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By : Agencies
Update: 2026-03-05 00:58 GMT
2026-03-05 03:08 GMT
New Zealand to deploy military planes to evacuate its citizens back home
New Zealand’s government will deploy two military planes to the Middle East so that New Zealanders can be evacuated when conditions permit, officials said Thursday.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defense Minister Judith Collins said in a statement that the government was also speaking to commercial airlines, including to discuss charter flight options. Commercial services from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand, are not currently operating.
There are about 3,000 New Zealanders known to be living in the Middle East, officials said.
“We cannot be sure when and how any civilian evacuation operations might be possible, but we want to be ready if and when conditions on the ground make them possible,” Peters said.
2026-03-05 01:24 GMT
Israel says defensive systems working to intercept missiles from Iran
Israel said it identified missiles launched toward the country from Iran very early on Thursday morning, and its defensive systems were working to intercept them.
Shortly before that announcement, Israel had said its forces had begun strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut, as the war moved into its sixth day.
2026-03-05 01:09 GMT
Qatar evacuates residents near U.S. embassy as precaution
Qatar’s Interior Ministry said Thursday that authorities were evacuating residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution.
No further details or threats were immediately reported.
Since the start of the U.S.–Israel war with Iran, American diplomatic missions across the Middle East have faced heightened threats, closures and evacuations as Iranian missiles and drones have targeted or prompted alerts at U.S. embassies and consulates.
2026-03-05 00:59 GMT
The United States said that more than 17,500 American citizens have safely returned from the Middle East since February 28, as Washington stepped up evacuation and assistance efforts amid escalating security concerns in the region. In a media note issued by the Department of State, Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said that over 8,500 US citizens returned to the country on Tuesday alone, marking one of the largest single-day movements in recent weeks.