Here are some of the main issues in the campaign for Israel's April 9 general elections:

The Syrian regime on Thursday rejected a report by the world's chemical weapons watchdog confirming chlorine was used in an attack against the Syrian town of Douma in April 2018.

U.S.-backed Syrian forces prepared for another outpouring of civilians and suspected jihadists Thursday from the remnants of the Islamic State group's "caliphate," which is teetering on the brink of total collapse.

Ailing Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Thursday warned of the risk of "chaos," on the eve of a major planned protest against his bid for a fifth term in office.

An Egyptian police officer was wounded and seven suspected militants were killed Thursday in a firefight and raid in the capital Cairo, the interior ministry said.

A Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli fire during renewed clashes along the Gaza border overnight Thursday, the enclave's health ministry said, with Israel striking a Hamas position in response to the violence.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said Saif al-Deen Abu Zeid, 15, died "due to wounds sustained east of Gaza (City) a few hours ago."

Torched tents, a rain of bullets, the thunderous whoosh of warplanes muffling the call to prayer: survivors say life inside the Islamic State group's dying "caliphate" was a bleak catalogue of despair. 

Israel on Thursday razed the home of a Palestinian accused of shooting dead two soldiers in the West Bank and aiding another attack that caused a baby's death, the army said.

Two Saudi sisters marooned in Hong Kong after fleeing their family have been granted an extended stay in the city until next month, their law firm said Thursday, as they urgently seek sanctuary in a third country. 

Massive protests that have gripped Algeria might resemble another Arab Spring but those seeking democratic change are mindful of history and want to avoid more upheaval, analysts say.