Thousands of Syrian civilians fled from a rebel pocket in eastern Ghouta on Thursday, crossing by foot to army positions in the first mass exodus from the besieged enclave since Syrian government forces launched an assault to capture it a month ago. Men, women and children staggered under the weight of blankets, bags and suitcases as they walked along a dirt road to army lines on the outskirts of Hammouriyeh town. Some wept.

Gaza s Islamist rulers Hamas widened an investigation Wednesday into a bomb explosion that targeted Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah as he made a rare visit to the strip a day earlier. The interior ministry in Gaza said it had launched a "high-level investigative committee" into the bomb attack, which was a further blow to faltering reconciliation talks between Hamas and president Mahmoud Abbas s secular Fatah party.

Turkey said Tuesday its army and allied rebels have surrounded the Kurdish city of Afrin in northern Syria, raising the prospect of another devastating siege in the country s long conflict. Syria s war enters its eighth year this week with clashes raging on several fronts, including Afrin and the besieged rebel pockets of Eastern Ghouta, which saw their first medical evacuations of civilians on Tuesday.

At least 25 civilians and members of government forces have been killed in northern Iraq since late Sunday in attacks by the Islamic State group, officials said. The attacks came despite Baghdad s declaration of victory over the jihadist group late last year. "Islamic State (IS) terrorists who had set up a fake roadblock on a major road have killed 15 people," a police officer told AFP.

Pope Francis on Sunday expressed concern over national policies dictated by fear, speaking only one week after Italy s general elections which brought populist and anti-immigrant parties to the forefront. The pontiff, who has made the defence of migrants a key pillar of his five-year papacy, has repeatedly called for decisive action to solve political problems causing many to flee from their home countries.

Egypt s Armed Forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said that Egyptian army and police personnel carrying out Operation Sinai 2018 are performing their duties with high morale,adding that 105 takfiris have been killed since the anti-terrorism operation started on 9 February. The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to extremist Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

Syrian government forces pounded eastern Ghouta with air strikes on Wednesday in an effort to slice the rebel enclave in two as they intensified a campaign to deal the opposition its biggest defeat since 2016. The Syrian government assault of the densely populated area on the outskirts of Damascus, which began more than two weeks ago, has become one of the fiercest campaigns of the war now entering its eighth year, with bombardment killing hundreds.

Reverend Boulis Halim, spokesman for Egypt s Coptic church, described the visit of Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman to Abbaseya Cathedral as “a message of peace to the world and a new chapter in Saudi-church relations.” In a phone interview with Al-Asema show on Monday evening, Reverend Halim said, “not only is this a message of peace, but it supports tolerance in the Arab world and is a sign of improved relations between Saudi Arabia and the church.”

Eight people were arrested in Brussels following counter-terror raids amid signs of a plot in preparation, a source close to the investigation said. All eight were arrested Sunday in Molenbeek, an immigrant district linked to the Paris and Brussels terror attacks, following raids in Belgium, the source said.

Pope Tawadros II, the head of Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Church will meet with Saudi Arabia s Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, on the second day of the Saudi royal s visit to Cairo, the Church announced on Saturday. According to the statement, the meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church at St. Mark s Coptic Cathedral, marking the first visit by a Saudi crown prince to the Church s headquarters.

The Egyptian military and police killed 13 “takfiris” and arrested 86 high-risk “terrorists and criminal elements” as part of the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in Sinai, an army communiqué said on Thursday. The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to extremist Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

Jerusalem s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered as the site of Jesus s crucifixion and burial, reopened on Wednesday after Israel backtracked on Tuesday from a tax plan and draft property legislation that triggered a three-day protest. The rare decision on Sunday by church leaders to close the ancient holy site, a favourite among tourists and pilgrims, with the busy Easter holiday approaching put extra pressure on Israel to re-evaluate and suspend the moves.

Eleven "takfiris" were killed by the Egyptian army during ongoing Operation Sinai 2018 operations over the past four days, the armed forces said on Tuesday. Army spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said in communiqué number 12 that "four extremely dangerous takfiris" were eliminated as the forces foiled a suicide attack by the terrorist elements, who were wearing explosive belts and military uniforms.

The Egyptian cabinet on Monday approved the start of a four-month legalization process for the status of 53 unlicensed churches and affiliated buildings across the country. "The cabinet decisions comes in light of the rights granted by the 2014 constitution to the followers of the Abrahamic religions to practice their religious rites at places of worship," a statement by the cabinet said. Article 64 of the Egyptian constitution stipulates that the right to freedom of religious practice and to establish places of worship for the followers of the Abrahamic faiths: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Egypt s top prosecutor Nabil Sadek has ordered an asset freeze on Strong Egypt Party founder and opposition figure Abdel-Moniem Abdul-Fotouh and 15 others for alleged ties to terrorist activity. Abul-Fotouh was arrested last week, a day after he returned from London where he had given interviews critical of the government. The former Islamist presidential candidate and 15 others were also placed by a court decision on the country s terrorist list for alleged ties to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

The leaders of several Christian faith groups on Sunday said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was buried, would be closed until further notice. A statement from Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Church leaders accused Israel of a “systematic and unprecedented attack against Christians in the Holy Land.”

Six defendants were ordered to be imprisoned for fifteen days as per investigations on Thursday morning by Egypt s Supreme Prosecution. They were arrested on Wednesday, February 21, on the farm of Muslim Brotherhood (MB) dissident and former presidential candidate Abdel-Moneim Aboul Fotouh in the Beheira governorate.

Cairo Criminal Court issued death sentences against 21 persons on charges of forming a terrorist group linked to Daesh.

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday that six members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested at a ranch in Beheira governorate owned by detained politician and former presidential candidate Abdel-Moneim Abul-Futouh. The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the suspects, who were wanted in several terrorism-related cases, were found in possession of two rifles.

Muslims and Copts in the Kom al-Loufi Village of Samalut city in Minya have started to build a church by the name of “the virgin and the martyr Abanoub” after clashes erupted between Muslims and Copts that led to the damage of the old church building in April 2017. The village inhabitants stressed the unity, cooperation, and love of the nation during the challenges facing the country at the moment.

South Cairo Criminal Court ruled on Tuesday to place head of the Strong Egypt Party Abdel Moniem Aboul-Fotouh, along with 15 others, on a terrorism list, state news agency MENA reported. The opposition figure was arrested on Wednesday night on charges of being affiliated with Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group.