Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas waves to media during a snow storm in the West Bank city of Ramallah, January 7, 2015. A storm buffeted the Middle East with blizzards, rain and strong winds on Wednesday, keeping people at home across the region and raising concerns for Syrian refugees facing freezing temperatures in flimsy shelters. The storm is forecast to last several days, threatening further disruption in Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which have all been affected. Photo by Shadi Hatem