Middle East Monitor Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa

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  US rapper Macklemore wraps up Free Palestine Tour with concert in London

  by EditorMehdi on October 31, 2026

  US rapper Macklemore concluded his Free Palestine Tour with a concert in London, UK, on Friday, pledging to donate the proceeds to organizations supporting the Palestinian people, Anadolu reports. Macklemore, who was removed from British singer Ed Sheeran’s tour following his statements in support of Palestine, was joined at the event by prominent singers, poets, activists and Palestinian supporters who had survived the Holocaust and the Nakba. The performers and speakers took the stage ahead of Macklemore’s performance. READ: Hozier, Kneecap join Macklemore at sold-out launch of Free Palestine tour

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  Trump may order major Iran strike if Republicans suffer losses in midterm election: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 31, 2026

  US President Donald Trump may be more inclined to approve a large-scale military operation against Iran if Republicans fare badly in the midterm elections next week, according to a report on Friday. “If he feels embarrassed or disenfranchised, he will do something bold,” a US official told Axios, adding that it is the message being passed to Iranian officials, who are being told their best chance for a deal is now. A White House official rejected the idea, telling the outlet that election results will not factor into Trump’s decisions on Iran. The report said Qatari mediators spent more than 12 hours on Friday in Tehran, staying in regular contact with the White House, to restart direct talks between Washington

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  Iran says 4th oil tanker hit mine, caught fire in Strait of Hormuz

  by EditorMehdi on October 31, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Friday that a fourth oil tanker had struck a mine and caught fire while attempting to pass through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. The navy’s public relations office said the supertanker, carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil, ignored repeated radio warnings against using the southern passage through the strategic waterway. The vessel was struck by a mine, triggering a powerful explosion and leaving it burning, according to the statement. The IRGC said the tanker was attempting to exit the strait through what it described as an unauthorized southern route. It claimed the incident marked the fourth time a tanker had caught fire in the

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  Polymarket probing suspicious bets on Israeli election: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 31, 2026

  Polymarket is looking into suspicious bets placed on this week’s Israeli election, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing a person familiar with the investigation, Anadolu reports. The trades, which generated significant profits and appeared to be unusually well-timed, come as prediction-market platforms such as Polymarket face growing scrutiny over possible insider trading. The bets were placed shortly before voting ended and involved predictions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would outperform his opponent, said the report. READ: Israel’s election committee rejects claims of systematic breaches of electoral integrity Concerns about insider trading on Polymarket have reportedly continued to mount. Authorities in the US and Israel have charged military personnel with allegedly using confidential information to profit from bets placed on

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  Israeli army declares Hebron neighborhood closed military zone amid raids

  by EditorMehdi on October 31, 2026

  The Israeli army declared the Ain Deir Baha neighborhood in Hebron, in the southern occupied West Bank, a closed military zone late Friday as troops carried out raids and detained several young Palestinians, Anadolu reports. The move came as an Israeli military offensive in Hebron entered its eighth day, displacing thousands of civilians, detaining dozens and demolishing Palestinian homes and structures. Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli military vehicles entered the neighborhood and announced over loudspeakers that the area had been designated a closed military zone, prohibiting residents from entering or moving within it. Videos circulated by local media outlets showed Israeli troops deployed in the neighborhood, warning residents that remaining in the area had become dangerous. Other footage shared on

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  Israel blows up homes, shells towns in southern Lebanon

  by EditorMehdi on October 31, 2026

  Israeli forces intensified attacks in southern Lebanon on Friday, blowing up homes and other structures while carrying out artillery shelling and machine-gun fire in several areas, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA). Israeli forces carried out extensive machine-gun fire in the towns of Khiam and Qantara, while homes were also set on fire in Qantara, the NNA said. The agency said the Israeli army carried out an explosion in the town of Tayri in the Bint Jbeil district, while artillery fire targeted Wadi al-Hujeir toward the town of Touline with 155-millimeter shells. Artillery shelling also struck areas around Kfar Shuba in the Arqoub region, the outskirts of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district and Wadi Zibqin in the

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  US orders non-emergency personnel to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  The US State Department has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, the US Embassy said Friday, Anadolu reports. In a security alert, the US Mission to Saudi Arabia said the departure order took effect on Oct. 23 due to safety risks. The mission warned that Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure had caused casualties and major travel disruptions, adding that hostilities could escalate rapidly. US government employees must obtain special authorization to use airports in Saudi Arabia following recent missile and drone attacks, the statement said. The embassy said Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had partially reopened, while airports in Jeddah and Dammam remained operational with

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  US denies Iran’s claim that it destroyed US sea drone in Strait of Hormuz

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday denied an Iranian claim that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had destroyed an unmanned US military surface vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. “All U.S. military unmanned surface vessels in the Middle East are accounted for, including a squadron of advanced sea drones on patrol in the Strait of Hormuz supporting CENTCOM’s defensive layer,” CENTCOM said on US social media company X. Earlier Friday, the Iranian Navy said it had destroyed an “enemy unmanned vessel” operating east of the strait, without identifying the vessel or its operator, according to a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency. READ: Report: US deploys 10 military cargo planes to Israel amid preparations

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  Match between Turkish football side Besiktas and Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva to be played in Georgia

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  Turkish football side Besiktas announced on Friday that their UEFA Europa League home match against Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva will be played in the country of Georgia, Anadolu reports. According to a club statement, the 5th round of the Europa League match against the Israeli club will be held on Thursday, Nov. 26, at Batumi Stadium in the coastal city of the same name. The match will be open to Besiktas fans, with further details on ticket sales to be announced at a later date, the Istanbul club said. READ: UEFA probes Israeli player for allegedly spitting at Ireland coach

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  UN warns of deepening displacement ‘nightmare’ in Gaza amid concerns of ‘ethnic cleansing’

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  The relentless contraction of Palestinians’ living space has caused a new “nightmare” of displacement in Gaza which is both “acute and chronic,” the UN rights office warned Friday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the OHCHR said that Israeli forces continue to push Palestinians into ever-smaller areas of the Gaza Strip while destroying civilian infrastructure and attacking displacement sites “amid concerns of ethnic cleansing.” It said the relentless contraction of space has caused new displacement in areas adjacent to the “yellow line” demarcation boundary. “Over the past two weeks, OHCHR documented the westward expansion of Israeli military deployment areas in Al Shujaiyeh, Gaza City, and in three locations in Middle Gaza – eastern Al Bureij, eastern Deir Al-Balah and eastern Al

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  Yemeni army claims 336 Houthis neutralized in ‘Dawn of Yemen’ operation

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  Yemen’s armed forces said they had neutralized around 336 Houthi fighters and commanders during ongoing military operations under the “Dawn of Yemen” offensive, Anadolu reports. On US social media company X, military spokesman Col. Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said government forces had carried out 1,087 strikes in recent hours using warplanes, drones, field artillery, and rocket launchers. He said the strikes targeted Houthi command and control centers, troop concentrations, reinforcements, firing positions, fortifications, and supply routes. In the southwestern province of Taiz, government forces and allied Popular Resistance fighters continued raids and counterattacks on strategically important Houthi positions, he added. Al-Nuzaili said warplanes also carried out concentrated strikes on Houthi troop concentrations, reinforcements, and military positions in the province. In the

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  Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi ballistic missile, drone near Riyadh

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile targeting southern Saudi Arabia and a drone in the Riyadh region amid escalating hostilities with the Yemeni group, Anadolu reports. In separate statements, the coalition said its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile launched toward the kingdom’s southern region. It also reported intercepting and destroying a drone in the Riyadh region, without specifying its origin. The announcements come amid a surge in missile and drone attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi group. Earlier Friday, coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki announced the interception and destruction of a Houthi cruise missile launched toward western Saudi Arabia. READ: Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras

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  Saudi Arabia suspends travel, entry from Kenya over Ebola concerns

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  Saudi Arabia on Friday announced additional precautionary measures against the Ebola virus, including suspending travel to and entry from Kenya, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The measures, introduced following an assessment of the epidemiological situation by health authorities, include suspending travel by Saudi citizens to Kenya and halting the issuance of all types of visas to travelers from the East African country. The kingdom will also prohibit entry to travelers arriving from Kenya, including those traveling through third countries who have stayed in Kenya or other Ebola-affected countries during the 21 days preceding their arrival. The restrictions are part of preventive measures introduced in 2019 and strengthened this May for travelers arriving from countries facing Ebola outbreak risks,

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  Israel blows up homes of Palestinians accused of killing 2 soldiers

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  The Israeli army demolished the homes of two Palestinians accused of carrying out a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, Anadolu reports. Israeli forces used explosives to destroy the two homes in the Ain Deir Baha area on Friday, according to local sources. The Israeli military had accused the two Palestinians of carrying out an attack at a military checkpoint near the Farsh al Hawa area west of Hebron on October 23. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others were wounded in the shooting, while Israeli forces killed the two suspected attackers, according to Israeli authorities. READ: Israeli military demolishes homes of two Palestinian prisoners in West Bank village of Beita

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Mark Pfeifle: Netanyahu is Thrashed, Will Trump be Clobbered Too?

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with John Fozzei Miller: Why Strategists Think Trump Has Lost The War?

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  Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israeli army rally in Hebron, demand return home

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Dozens of Palestinians forcibly displaced by the Israeli army rallied Friday in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, demanding to return to their homes as Israeli raids and closures continued for an eighth consecutive day, Anadolu reports. The protesters, including women, children and elderly people from displaced families, gathered near Al-Jalda Square, which remains closed off by Israeli forces, an Anadolu correspondent reported. They called for an end to the military closure and forced displacement and demanded access to their homes in the Al-Jalda and Ein Deir Baha areas. Israeli forces continue to seal off the two areas while raiding and damaging Palestinian homes. The military campaign began last Friday following an attack by two Palestinians that killed

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  Iran’s Parliament Speaker says negotiations cannot advance without acceptance of Tehran’s seven conditions

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said Thursday that progress in ongoing negotiations depends on the acceptance of seven conditions put forward by Tehran. Ghalibaf stated that Iran had clearly and repeatedly communicated its demands to mediators, emphasising that negotiations could not move forward unless those conditions were met. He reiterated that Tehran’s position had been conveyed to the parties involved through diplomatic channels, leaving no ambiguity regarding its requirements for further progress. The remarks come amid continuing diplomatic efforts to reach an understanding between the parties, with attention focused on the outcome of ongoing contacts and their responses to Iran’s demands. Ghalibaf did not provide further details about the seven conditions or indicate whether mediators had received any commitments

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  Saudi Arabia Urges Trump administration to prioritise diplomacy amid fears of renewed conflict with Iran

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Saudi officials have urged US President Donald Trump’s administration to “give diplomacy a chance” before pursuing renewed military confrontation with Iran, amid concerns that another conflict could expose Saudi oil and energy facilities to Iranian missile attacks, according to Israeli news network i24News. The report said Riyadh’s message to Washington followed a visit to Tehran by Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, accompanied by Pakistan’s army chief and Turkey’s intelligence chief. The visit was reportedly part of a diplomatic initiative aimed at facilitating mediation between Washington and Tehran and reaching an agreement that could prevent another round of hostilities. According to the report, Saudi Arabia is concerned that renewed US-Iranian military confrontation could trigger retaliatory strikes against critical energy

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  Arab Joint List accuses Netanyahu of incitement following Israeli election results

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  The Arab Joint List has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners of conducting an incitement campaign against Arab voters following the Knesset elections, arguing that the campaign reflects concerns over the growing political influence of Arab citizens. In a statement issued Thursday, the Joint List said the campaign was intended to delegitimize Arab political participation following what it described as unprecedented voter turnout and a significant electoral achievement. The List said Arab voters had mobilized in response to the policies of Netanyahu’s government and its coalition partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, citing the war, home demolitions, displacement, incitement and rising crime in Arab communities. It described election day as a demonstration of political determination, saying

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  Israel’s next government must end Gaza’s catastrophe

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Israel’s Arab voters have made themselves impossible to ignore. The question now is whether the country’s political leaders will accept their elected representatives as partners in shaping its future. The answer will shape both the next government and the prospects for peace. By the morning of 29 October, reporting on the unfinished count converged on 53 seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp, 48 for the opposition grouping led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot and 19 for Arab-led parties. These are provisional figures, not a final allocation or a coalition agreement. Netanyahu remains in office, and neither principal camp has secured an absolute parliamentary majority. Before the election, I wrote: “Netanyahu does not necessarily need his opponents to lose.

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  Report: US deploys 10 military cargo planes to Israel amid preparations for possible strike on Iran

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  The US has transferred 10 military cargo aircraft to Israeli air bases in the southern Negev region amid preparations for a possible military strike against Iran, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported. The broadcaster said the aircraft landed at Ovda and Nevatim air bases, while additional US military planes were reportedly dispatched to bases in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. According to KAN, the planes departed from Fort Bliss in the US state of Texas, which houses one of the US military’s largest air defense centers, including facilities associated with interceptor missiles and air defense batteries. There was no immediate US confirmation of the reported deployments, and it remained unclear what cargo the aircraft were carrying

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  The 19 seats Netanyahu cannot ignore: Israel’s election deadlock

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Israel has finished counting the votes, but its political leaders now face a more difficult question: will they accept the political power of the Palestinian citizens who cast them? The election on 27 October produced no clear winner. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot has 48. The two Arab parties, the Joint List and the United Arab List (Ra’am), won a record 19 seats between them. Neither Jewish-led bloc has the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu has survived another difficult election, but Palestinian citizens of Israel have changed the political equation. This is where the real test of Israeli democracy begins.

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  Flydubai extends suspension of Tel Aviv flights until Nov. 30: Israeli media

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  UAE carrier Flydubai has extended its suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until Nov. 30, Israeli Channel 12 reported Friday, Anadolu reports. The broadcaster did not specify the reason for the extension, and the airline had not issued an official announcement. Flydubai initially suspended the service on Sept. 30 after an alleged attempt to take control of one of its aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 Israeli passengers aboard. Passengers and crew members reportedly thwarted the attempt, and the plane was diverted to Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing. Authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the incident. On Oct. 9, UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators had

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  The inherent violence in the two-state paradigm

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Regardless of the Israeli election result, France will still pursue the two-state paradigm. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot completely missed the point with this statement. The Israeli elections did not factor in two-state politics. Neither did Zionist colonialism. Colonial expansion has one aim: to displace the indigenous population and replace it with settlers. Whoever triumphs at the polls, Israel is determined not to veer from that course. “Our course is very clear, and our position remains unchanged,” Barrot told the French broadcaster France 2. “What we want is security for Israel, but also the prospect of two states living side-by-side – recognised, respected in their rights, and at peace.” What France says it wants is contradictory. Two states living side

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  The Knesset election and the prospect of meaningful Palestinian political participation

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Could this election usher in a new era of meaningful Palestinian political participation? Tuesday’s election took place amid deep polarisation in Israeli society between those seeking to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power and those determined to remove him. This divide may make little difference to Palestinians on fundamental issues concerning the future of their cause, but it could bring immediate changes to their living conditions, both within the Green Line – the 1949 armistice line separating Israel from the territories it occupied in 1967 – and beyond it. These changes chiefly concern a reduction in the current escalation, which Netanyahu’s government has fuelled since taking office in 2022, particularly following the events of 7 October the following year.

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  Gaza: On The Ground with Motasem A Dalloul | Week 29 Oct

  by EditorMehdi on October 30, 2026

  MEMO spoke to Motasem A Dalloul, a survivor of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, in the first of a new series of regular updates from the ground. Dalloul describes the daily struggle to survive: hunger, cold, the collapse of healthcare, and ongoing Israeli violations despite the so-called ceasefire. WATCH: Gaza: On The Ground with Motasem A Dalloul | Week 22 July

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  WHO: Yemen escalation leaves over 9,000 dead or injured, displaces 276,000

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the death and injury toll from the latest military escalation in Yemen has reached 9,072, warning that health services are deteriorating and medical supplies, fuel and water are in short supply, particularly in Taiz governorate. In a report released on Thursday, the WHO said 1,677 people had been killed and 7,395 injured as of 25 October, with 559 casualties recorded over six days. The average number of casualties during the reporting period stands at 93 a day, almost half the daily average of 168 recorded in the previous report. However, deaths and injuries continue to be reported across several governorates. Marib has recorded the highest number of deaths among the governorates covered by the

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  Israeli settler fires at children, homes in Hebron village

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  An Israeli settler opened fire at a group of children and residents’ homes in the village of Sikka, south-west of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday evening. Waleed Hashish, head of the Sikka village council, told the Palestinian news agency WAFA that the settler, who was driving a vehicle, fired live ammunition at children playing football in the school playground east of the village. He also fired at residents’ homes, frightening the children. Hashish said the settler also deliberately shot guard dogs near residents’ homes, killing three of them. He added that villagers face daily attacks, which have increased significantly and now pose a serious threat to their lives. The attacks escalated after settlers seized an old house

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  Iraq sentences 3 French nationals to 20 years in prison for Islamic State membership

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  An Iraqi court on Thursday sentenced three French nationals to life imprisonment, equivalent to 20 years in prison, for membership of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. The ruling by the Third Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad applies to Amir Abdelkader, known as Abu Baraa al-Faransi, who was born in the French city of Lille in 1989 and is of Algerian origin; Kamal Habib Ahmed, 42, a French national of Tunisian origin known as Abu Sumayya al-Muhajir; and Charlie Saint-Raymond, 32, who was born in Paris and is of Vietnamese origin and known as Abu Sufyan. On Tuesday, the same court sentenced six other French members of Islamic State to 20 years in prison and another to 15

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  Israel’s election committee rejects claims of systematic breaches of electoral integrity

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Israel’s Central Elections Committee said on Thursday there was no basis for claims of systematic breaches of electoral integrity. Israel’s Channel 12 reported the committee as saying in a letter that the integrity of the election had been maintained and that claims of systematic breaches were unfounded. “The numerous media reports are unfounded,” the committee said, adding that it had received confidential and sensitive information that raised suspicions requiring further examination to determine whether there was evidence to support the allegations. Meanwhile, Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, said a limited investigation should not be used to discredit an entire community that had voted democratically and legally, referring to Arab citizens. “Action will be taken only against those who break

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  Joint Arab List accuses Likud of trying to undermine election results by inciting against Arab voters

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  The Joint Arab List accused Likud on Thursday of trying to undermine the election results through incitement against Arab voters and attempts to delegitimise their political representation. In a statement, the list said a campaign led by Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition reflects their fear of Arab voters’ political strength and their inability to accept their unprecedentedly high turnout, which it said helped prevent Netanyahu’s bloc from securing the 61 seats needed to form a government. The list said Arab voters turned out in response to the government’s policies of war, demolition, displacement and incitement, as well as its failure to curb rising crime in Arab towns. It said attempts to question Arab voters’ participation are part of an organised

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  Egypt, US discuss Sudan crisis and efforts to end conflict

  by Marwa A on October 30, 2026

  Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, discussed developments in Sudan and efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement to end the crisis. The talks took place during a phone call on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The statement said the call was part of ongoing consultations and coordination between Egypt and the United States on issues of mutual regional interest and efforts to promote security and stability in the region. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s firm support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing the need to preserve its national institutions. He also stressed the importance of intensifying regional and

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  UN says Israeli operations in occupied West Bank disrupt Palestinians’ access to livelihoods

  by Marwa A on October 29, 2026

  The UN said Thursday that 3,000 Palestinians remain displaced from two neighborhoods in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. In a news conference, UN spokesperson Shirin Yaseen, citing humanitarian partners, said that “about 3,000 Palestinians remain displaced from two neighborhoods in Hebron city, according to the latest figures provided by the municipality.” “Israeli forces are still operating in these neighborhoods, blocking the way in, and imposing tight movement restrictions across the governorate,” she said. “The Israeli operations are disrupting Palestinians’ access to livelihoods, education, and services such as healthcare,” said Yaseen. “We call once again for the protection of Palestinians across the West Bank.” Asked about a recent report by the Office for the Coordination

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  Israeli opposition leaders Bennett, Eisenkot discuss forming government ‘as quickly as possible’

  by Marwa A on October 29, 2026

  Israeli opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot met Thursday to discuss ways to form a new government “as quickly as possible” following parliamentary elections that left neither main political bloc with a majority, the Ynet newspaper reported, Anadolu reports. Bennett, a former prime minister and leader of the Together party, and Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, held talks at Bennett’s home in Ra’anana. In a statement issued on their behalf, the two leaders said they discussed “ways to establish a good government in Israel as quickly as possible.” It did not indicate whether the two had reached an agreement on forming a coalition. The meeting came as the Central Elections Committee announced the completion of the counting of

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  Israeli soldier charged with spying for Iran in exchange for cryptocurrency

  by Marwa A on October 29, 2026

  An Israeli soldier has been charged with spying for Iran and providing sensitive military information in exchange for cryptocurrency, The Times of Israel reported Thursday, citing Israeli security authorities, Anadolu reports. A statement from Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet, police and military said the soldier was arrested in September following an investigation into suspected espionage activities on behalf of Iranian intelligence operatives. Military prosecutors filed an indictment Thursday, charging the soldier with passing information to an enemy with intent to harm state security and maintaining contact with a foreign agent. The investigation found that the soldier had maintained contact with Iranian intelligence operatives for approximately one year, during which he allegedly provided sensitive information about his military unit’s activities,

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  Saudi-led coalition intercepts, destroys 2 Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh

  by Marwa A on October 29, 2026

  The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced Thursday that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Saudi capital Riyadh, Anadolu reports. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said air defense systems intercepted and destroyed the two missiles targeting Riyadh. Earlier Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued emergency warnings in Riyadh, the Al-Kharj governorate in central Saudi Arabia, and the southern city of Najran through the National Early Warning Platform. Minutes later, the agency announced that the danger had passed, urging residents to continue following safety instructions and avoid gathering or filming. Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks amid an escalation in the conflict in neighboring

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  UN rapporteurs warn of ‘scholasticide,’ erasure of truth in Gaza

  by Marwa A on October 29, 2026

  UN special rapporteurs on Thursday warned of the systematic destruction of education and the media in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Anadolu reports. During a briefing by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People at UN headquarters in New York, Farida Shaheed, the rapporteur on the right to education, said the world continues to witness “scholasticide, the systemic and systematic obliteration of education, which has been horrendous in Gaza.” She said that “98% of the schools and all 13 universities have been destroyed,” adding, “Almost 21,000 Palestinian students have been killed. A classroom of children every day during the war on Gaza.” Saying that the destruction aims to uproot Palestinian society, Shaheed said: “Scholasticide is

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  Floods kill 5, including 4 children, leave 5 missing in Syria

  by Marwa A on October 29, 2026

  Five people, including four children, were killed and five others are missing after heavy rainfall and flash floods hit several Syrian provinces, the Emergency and Disaster Management Ministry said Thursday, Anadolu reports. It said the deaths were recorded in the countryside of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, while five people were reported missing in the rural areas of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Aleppo, according to Syria’s SANA news agency. Search operations for the missing are continuing in coordination with relevant authorities, it added. Civil Defense teams rescued 25 people trapped by floodwaters or whose vehicles became stranded in Raqqa in northern Syria, Deir ez-Zor in the east and Homs in central Syria. The ministry said emergency teams remain deployed in affected

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  Qatar denies interfering in Israeli elections

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  Qatar on Thursday denied allegations that it interfered in Israel’s elections or funded activities aimed at influencing their outcome, Anadolu reports. “We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome,” Majed al-Ansari, adviser to the prime minister and spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement. Ansari accused certain Israeli politicians and media figures of using Qatar as a “scapegoat” for their political failures, calling the allegations “ridiculous and dangerous.” The denial follows allegations by Israeli politicians linking Qatar to suspected foreign interference in the election, after election committee chairman Noam Sohlberg asked security agency Shin Bet to investigate suspicions of “hostile foreign interference” favoring Arab parties. READ: Barghouti

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  Beyond Netanyahu: what Israel’s election means for Palestinians

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  In the past, many Palestinians and Arabs followed Israeli elections closely. They did so not because they entertained illusions that a Zionist leader would deliver peace and justice, dismantle the occupation or remove illegal settlements. Rather, they feared that some Israeli leaders were worse than others. They hoped to avert the worst-case scenario. Over time, however, that distinction gave way to the belief that all Israeli leaders were essentially the same. This is not pessimism. It is experience. Consider, for example, the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements during the Oslo peace process under Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Between 1992 and 1995, the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, increased from 111,673 to 140,235 –

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  Belgian universities challenge EU Commission’s position on Israeli academic cooperation

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  Belgium’s Flemish universities said Thursday they had filed a complaint against the European Commission over a lack of clear guidance on research partnerships with Israeli institutions, Anadolu reports. The complaint was submitted to the European Ombudsman through the Flemish Interuniversity Council, which represents the universities. The universities are seeking a common European framework outlining how human rights and international law obligations are considered in EU-funded research projects, particularly regarding cooperation with Israeli entities. They also want clarity on whether universities could face financial penalties or compensation claims for withdrawing from partnerships over potential human rights violations. READ: Belgium says violence against Palestinians ‘unacceptable,’ urges halt to settlement policy “We have repeatedly asked the European Commission for clarification since May 2024. However,

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  Iranian president says regional countries can ensure security without US involvement

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  Countries in the region are capable of ensuring their own security through cooperation without US involvement, said Iran’s president on Thursday, Anadolu reports. Speaking at an event marking a local holiday, Masoud Pezeshkian addressed regional issues and called for closer cooperation among neighboring countries, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency. “We are brothers with all the countries around us, and we are all Muslims. Therefore, we can help one another and ensure the security of our region,” he said. “Regional countries do not need the US to come from the other side of the world under the pretext of providing security,” Pezeshkian said. READ: Qatar-led mediators push for US-Iran deal to avert new strikes: Report He also criticized Washington’s

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  Over 233,000 double-envelope ballots counted in Israeli election, nearly 50% of total

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  More than 233,000 double-envelope ballots, nearly 50% of the total, have been counted in Israel’s elections, Israeli media reported Thursday. A total of 233,815 double-envelope ballots have been counted out of nearly 500,000, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Double-envelope ballots are used by voters casting their ballots away from their registered polling stations, including soldiers, diplomats, police officers, and displaced residents. Officials check identification details on the outer envelope to prevent duplicate voting, then separate it from the anonymous ballot before counting. The remaining votes could change individual parties’ seat totals and the balance between the rival blocs. READ: Israeli president urges every effort to avoid another election The Central Elections Committee estimates that the double-envelope vote count will conclude later

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  Gaza Fishermen Recycle 50-Year-Old Cement from the Sea

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  WATCH: Untold Palestine document stories of 1,000 martyrs told by their loved ones  

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  America’s hegemonic gamble: how a third war could push Iran towards nuclear weapons

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  The most dangerous moment for a dominant power comes when it considers continuing a war necessary to vindicate the decision to begin it. At that point, every inadequate outcome can become an argument for a larger attack. Past costs raise the demand for victory, even as the conditions for achieving it grow more difficult. America is approaching such a point in its confrontation with Iran: a war intended to demonstrate its capacity to exercise power has become a test of that power’s credibility. The Atlantic’s report of 22 October offers a clear account of this calculation. Drawing on conversations with officials and people familiar with the discussions, it describes a belief in US President Donald Trump’s circle that economic pressure

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  Israeli opposition leader Eisenkot accuses Netanyahu of seeking to delay election results

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot on Thursday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to delay the announcement of election results and undermine the legitimacy of the incoming Knesset, as complaints of foreign interference in the vote triggered a political dispute, Anadolu reports. In a statement, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu and his allies of carrying out an “improper influence operation” aimed at delaying the results beyond their scheduled announcement and creating pretexts to delegate the work of the incoming Knesset. He also called for a “comprehensive, immediate and impartial investigation” into suspected “foreign interference.” The dispute followed a letter sent Thursday by Judge Noam Sohlberg, the chair of Israel’s election committee, to Shin Bet security agency chief David Zini asking him to

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  Lebanese president urges end to Israeli attacks, warns against military solution

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday called for an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to diplomatic and negotiated solutions, Anadolu reports. “Permanent stability cannot be achieved through military force alone,” Aoun said during a meeting with German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali-Radovan and her delegation at the presidential palace, according to a statement from his media office. He called for “greater European support” for the Lebanese army and security institutions, describing such assistance as “a direct investment in the stability of Lebanon and the region.” Regarding southern Lebanon, Aoun stressed the need to stop Israeli attacks, saying Lebanon had raised four key issues: a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, border demarcation and the

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  Declared 38 years ago, denied since: the Algiers Declaration remains a milestone in the Palestinian struggle

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  On 15 November, 1988, in Algiers, Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), stood before the Palestine National Council, the PLO’s parliament-in-exile, and proclaimed the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. Drafted by the celebrated late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, the text claimed sovereignty over the territories Israel occupied in 1967 – the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Some 75 countries recognised the declaration within a month, and more than 90 had done so by early 1989, giving the Palestinian national movement unprecedented diplomatic momentum. Yet nearly four decades later, Palestinian statehood remains unrealised on the ground. This historic declaration did not emerge in a vacuum but rather after a long fight against Israeli occupation. Two distinct developments forced

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  Yemen escalation kills nearly 1,700, injures over 7,000 since August: UN agency

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  Nearly 1,700 people have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in Yemen since August amid a military escalation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday, Anadolu reports. In a report, the agency recorded 1,677 deaths and 7,395 injuries during the period, including 559 casualties between Oct. 20 and 25 alone, averaging about 93 casualties a day. Fighting continued during the reporting period in the governorates of Taiz, Lahj, and Marib, while lower casualty figures were recorded in Aden, Al-Dhalea, and Shabwa, according to the report. The WHO said it delivered 56 trauma and emergency kits to the city of Taiz on Oct. 24, including 46 kits for trauma care and 10 for emergency health services. The delivery also included

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  Israel Can’t Vote Its Way Out of Apartheid | Palestine This Week

  by EditorMehdi on October 29, 2026

  In this episode, we discuss Israel’s election results and ask why Netanyahu’s opponents would rather exclude Arab parties than work with them to remove him. We examine Palestinian voter turnout, Israel’s growing isolation and World Jewish Congress president and former Netanyahu confidant Ron Lauder’s claim that Israel wants dominance, not peace. We also look at lessons from Brazil and Serbia, Iran’s place in regional security, and the controversy over Lana Nusseibeh’s UN bid and the UAE’s alleged role in Sudan’s atrocities.     WATCH: War Without End: How Israel Now Sees Its Future | Palestine This Week