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

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  Nakba is not a memory; it is a system still in motion

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Every year on 15 May, Palestinians mark the Nakba — the catastrophe of 1948. Yet to describe the Nakba as history is to misunderstand its enduring architecture. It was never a single event sealed in black-and-white photographs of frightened families clutching iron keys to homes they would never see again. It was, and remains, a political system: one of removal, replacement, legal erasure, and economic dispossession. The tragedy is not only that the world watched it begin, but that much of the world continues to watch it unfold in real time. In 1947, Palestinians privately owned roughly 94 per cent of the land in Mandate Palestine, while Jewish settlers held around 5–6 per cent, according to British surveys. Yet the

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  Energy diplomacy in the age of Artificial intelligence: Will algorithms replace OPEC?

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  The end of traditional energy politics For decades, energy diplomacy in the Middle East revolved around a familiar triangle: Oil, geopolitics and security. Oil-producing states shaped global markets through production capacity, strategic waterways and political alliances, while organisations such as OPEC stood at the centre of energy governance. Recent global developments suggest that the international energy order is entering a fundamentally different era — one in which data, algorithms and artificial intelligence are becoming as strategically important as oil wells themselves. The recent conflicts in the Middle East, disruptions in maritime routes, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the growing volatility of energy markets have demonstrated that oil politics is no longer managed solely through pipelines and tankers. Increasingly, it is

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  6 detained after Palestinian flag unfurled on Eiffel Tower during Nakba anniversary protest

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Six people have been detained after activists unfurled a large Palestinian flag at the Eiffel Tower in Paris during a demonstration marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, which is described as the “Great Catastrophe” of 1948, Anadolu reports. According to Le Parisien newspaper, members of the environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion displayed the flag on the monument’s first floor on Friday. A police official, quoted anonymously, said the individuals were arrested on suspicion of entering a protected area without authorization and endangering the safety of others. Prosecutors are expected to receive a formal complaint, though it was not immediately clear who would file it. The incident prompted political reaction in France and beyond. Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of

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  Israel claims it killed commander of Hamas’ military wing

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that it killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a commander of the Palestinian group Hamas’ military wing, Anadolu reports. Al-Haddad was killed in an attack on Gaza City, the army said in a statement. The statement comes as the Israeli army continues its daily violations of the truce in the Gaza Strip that took effect in October 2025. The ceasefire came after Tel Aviv’s two-year genocidal war that killed over 72,000 people and wounded more than 172,000 others. There was no official statement from Hamas on the matter as yet. READ: UN marks Nakba anniversary amid warnings over Gaza crisis

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  UAE says it needs no protection from outside, vows to defend sovereignty

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates said Friday that it does not seek protection from any party and is capable of deterring aggression, while reaffirming its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Anadolu reports. The remarks were made by Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during a meeting of BRICS bloc foreign ministers in New Delhi, according to state news agency WAM. Al Marar rejected Iranian accusations and criticism directed at the UAE and dismissed attempts to justify attacks targeting the country and others in the region, saying such actions violate the UN Charter, international law, and principles of good neighbourliness. Both the UAE and Iran are BRICS members, and both attended the India summit. Al Marar also rejected

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  Hezbollah reports 33 attacks on Israeli forces in south Lebanon

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Hezbollah said Friday that it had carried out 33 attacks targeting Israeli forces, military positions, and vehicles in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours, Anadolu reports. The group said the attacks were carried out in response to continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and attacks on civilians and areas in southern Lebanon. In separate statements, Hezbollah said the attacks targeted Israeli troop and vehicle gatherings in the towns of Rashaf, Qouzah, and Hadatha. It said military bulldozers and troop gatherings in Rashaf were targeted with attack drones, rocket barrages, and artillery shelling. Hezbollah also said Liman barracks and Kiryat Shmona barracks were targeted with drone attacks, while rocket barrages and artillery shelling targeted Israeli positions in Qouzah and

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  South Korea opposes Iran’s reported plan to charge Hormuz transit fees

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  South Korea’s oceans minister is opposed to Iran’s reported move to impose fees on ships passing through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, calling the action a violation of international law, media reports said Friday, Anadolu reports. Speaking at a news conference in the southeastern port city of Busan, Hwang Jong-woo said the waterway is an international shipping route where free navigation must be guaranteed, according to Yonhap News. “Charging shipping tolls in the strait is practically equivalent to blocking the waterway,” said Hwang, adding that, unlike the man-made Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz consists of international waters protected under international agreements. On Wednesday, Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission head Ebrahim Azizi said a strategic proposal

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  Iran ‘remains committed to diplomacy,’ president tells pope

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Iran “remains committed to diplomacy and peaceful solutions,” the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a message to Pope Leo XIV, Iranian state media reported on Saturday, Anadolu reports. Pezeshkian also expressed Tehran’s appreciation for the Catholic leader’s “moral and logical stance on the recent military aggressions against Iran,” according to the IRNA news agency. Iran targeted the goals of the US and Israel “within the framework of legitimate defense,” the president said, calling on the international community to “act responsibly against America’s illegal actions.” Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the

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  Israel says it will sue New York Times over Nicholas Kristof article

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Israeli Foreign Ministry said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar instructed the launch of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times following the publication of an article by columnist Nicholas Kristof, Anadolu reports. In a statement shared on US social media company X by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli officials described the article as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.” The ministry also accused the newspaper of backing the article and said legal action would be initiated against The New York Times. The announcement came after Kristof published an opinion piece titled The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians, alleging that Palestinian

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  Ben Gurion and I: A personal feud

  by MI on May 16, 2026

  On this day, 15 May 2026, I became a refugee for 28,489 days.  I never forgot it for a moment. I shall never cease to try to return home by any means. I was born in al Ma’in, my family’s home for over 200 years. Al Ma’in is located in Beer Sheba district, about 30km southeast of Gaza city. In April 1948, the Haganah, the Jewish militia committed many massacres, notably Deir Yassin. At the age of ten, I was at the boarding school in Beet Sheba. As Jewish attacks continued, we were told to go home for safety. I walked home in a hazardous journey.  I looked back and saw the lovely Ottoman building of my school in Beer

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Mark Pfeifle: Trump Goes to China as Dealmaker or Supplicant?

  by MI on May 16, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: Trump-Xi Summit, Will it be at Iran’s Expense?

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  US says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by 45 days after Washington talks

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The United States announced Friday that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days following what Washington described as “highly productive” talks between the two sides, Anadolu reports. “The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on the US social media platform X. The announcement came despite continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the US-mediated ceasefire took effect. Pigott said the State Department will reconvene the political negotiations track June 2-3. He also announced that a separate “security track” involving military delegations from both countries will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29. READ: Israeli minister announces illegal settlement plans in Lebanon,

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  UN marks Nakba anniversary amid warnings over Gaza crisis

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The UN commemorated the anniversary of the Nakba on Friday, with senior officials warning that the suffering and displacement experienced by Palestinians since 1948 continue amid the Gaza conflict, Anadolu reports. The event, convened by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, was held at UN headquarters to highlight the enduring impact of the Nakba — the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948. Addressing the gathering, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock described the Nakba as a lasting historical “pain” that continues across generations. “They were removed from their homes, their houses destroyed, their lives and livelihoods upended. In a moment, entire people scattered,”

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  Israel claims it targeted Hamas military chief in Gaza City strike

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israel on Friday claimed it targeted the head of Hamas’ military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in an airstrike on Gaza City, according to Israeli media reports. Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli military carried out the strike targeting al-Haddad. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas regarding the Israeli claim. READ: Netanyahu says Israel controls 60% of Gaza, exceeding ceasefire boundaries

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  Eurovision boycott: Sanchez says ‘silence is not an option’ in face of ‘illegal war, genocide’

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The Spanish prime minister on Friday defended his country’s decision not to participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, saying Spain could not remain silent over Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, Anadolu reports. Pedro Sanchez, in a video message shared on the US social media platform X, said Spain’s absence from the competition reflects its commitment to human rights and international law. “This year will be different,” Sanchez said, recalling Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE’s decision to not participate, describing it as “both consistent and necessary: to stand up against injustice.” “That is why Spain is not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, because our commitment to human rights and international law is also expressed through culture,” he said. The

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  Javier Bardem says Nakba ‘never ended,’ calls Gaza ‘genocide’ in UN message

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Spanish actor Javier Bardem said the Nakba “never ended,” describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and its policies in the occupied West Bank as “ethnic cleansing and apartheid” in a message marking the anniversary of the 1948 mass displacement of Palestinians, Anadolu reports. The US social media company X account of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations on Friday shared Bardem’s recorded remarks during a screening for UN representatives of the Palestinian-themed film All That’s Left Of You. In his message, Bardem stressed that the Palestinian people have long struggled against what he described as Israel’s policies of genocide and ethnic cleansing. “We understand that the Nakba never ended. It is playing out today in

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  UN relief chief says over 15 million Syrians need aid this year

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  More than 15 million people in Syria will require humanitarian assistance this year, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. “Humanitarian needs remain significant,” Tom Fletcher said at a Security Council meeting. “About two thirds of the population, over 15 million people, most of them women, girls, and children, require help this year,” he said. Fletcher stressed that women and children remain particularly vulnerable after years of conflict, displacement, and economic collapse. “We prioritize women, girls, and children in all our humanitarian action because they are so often on the front line of these crises,” he added. READ: EU agrees to lift sanctions on Syria’s interior, defense ministers

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  India, UAE sign pacts to boost ties, including in defence, as Modi begins multi-nation tour

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  India and the UAE on Friday signed several pacts, including in the fields of defence and energy, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a multi-nation tour, with his first stop in Abu Dhabi. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted Modi for talks in Abu Dhabi, according to the official Emirati news agency WAM. The two leaders reviewed cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and India, according to the official Emirates News Agency. They also highlighted progress in bilateral ties across sectors, including economy, investment, energy, space, food security, technology, and artificial intelligence. They also exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and

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  The rise of Reform UK and Islamophobia

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Reform UK’s recent electoral success should not be dismissed as a simple protest vote against the political establishment. It reflects a deeper shift in British politics: the growing ability of right-wing populism to transform public frustration over immigration, economic insecurity and declining trust in mainstream parties into a politics of resentment. The danger lies not only in Reform UK’s electoral gains but also in how its rise may further normalise anti-Muslim sentiment in Britain. The party’s performance in the 7 May 2026 local elections was significant. Reform UK won 1,454 council seats and took control of 14 councils in England. It also made gains in devolved politics, securing 34 seats in the Senedd and 17 in the Scottish Parliament. These

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  Amnesty chief calls Finland-Israel arms industry meeting ‘utterly shameful’

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, on Friday sharply criticized Finland for inviting Israeli arms industry companies to Helsinki for talks on defense cooperation, Anadolu Agency reports. In remarks following reports about the planned meeting, Callamard described the move as “utterly shameful” and reminded Finland of its obligations. “This got to stop. Finland’s international obligations and credibility are at stake,” she said in a post on the US social media company X. Callamard also questioned Finland’s decision to pursue cooperation with Israeli defense companies amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. “Surely, and sadly, Israel is not the only country capable of providing Finland with the weapons it believes it requires to defend itself,” she said. “So why go for

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  Poll shows Israeli opposition could win 61 seats, majority want Netanyahu to quit politics

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  A public opinion poll showed Friday that Israel’s opposition could secure the 61 seats needed to form a government if elections were held today, while 55% of Israelis prefer that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retire from politics, according to the Israeli Maariv newspaper. The poll was conducted by the private Lazar Institute among a random sample of 502 Israelis, with a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. “Asked what they want Netanyahu to do in the next election — run for Likud leadership or retire from political life — 55% said they prefer that he retire, while 38% said they want him to run for Likud leadership, and 7% said they do not know,” the newspaper said. According to

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  Palestinian group says Israel has arrested more than 23,000 in West Bank since Gaza war began

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The Israeli army has arrested more than 23,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, along with thousands from Gaza, since the war in the enclave began in October 2023, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Friday. The group said the Palestinian prisoners’ movement is enduring its “bloodiest and harshest period since 1967.” Israeli authorities have detained nearly 23,000 Palestinians from the West Bank since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza, including women, children, wounded people and former prisoners, according to the society. The figure excludes thousands of arrests from Gaza, where the group said Israel continues to forcibly disappear hundreds of detainees. “Detention has formed and continues to form one of the main pillars of the Israeli colonial project,

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  Netanyahu says Israel controls 60% of Gaza, exceeding ceasefire boundaries

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel now controls around 60% of the Gaza Strip, exceeding the territory outlined under the ceasefire agreement reached last year, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported Friday. “Today we control 60% of the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu reportedly said during an event marking the anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem. The newspaper said the figure exceeds the area envisioned under the US-mediated ceasefire agreement that entered into force in October 2025, under which Israeli-controlled territory was estimated at around 53% of the enclave. According to Palestinian officials and rights groups, Israeli forces have gradually expanded beyond the original demarcation line established under the agreement into additional areas deeper inside Gaza, referred to in recent reports

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  Israeli minister announces illegal settlement plans in Lebanon, displacements in Gaza, West Bank

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Thursday that the government plans to establish illegal settlements in Lebanon and displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The remarks came during Ben-Gvir’s participation in an event in Jerusalem marking the anniversary of Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem according to the Hebrew calendar, Israel’s Channel 7 reported. “We have more plans to encourage migration from Gaza, encourage migration from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and settlement in Lebanon, and we will not fear eliminating everyone who rises up to kill us,” Ben-Gvir said. Israel continues daily violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, in effect since October 2025, where at least 857 people have been killed and

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  FBI offers $200,000 reward for former Air Force operative who defected to Iran

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for former Air Force operative Monica Witt, whom authorities believe defected to Iran in 2013, Anadolu reports. In a statement on Thursday, the agency said that she is believed to “likely still be involved in supporting Iran’s illicit activities.” “The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, FBI’s top counterintelligence official in Washington. “The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice,” it said. Witt, a former counterintelligence officer with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, worked on assignments in the Middle East from

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  Israeli occupiers burn mosque, vehicles, spray racist graffiti on walls in West Bank village

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israeli occupiers set fire to a mosque and several Palestinian-owned vehicles early Friday in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, the official news agency Wafa reported. Local sources told WAFA that occupiers entered the village, burned the mosque and several vehicles, and sprayed racist slogans on the walls of homes. In a separate incident, occupiers attacked Palestinian homes in the town of Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, WAFA reported. READ: ‘Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank’, UNICEF says Security sources told the agency that occupiers attacked homes along the town’s main road and broke down several doors, causing panic among women and children. The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen an escalation in Israeli military

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: Trump-Xi Summit, Will it be at Iran’s Expense?

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Gideon Levi: Israeli Genocide and Palestinian Statehood

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  The twenty-five minute premier: How Trump forced a banker onto Baghdad

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The transition of power in Iraq usually moves with the glacial, agonizing pace of a desert sandstorm, choked by the competing interests of Tehran and Washington. But when the Coordination Framework—the coalition of Iran-aligned Shiite parties—finally settled on Iraq’s next prime minister, the process took exactly twenty-five minutes. The result was Ali al-Zaidi, a 40-year-old banker with no political pedigree and a “blank slate” resume. To some in Baghdad, he is a compromise; to Washington, he is the byproduct of a high-stakes financial and diplomatic squeeze that has redefined American leverage in the post-U.S.-Israeli war landscape. The ascent of al-Zaidi marks a sharp pivot in President Trump’s Middle East strategy, one where the U.S. Treasury is deployed as aggressively as

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  How Israeli propaganda works: Oppose the occupation and you become “Hamas”, “Muslim Brotherhood”, or “Anti-Semitic”!

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  As Palestinians mark the seventy-eighth anniversary of the Nakba, I found myself once again turning over old photographs and fragments of memory from my destroyed village, Majdal Al-Sadiq; a village erased during the creation of Israel, from which my father was expelled as an eight-year-old child. On a day heavy with remembrance, grief, and inherited loss, I was confronted instead with yet another inflammatory article in an Israeli newspaper targeting me and several other activists. Even on a day that symbolises one of the greatest collective traumas in Palestinian history, there was no pause, no restraint, no recognition of human pain, only more incitement, more smears, more attempts to dehumanise those who speak for Palestinian rights. But perhaps expecting sensitivity

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  Palestinian National Popular Action Committee issues statement to mark 78th anniversary of the Nakba

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  On the seventy-eighth anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the Palestinian National Coordinating Body for Popular Action issued a statement affirming that the Nakba is not merely a painful memory, but an ongoing crime and a continuing settler-colonial project. The Committee said the Nakba is renewed today through the genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing, the escalation of settlement expansion, the Judaization of Jerusalem, the targeting of the right of return, and attempts to dismantle UNRWA and eradicate the Palestinian cause in all its national and political dimensions. “What is taking place today is not a new chapter separate from the Nakba, but rather a continuation of the very same settler-colonial project; the methods may change, but the objective remains the same:

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  Palestine between the Nakba of 1948 and the genocide, displacement, and Judaization of 2026

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Every year on May 15, the Palestinian people commemorate the Nakba that befell them in 1948, when Zionist militias and gangs forcibly displaced over 900,000 Palestinians from their cities and villages, completely destroyed approximately 531 villages, and committed more than 70 massacres in which over 15,000 people were killed. Seventy eight years later, the Israeli war machine is reproducing the same scene—but with far deadlier tools, and amidst a shameful international silence and unjustifiable inaction. The 1948 Nakba – Founding Through Genocide and Displacement The 1948 Nakba was not a passing war. It was the culmination of a colonial settler project that began taking shape in the late nineteenth century. Backed by colonial powers, Zionist gangs expelled between 780,000 and

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  Monitoring group says 19.5 million people face severe hunger in Sudan

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Nearly 19.5 million people in Sudan are still suffering from severe hunger, according to a new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report said more than 40 per cent of Sudan’s population is facing acute food insecurity as the country’s prolonged conflict continues to fuel what humanitarian agencies describe as one of the world’s worst hunger crises. According to Reuters, the three-year war has caused mass displacement, widespread famine, economic collapse and the destruction of agricultural systems, with around 14 million people displaced. Although the latest IPC estimate is slightly lower than the previous figure of 21.2 million released in autumn, the report warned that 14 areas in North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan remain

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  Iraqi court sentences former official to death over Anfal campaign crimes

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The Iraqi High Criminal Court sentenced Ajaj Ahmed Hardan to death by hanging on Thursday for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Kurds during the 1988 Anfal campaign under the rule of Saddam Hussein. According to the Iraqi News Agency, the ruling was issued over Hardan’s role in crimes carried out during the Anfal operations, which targeted Kurdish communities in Iraq. The Iraqi National Security Service announced in August 2025 that Hardan had been arrested following a six-month intelligence operation. Authorities said his family had falsely claimed he was dead in an attempt to mislead security services. Investigators eventually located and detained him in Salah al-Din Governorate after obtaining judicial authorisation. During questioning, Hardan reportedly confessed to multiple crimes

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  Araghchi accuses UAE of being “active partner” in US-Israeli war against Iran

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United Arab Emirates on Thursday of playing an “active” role in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Speaking during the BRICS summit in India, Araghchi said: “The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, there is no doubt about that.” He added that it had become clear to Tehran that the UAE participated in attacks against Iran and “may even have acted directly” against the country. Araghchi also referred to reports issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding an alleged secret meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which Abu Dhabi denied had taken place. “The UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country,” Araghchi

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  Lieberman accuses Netanyahu of possibly using Gaza operation for electoral purposes

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Yisrael Beiteinu party leader and Knesset member, Avigdor Lieberman said he fears Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch a new military operation in the Gaza Strip for electoral purposes following moves to dissolve the Knesset. Speaking during a visit to Kibbutz Be’eri on Thursday, Lieberman called on Israeli military leaders to ensure that any future military action is carried out solely for what he described as decisive security objectives rather than political considerations. According to the Israeli news site Walla!, Lieberman said he hoped the current government would be removed through elections, possibly by September. Lieberman also accused the Israeli government of misleading residents of communities near Gaza, claiming that reconstruction efforts in Gaza are proceeding despite what he

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  Washington cites progress in Iran talks as Tehran maintains hardline conditions

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  On the 76th day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, senior American officials said negotiations with Tehran are continuing despite major disagreements over the nuclear file and the Strait of Hormuz. US Vice President J. D. Vance said discussions with Iranian officials were progressing, noting that he had held consultations with Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and regional partners in the Arab world. “I believe we are making progress,” Vance said, adding that the key issue was whether negotiations had advanced enough to satisfy the “red line” set by US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington hopes to persuade China to play a more active role in pressuring Iran over developments in Gulf waters. Iranian

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  ‘Death to Arabs’: Israeli settlers storm occupied East Jerusalem in annual hate march

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Tens of thousands of Israeli hate marchers and ultranationalists rampaged through the streets of occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday during the so-called “Jerusalem Day” march, chanting “Death to Arabs” and “May your villages burn”, as terrified Palestinian residents barricaded themselves indoors and shuttered their shops in fear of attack. The annual procession, which marks Israel’s illegal capture and subsequent annexation of East Jerusalem during the 1967 war, saw mobs of mostly young Israelis – many draped in Israeli flags – pour through the narrow alleyways of the Old City, pounding on the metal shutters of Palestinian-owned businesses and confronting anyone who stood in their way. The annexation of East Jerusalem, whose residents are overwhelmingly Palestinian, has never been recognised by

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  Fatah unanimously re-elects Mahmoud Abbas as movement leader

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Members of the Eighth General Conference of Fatah unanimously re-elected Mahmoud Abbas as the movement’s leader on Thursday. Delegates voted to retain Abbas as president and commander-in-chief of the movement, stressing the importance of his leadership during what they described as a critical stage for the Palestinian people. The conference opened in Ramallah, marking the first Fatah general conference in a decade. Held at the Palestinian presidential headquarters, the gathering is expected to oversee elections for the movement’s Fatah Central Committee, the organisation’s highest executive body, amid broader efforts to reshape internal leadership structures. Founded in Kuwait in the late 1950s, Fatah officially launched its armed struggle on 1 January 1965 following its first military operation, known as the Eilaboun

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  Mainstream US media complicit in selling Gaza genocide, sweeping new analysis finds

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  US media is systematically biased in favour of Israel, an analysis by The Intercept has uncovered. Investigation of more than 12,000 articles and 5,000 TV segments found mainstream US coverage was “one-sided, racist and dehumanising”, helping Israel justify its genocide in Gaza. The investigation, published this week and drawn from research for a forthcoming book, examined more than 12,000 articles from the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Politico, Axios, USA Today and The Associated Press, alongside 5,000 television segments aired on CNN and MSNBC. The focus is on centre-left outlets influential with the Biden administration during the first year of Israel’s assault on the besieged Gaza Strip. The analysis identifies seven recurring patterns that, taken together, document the

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  Turki Al Faisal: Israel tried to drag Saudi Arabia into war with Iran to impose regional dominance

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Saudi Arabia’s former ambassador to the United States, Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal, said Israel had tried to drag Riyadh into a war with Iran, but Saudi Arabia had avoided such a confrontation through “wisdom and foresight”. In an article published in Arab News, Prince Turki accused Israel of attempting to involve Saudi Arabia in the conflict with Iran in order to impose its regional dominance. He also voiced concern over what he described as the Israeli government’s “adventurism”. “Had the Israeli plan to ignite war between us and Iran succeeded, the region would have been plunged into ruin and destruction,” he said. Prince Turki praised Saudi Arabia’s handling of the consequences of the war launched by the United States

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  Israeli army radio: Navy preparing to confront Global Sumud Flotilla

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Israeli media reported on Thursday that the Israeli navy is “preparing to confront” ships belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which sailed from the Turkish Mediterranean city of Marmaris in a new attempt to reach the shores of the Gaza Strip. Earlier on Thursday, 54 ships departed from Marmaris in an effort to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2006. Following the announcement of the fleet’s departure, Israeli army radio said on its website that “the Israeli navy is preparing to confront it on the Israeli coast in the coming days”. The broadcaster claimed that the navy “fears tensions could escalate into violence due to the presence of activists from a humanitarian relief organisation on board the ships”,

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  Global Sumud Flotilla sets sail from Turkey towards Gaza to break blockade

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The first vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on Thursday from the Turkish Mediterranean port of Marmaris in a new attempt to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. The convoy includes 54 ships and more than 500 international activists and supporters, organisers said. Heavy activity was seen along the Marmaris coast before departure, with participating vessels lining up in the port before heading into the Mediterranean Sea. Participants said their aim was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza despite the risks and challenges they may face during the voyage. During a press conference on Wednesday, before the fleet’s departure, organisers said they expected possible interception attempts and other risks during the journey. They added that several

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  Palestinians mark 78th Nakba anniversary amid war, ongoing displacement

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Palestinians on Friday marked the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, when hundreds of thousands were driven from their cities, towns and villages in most of historic Palestine in 1948, Anadolu reports. Palestinians use the term Nakba, or catastrophe in Arabic, to refer to the displacement of about 800,000 Palestinians in 1948 as Israel was established on Palestinian land. Every year, Palestinians mark the anniversary with marches, exhibitions and public events in the Palestinian territories and around the world to assert their rights, foremost the right of return for millions of refugees. This year’s events were held under the slogan “We will not leave. Our roots are deeper than your destruction,” with marches, rallies and public gatherings in the West Bank,

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  Israel: Trump to decide on war after returning from China

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  In Israel, there is a growing belief that US President Donald Trump will decide whether to renew the war on Iran after returning from his visit to China at the end of the week. According to Israeli sources, Trump is facing two main options: resuming military action, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants, or renewing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz under the US operation known as “Project Freedom”. However, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that Trump could also decide at the end of his “historic” visit to China not to take any decision. Israeli sources told Haaretz that although there is currently no unusual state of alert, the possibility of renewed fighting in the coming days remains.

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  Hamas calls on Fatah to meet over “national strategy”

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The Palestinian movement Hamas on Thursday called on the rival Fatah movement, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, to hold a “direct meeting” after the end of Fatah’s eighth conference to agree on a “national strategy”. Fatah’s eighth general conference began on Thursday in the West Bank city of Ramallah and is due to continue for three days, to elect the members of the movement’s Revolutionary Council and Central Committee. In a statement, Hamas political bureau member and head of the movement’s national relations office, Hossam Badran, said the conference was “an opportunity to achieve a shift in internal Palestinian national relations”. He added that it could help increase “readiness and preparedness to confront the plans of the criminal Zionist enemy,

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  Abbas’s son sparks anger within Fatah as reports point to growing political role

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Growing anger and internal debate are sweeping through the ranks of the Palestinian Fatah movement following reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking to promote his son, Yasser Abbas, to play an influential role within the movement’s Central Committee, as the eighth Fatah conference gets under way. Yasser Abbas is being widely mentioned as a possible candidate for membership of the Central Committee, in a move that has drawn criticism from within Fatah circles, where some see it as an attempt to “inherit political and organisational influence” inside the movement. Observers believe the eighth Fatah conference could turn into a battleground between rival factions within the movement, amid growing discussion over reshaping power centres in both the Central Committee

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  Beyond unipolarity and the end of strategic certainty: Lessons imposed by the war on Iran

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The war on Iran stands as a revealing reflection of a profound structural shift in an international order that has been taking shape for years. The Iran conflict cannot be viewed merely as a passing regional crisis or a confrontation between rival powers confined to a specific geography. It represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of international relations. The war reflects the ongoing transition from a unipolar world order to a new and still undefined order, shaped by emerging forms of power born of the current era. The contours of this new order are unfolding amid mounting global challenges that may evolve into a cascading and imminent danger, a development that is far from unusual in periods of major

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  Israel begins illegal settlement construction atop historic Hebron municipality building in West Bank

  by Marwa A on May 14, 2026

  Israel began illegal settlement construction works atop the historic Hebron municipality building in the southern West Bank, municipal authorities said Thursday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Hebron Municipality said Israeli authorities began to build on the roof of its old headquarters in the Ein Al-Askar area in the Old City. It said the works aim to “impose a new status quo in violation of local and international laws,” describing the construction as part of “the ongoing settlement expansion policy targeting the city of Hebron, its holy sites and historic buildings.” The municipality said the old municipal building has been closed for years under an Israeli military order and is considered one of the major historical and national landmarks in

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  Israeli attacks kill 200 children in Lebanon since March 2: UNICEF

  by Marwa A on May 14, 2026

  At least 200 children have been killed in Lebanon as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks on the country since March 2, UNICEF said Thursday, Anadolu reports. “Children in Lebanon continue to be at the sharp end of ongoing violence, displacement and exposure to traumatic events,” the UN organization said in a statement. UNICEF said at least 59 children were killed or injured in Lebanon during the past week despite a ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since April 17. According to the organization, 23 children have been killed and 93 others injured since April 17, describing the figures as “a stark reminder of the ongoing risks children continue to face.” The agency said the overall toll among children

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  US lawmaker reintroduces resolution recognizing Palestinian Nakba

  by Marwa A on May 14, 2026

  US Rep. Rashida Tlaib reintroduced a resolution Thursday recognizing the 78th anniversary of the Nakba and reaffirming the right of return for Palestinian refugees, Anadolu reports. “The Nakba never ended,” Tlaib said in a statement. “Today, the Israeli apartheid regime is committing genocide in Gaza, violently erasing entire communities across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, and bombing Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It is a campaign to erase Palestinians from existence.” The resolution, titled “Recognizing the Ongoing Nakba and Palestinian Refugees’ Rights,” comes ahead of the 78th anniversary of the Nakba on May 15. The Arabic term “Nakba,” meaning “catastrophe,” and refers to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the 1948 war and the creation of