. According to Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, the nearly five-hour talks were "not bad": the delegations "had a serious conversation on all issues." What is known about the talks?

The Egyptian government, at the initiative of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is preparing a reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip that would include the restoration of the area and the exclusion of the local population.

On February 18, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as part of his visit to Kuwait, held a meeting with the Crown Prince of this country, Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah.

Israel plans to build thousands of homes in the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River.

Key events from the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the entire Middle East.