A Palestinian suspect was arrested after refusing to be checked and driving through an IDF checkpoint in the Jordan Valley, near the village of Tayasir in the West Bank, the IDF announced on Thursday.The IDF also announced that no one present at the time was injured, and the suspect was transferred to police for further questioning.

Israel allegedly carried out strikes near Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Thursday, Israeli media reported, citing the Iranian-affiliated Sabareen News site. Local news sources reported that Israeli air strikes targeted a farm in the town of Sayyidah Zaynab, south of Damascus, where Iranian-affiliated militias were reportedly located. There are also reports of the killing of an Iranian member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. This is a developing story.

Saudi Arabia has witnessed a significant surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) net inflows, hitting 13.1 billion Saudi riyals ($3.49 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Saudi General Authority of Statistics reported on Thursday. This marks a robust 16% growth from the third quarter's 11 billion Saudi riyals.The report also highlighted a rise in FDI outflows to about 6 billion Saudi riyals, up 17.6% from the previous quarter, indicating an active global investment strategy by Saudi entities. Moreover, the total FDI inflows saw a 16.6% increase, reaching around 19 billion Saudi riyals in the last quarter of 2023, compared to 16 billion Saudi riyals in the third quarter.This financial uptick aligns with Saudi Arabia's broader economic goals, underlining the success of its initiatives to attract more international capital as part of its Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil dependency. These figures reflect the kingdom's ongoing efforts to create a more investor-friendly environment, drawing global businesses and entrepreneurs to its burgeoning market.

Three protesters were arrested for refusing police orders to evacuate the Kerem Shalom Crossing, where humanitarian aid trucks cross into the Gaza Strip, Israel Police announced on Thursday.The arrested protesters were part of a larger group of around 60, who arrived at a blocked-off portion of the crossing and lit bonfires in the area, the report stated.

The US military said on Wednesday it had destroyed four long-range drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.US Central Command said in a post on the social media site X that the drones were "aimed at a US warship" in the Red Sea.