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

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  Palestinian hunger strikers hospitalized in Brussels as protest continues

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Two Palestinian men on hunger strike at the Beguinage Church in central Brussels have been hospitalized as their protest enters its second week, with activists demanding the evacuation of family members stranded in Gaza, Anadolu reports. One of the men was admitted to the hospital Wednesday, while a second fell ill Friday. Both were taken by ambulance to Sint-Jans Hospital, where they remain, according to Ismael Najar, who is also taking part in the hunger strike. “The situation of the two individuals is currently unstable,” Najar told Belgian news portal BRUZZ. He added that the man admitted Friday is suffering from gastrointestinal complaints and that it remains unclear when he will return to the church. READ: Belgian university rector urges government

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  Trump says he rejected Iran’s latest proposal from indirect talks in New York

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he rejected Iran’s latest proposal conveyed to Washington during indirect negotiations in New York this week, US news outlet Axios reported. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: “They have made a proposal and I rejected it.” Despite the rejection, a US official said that “positive and constructive” discussions between Washington and Tehran are continuing through regional mediators, including on nuclear issues, according to the report. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, with Qatari officials relaying messages between the two sides,

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  New York is becoming a stage for speeches, not decisions

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The 81st United Nations General Assembly opened under the unusually self-aware theme of “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all”. Yet one of the week’s most revealing diplomatic images was not in New York at all. President Xi Jinping travelled to Washington for a state visit and direct talks with US president, Donald Trump, while China sent Vice President Han Zheng to the General Debate. Russia, meanwhile, sent foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, to New York. Only weeks earlier, Xi and Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had both attended the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summits in person. It would be too simple to declare the UN irrelevant on the strength of leaders’ travel schedules, and there is

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  In UN General Assembly address, China opposes ‘unilateral military actions’ amid US-Iran war, calls for 2-state Palestine solution track

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  China’s Vice President Han Zheng on Saturday voiced Beijing’s opposition to “unilateral military actions” amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, also using his address to the UN General Assembly to urge a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, Anadolu reports. “We should settle differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and oppose unilateral military actions that violate the UN Charter and circumvent Security Council authorization,” Han said, urging major countries to shoulder “special responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security,” and take the lead in “complying with the rules, upholding rule of law, and doing what’s right.” He also said China believes the sovereignty and security of Middle Eastern countries, including Gulf states, should be respected. “International industrial and supply chains

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  Iran denies plans for military retaliation over aviation restrictions

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Saturday denied reports that Tehran plans to respond militarily to recent restrictions imposed on Iranian aviation, according to Press TV. In a statement, the council rejected reports that Iran will retaliate militarily over the aviation measures, saying negotiations are underway with the countries concerned to remove some of the “unlawfully imposed” restrictions on Iranian air travel. It said Iran has “numerous non-military options” that can be used against some airports, if necessary. The statement came after the council’s secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, warned neighboring countries on Wednesday against cooperating with US restrictions on Iranian aviation. Speaking to Iranian state television, Rezaei said that if countries prevented Iranian aircraft from operating, their own airports would also

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  Israeli occupiers establish new settlement outpost in occupied West Bank: Rights group

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli occupiers began establishing a new settlement outpost near the town of Adh Dhahiriya, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian rights group said Saturday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Al-Baidar Organization said the move was part of continued illegal settlement expansion in the area. It warned that the outpost threatened Palestinian land and could restrict residents’ movement and access to their property. The group said occupiers also raided the area around the home of Palestinian resident Khairi Mohammed Abu Tuhfa in Khallat al-Hummus, in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, and frightened members of his family. Near the village of Umm Safa, northwest of Ramallah, a settlement outpost established about two months ago has

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  ‘War criminals’ belong in courtrooms, not at UN rostrum: Turkish president

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that “war criminals” belong in courtrooms rather than at the UN rostrum, stressing that those committing genocide must be held accountable, Anadolu reports. “War criminals belong not at the UN rostrum, but in courtrooms where they will answer for the crimes they have committed and the blood they have shed,” Erdogan said at the closing program of the 21st MUSIAD EXPO International Trade Fair and 29th International Business Forum in Istanbul. “If those committing genocide are not held accountable before justice and history, the same atrocities will happen again,” he warned. Erdogan reiterated Turkiye’s support for Palestinians, saying: “The Palestinian people are not alone or abandoned.” “Our sisters and brothers in Gaza are

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  262 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since Gaza war: Media office

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The Israeli army has killed 262 Palestinian journalists and injured 433 others since its offensive began in the Gaza Strip in 2023, Gaza’s Government Media Office said Saturday. Palestinian journalists, particularly those in Gaza, have been subjected to “the worst and most horrific campaign of targeting, assassination and systematic destruction known in modern history,” the office said in a statement marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Journalists. The slain reporters included 26 women journalists, while Israeli forces have also arrested 50 journalists and media workers since the start of the war, with 23 remaining in detention under “harrowing conditions,” the office said. The losses inflicted on the media sector exceed $800 million, the statement noted. READ: Remains of

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  More Ireland players considering boycott of match with Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  More Republic of Ireland players could boycott Sunday’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu confirmed he does not want to play in the match, Anadolu reports. Bazunu’s decision has prompted teammates to consider their own positions, with the match now facing uncertainty amid growing calls for Ireland to withdraw, according to a report by The Telegraph. The principled stand comes against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and growing pressure from Irish sporting figures for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott the match. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter urging the FAI to withdraw from the fixture. Protests were also held outside the Irish team’s hotel in Dublin earlier

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  Netanyahu blocking inquiry into Oct. 7 events, says former Israeli intelligence officer

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is doing everything” to prevent the establishment of an official commission of inquiry into the events of Oct. 7, 2023, former military intelligence officer Barak Seri said, Anadolu reports. In a Saturday post on the US social media company X, Seri said Netanyahu was “warned and alerted” ahead of the attacks, but that “he ignored it all.” “This is why Netanyahu is personally blocking the establishment of an inquiry commission,” he said. Earlier Saturday, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu received warnings about a possible Hamas attack ahead of Oct. 7, 2023, but did not convene a meeting to discuss them. READ: Hamas slams Netanyahu’s UN speech: He should be in prison to face trial

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  Palestine opens registration for Nov. 28 legislative vote

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The Palestinian Central Elections Commission opened Saturday registration for candidate lists for the Nov. 28 legislative elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. ​​​​​​​In a statement, the commission said it began receiving candidacy applications as of 8 am local time (0500GMT) at its headquarters in the central West Bank city of Al-Bireh and its offices in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. It said the process will continue for 12 days through Oct. 7, citing “strong interest” from candidates at its offices in Ramallah and Deir al-Balah. According to the commission, candidates for the Legislative Council (parliament) will run only through electoral lists, while individual candidacies will not be accepted. Each list must have at least

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  Israeli army raids university campus in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli army forces raided the campus of Birzeit University north of Ramallah in the central West Bank on Saturday, according to Palestinian media. The army published a video on its digital platforms documenting the raid, Palestine TV reported. Israeli soldiers filmed the Martyr’s Memorial on the campus before withdrawing from the site. No arrests were reported. Birzeit University condemned the raid, which took place as students were taking their final exams for the summer session. It called the raid a “violation of the sanctity of the university and international conventions and laws that protect educational institutions.” READ: Israeli army detains more than 150 Palestinians in West Bank raids The raid involved “intimidation and terrorizing of students,” the university said, warning that

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  Félix Tshisekedi in Jerusalem and the dangerous marriage of faith, foreign policy and political survival

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  September has been a long month when it comes to Israel-DRC relations. On the first day of the month, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, smiled broadly beside Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Twenty-four days later, Tshisekedi’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York, led by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and Foreign Minister Thérèse Wagner, was listed along with 76 other countries that walked out or was absent when Netanyahu addressed the assembly – seemingly in protest over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Suminwa and Wagner will, no doubt, be grilled by Tshisekedi about the reason for their absence during Netanyahu’s speech. Tshisekedi has been cosying up to Israel and Netanyahu for over six years now.

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  Iraq seeks exemption from US ban on Iranian flights

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Iraq is engaged in direct talks with the US to exempt some Iraqi airports from US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines operating flights to regional hubs, officials said Saturday, Anadolu reports. The talks aim to secure an exemption “to allow flights to resume on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and interests of civilians,” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office said in a statement on Facebook. “As the Iraqi government works to de-escalate tensions in the region, it emphasizes that the continuation of crises further complicates the situation,” it said. READ: Iraq announces phased reopening of Iran border crossings for passengers, trade The statement urged all parties to pursue dialogue and negotiations to resolve “the current crisis and conflicts,

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  Gulf Cooperation Council condemns Houthi missile, drone attacks on Saudi Arabia

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Saturday condemned ballistic missile and drone attacks launched by Houthis on Saudi cities of Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, Anadolu reports. “This perilous escalation represents a flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and an immediate threat to civilian safety and regional stability,” the council’s Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said in a statement. Albudaiwi reaffirmed the GCC’s support for the kingdom and its right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also urged the international community to take a “decisive stance” and hold the Houthis accountable for their actions. Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthi

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  Palestinian vote could be ‘game-changer’ in Israel’s upcoming elections: Lawmaker

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Ofer Cassif, an Israeli lawmaker from the Hadash party whose candidacy was rejected by the Central Elections Committee, said the Palestinian vote could prove to be a “game-changer” in the Oct. 27 parliamentary elections. “Everybody understands that the game changer is the Palestinian vote, the Palestinian citizens in Israel. I mean, not in the occupied territories. “Twenty percent of the citizens in Israel are Palestinian Arabs,” Cassif told Anadolu Agency. The Jewish lawmaker who has strongly criticized Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and previously faced several decisions calling for his removal from the Knesset, faces an attempt to bar him from standing in the election. The Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify

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  Netanyahu failed to relay UAE warning of possible Hamas attack to security chiefs: NYT

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to pass on a warning from United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about a possible major Hamas attack to Israel’s security chiefs before Oct. 7, 2023, the New York Times reported on Friday. The Times, citing two people familiar with the conversation, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu in late September 2023 and warned him that Hamas was considering a major attack. The warning, however, did not specify whether Hamas was planning rocket fire or a ground assault. Five former senior Israeli officials told the newspaper that the warning never reached the heads of Israel’s security establishment. READ: Hamas slams Netanyahu’s UN speech: He should be in prison to face

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  Israeli forces use phosphorus shells in southern Lebanon attacks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli forces used phosphorus munitions while shelling several towns in southern Lebanon on Friday, state news agency NNA reported. Artillery struck the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Mayfadoun and Nabatieh al-Fawqa in the Nabatieh district. Phosphorus shells were used in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while Israel later renewed attacks on Zawtar al-Sharqiyah with similar munitions. In the Tyre district, artillery fire also targeted Wadi Zibqin and the outskirts of Haris and Haddatha. READ: Israeli army sets fire to government hospital in southern Lebanon Lebanese army specialists dismantled two unexploded Israeli aerial bombs in Majdal Selm and Al-Ghandouriyah in the Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil districts and moved them to a safe location. The Israeli offensive in Lebanon has killed at least 4,386 victims, wounded 12,407

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  Trump doubts Iran deal, plans renewed strikes after midterms: WSJ

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  US President Donald Trump has turned down a seven-day truce offer from Iran and told aides he expects to launch new strikes once November’s midterm elections are finished, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday. The Journal, citing officials familiar with the matter, said Iranian negotiators floated the offer through mediators in Qatar, proposing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear talks if Washington ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports. US officials told Tehran and the mediators there is no plan to lift the blockade, calculating that continued economic strain will eventually force Iran into an agreement on Washington’s terms, the report said. READ: Iran says Strait of Hormuz can reopen within 7 days if US accepts

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  Bahrain rejects permit, fee regime for Strait of Hormuz passage

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Bahrain on Friday rejected any permit or fee system for passage through the Strait of Hormuz saying transit through the international waterway cannot be suspended or subjected to unilateral conditions, Anadolu reports. Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said the right of transit through the strait is guaranteed under international law for vessels of all states. “The kingdom categorically rejects any permit or fee regime imposed on passage,” Al Zayani told the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. He also rejected using international waterways as instruments of pressure or economic coercion, warning that accepting restrictions in Hormuz could set a precedent for other strategic waterways. Al Zayani said alternative shipping routes could not replace the right of passage

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  Egypt calls for end to Israeli violations, rejects forced displacement of Palestinians

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Egypt urged an end to Israeli violations against Palestinians on Friday, and firmly rejected any attempt to forcibly displace the population from the Gaza Strip or the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Anadolu reports. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told the 81st UN General Assembly in New York that the Gaza ceasefire must be fully implemented, Israeli violations halted and the withdrawal completed. He called for a sustained humanitarian access, the start of early recovery and reconstruction, and a political process addressing the roots of the conflict. “Peace cannot be built on uprooting a people from their land,” said Madbouly, warning that regional stability cannot be achieved while Palestinian suffering continues and the occupation is managed rather than ended. He

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  RSF military group defects, joins Sudanese army: State media

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  A military group affiliated with Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday defected and joined the Sudanese Armed Forces, state news agency SUNA reported. The force was led by Al-Tayeb Mohammed Ahmed, also known as Al-Tayeb Al-Wahido. Senior officials from the Sudanese army and the General Intelligence Service received the defecting force. Al-Wahido said in a press statement he had broken away from the RSF and joined the Sudanese army after witnessing “tragedies” within the paramilitary group’s ranks. He called on RSF members to join the army, “return to the homeland” and reconsider their positions, saying “there is no cause that justified the continuation of the fighting.” READ: More than 308,000 displaced from Sudan’s Kordofan since October 2025: UN migration

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  Iran says Strait of Hormuz can reopen within 7 days if US accepts plan

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US accepts a plan it conveyed through Qatar, Anadolu reports. Araghchi told reporters in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly that the seven-day timeline would begin once Washington accepts the proposal. He said the US would be expected to take steps within the first four or five days, allowing the strait to reopen on day six. Talks between Tehran and Washington on a final agreement would then begin on day seven, he said. READ: Iran tells Washington its conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz The foreign minister said the measures sought from Washington were already included

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  Iran warns regional air travel could be halted because of ban on its airlines

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Iran warned on Friday that air travel across the region could be disrupted if Iranian airlines continue to be denied access to flights and airport services, Anadolu reports. Tehran will not accept regional countries “aligning themselves with hostile US policies against Iran,” Mohammad Mokhber, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said in a post on US social media company X. “Our strategy on this matter is clear: Either air travel in the region is available to everyone or to no one,” said Mokhber. “If Iran cannot travel by air and receive airport services, no country in the region will be able to do so either,” he added in a thinly veiled threat. Mokhber said the decision by regional countries

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  Netanyahu has driven Israel’s standing in US to ‘unprecedented low’: Haaretz

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli daily Haaretz said on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has driven Israel’s standing in the US to an “unprecedented low.” “Anyone following the conduct of Israel and its relations with other countries, especially the United States, has for years warned of an unprecedented crisis in Israel’s strategic relations with its most important ally,” Haaretz said in an editorial. “It was clear that the damage caused by Benjamin Netanyahu and his government would bring relations with the United States to a new low.” “He has ignored the many warnings regarding the damage he is causing to Israel-US relations,” the newspaper said. The damage continued with his “blatant interference in American politics in favor of (President Donald) Trump and the

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  UN says Israel’s 942 checkpoints, barriers in occupied West Bank restrict Palestinian movement

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  An extensive network of Israeli military checkpoints, gates and barriers stretches across the occupied West Bank, restricting Palestinian movement between cities, towns and villages, and separating communities from one another and their agricultural land, Anadolu reports. The network has reached 942 checkpoints, closure points and other barriers, according to updated data from the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The system includes 824 fixed checkpoints and closure points, as well as 118 linear barriers, including earth mounds, trenches and roadblocks, spanning a combined 107.7 kilometers (70 miles). Hebron tops list The Hebron governorate has the highest number of fixed checkpoints and closure points at 221, followed by Ramallah and

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  Aafia, Adiala, and the architecture of the War on Terror

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  There is something revealing about the geography of Muslim moral courage. Western Muslim leaders and institutions can summon magnificent clarity when the perpetrator is Washington, Delhi or Tel Aviv. They have spoken, often rightly and courageously, about Palestine, Kashmir, Islamophobia, Guantánamo, rendition, drone warfare and the obscenities committed under the banner of the War on Terror. The harder test begins when the road leads somewhere less comfortable. To Islamabad. And two names now expose that discomfort with unusual force: Aafia Siddiqui and Imran Khan. Aafia belongs to the beginning of the War on Terror. Adiala belongs to its afterlife. For more than two decades, Aafia Siddiqui has haunted Pakistan’s political conscience. She disappeared with her three children in 2003 before

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  5 Netanyahu claims at UN that clash with documented findings

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly used the UN General Assembly podium to defend Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, making claims that have been challenged by international bodies, humanitarian agencies and, in some cases, data from Israel’s own military, Anadolu reports. In speeches between 2024 and 2026, Netanyahu rejected allegations of genocide, described civilian casualties as exceptionally low, blamed Hamas for Gaza’s aid crisis and played down Israeli occupier violence in the occupied West Bank. A review of five such claims shows substantial discrepancies between Netanyahu’s account and documented findings. – Genocide allegation is ‘the greatest lie of the century’ In his 2026 UN address, Netanyahu called accusations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza

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  US university ends contract for sending human cadavers to train Israeli military personnel

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  The University of Southern California (USC) has terminated an arrangement involving the transfer of human cadavers used to train Israeli military medical personnel, campus news organization Annenberg Media reported, Anadolu reports. The university concluded the agreement between its Keck School of Medicine and the US Navy on Thursday, ending a program that spanned more than five years and generated more than $1 million for the university. Officials at the medical school said decision did not stem from recent student demonstrations sparked by media disclosures of the initiative. Instead, the school confirmed the agreement ended because the University of California San Diego (UCSD) declined to continue supplying donated bodies for the venture. The University of California Health Communications team explained that

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  Army halts arrests of ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews draft dodgers: Israeli newspaper

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  The Israeli army has halted arrests of ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews wanted for failing to comply with military draft orders amid concerns that the arrests could trigger protests, according to Israeli media. Haaretz reported Friday that the army had decided to suspend arrests of Haredi draft dodgers over fears of unrest and protests across the country as Israeli elections approach. The army attributed the move to “operational needs,” without providing further details, according to the newspaper. Haaretz said arrests had been extremely limited even before the decision was taken. According to figures cited in an Israeli Supreme Court ruling, only 16 Haredi draft dodgers were arrested during the first half of 2026, the newspaper said. Haaretz cited unnamed police sources as

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  Yemeni government forces seize strategic mountain range in Lahj after clashes with Houthis

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  Yemeni government forces said Friday that they seized control of the strategic Numan mountain range in the southern province of Lahj following clashes with the Houthis, Anadolu reports. The Yemeni army’s media center said government forces, backed by the Popular Resistance, took control of the mountain range overlooking the Al-Wazi’iyah and Al-Mudarabah districts. Houthi fighters withdrew from the area and suffered heavy losses in personnel and military equipment, it added. The Nation’s Shield Forces said its units, backed by the Giants Brigades and local tribesmen, seized the summit of Jabal Numan and the nearby Dar al-Kafir position in a rapid military operation. According to the force, the operation began with an overnight infiltration followed by the encirclement of the position

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  UN chief calls for end to Sudan war, voices regret that Burhan was denied US visa

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the war in Sudan and the suffering of its people, while expressing regret that Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was not issued a visa to attend this week’s UN General Assembly, Anadolu reports. Guterres made the remarks during a meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, according to Sudan’s state news agency. He stressed the importance of pursuing dialogue as a means to resolve the conflict and achieve peace in Sudan. Guterres also praised the Sudanese government’s cooperation in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to people affected by the ongoing war. He expressed regret over the

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  Maldives vice president tells UN Israel’s genocide in Gaza ‘must end’

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef told the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday that Israel’s genocide “must end,” calling for an end to Israel’s occupation and settlements and for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians safely and rapidly, Anadolu reports. He called for accountability under international law, saying no state should be shielded by its power or political alliances. “Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and other Arab lands must end. Illegal settlements must end. Humanitarian assistance must reach Palestinians safely, rapidly and at scale. And the decisions of international courts and the resolutions of this Organization must be respected and implemented,” Latheef said. He reiterated the Maldives’ support for an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders,

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  Israeli opposition party leader says state’s global standing at all-time low, warns of economic collapse

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  Yisrael Beiteinu opposition party leader Avigdor Liberman said Friday that Israel’s global standing had reached an “unprecedented low,” warning of a “real economic collapse” because of European sanctions and their impact on trade, Anadolu reports. Liberman made the remarks in a post through US social media company X, commenting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly in New York. “Israel’s standing in the world has reached an unprecedented low,” Liberman said. “For years, Israel benefited from the American veto at the UN Security Council. I believe that as long as (US President Donald) Trump remains president, the veto will continue to be available to us. Under the next president, whether Republican or Democrat, the reality could

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  Turkiye rejects East-West divide, says Mecca defense pact not aimed at Iran or Israel: President

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye would not choose between East and West as the global balance of power shifts, emphasizing Ankara’s commitment to NATO while pursuing deeper partnerships with China, Russia, and regional powers. In an exclusive written interview with US-based Newsweek magazine published Friday, Erdogan outlined Turkiye’s approach to a changing international order, addressing the new Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, tensions involving Iran and Israel, the war in Ukraine, and developments in Syria. “We do not believe it is right to impose on Turkiye a choice between the West or the East,” Erdogan said, stressing that the country’s geographical position requires a multidimensional foreign policy. He said Turkiye was strengthening its position

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  China helping Iran would be ‘totally unacceptable,’ Trump told Xi during visit: US ambasador

  by Marwa A on September 25, 2026

  US President Donald Trump told visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping this week that Beijing providing any assistance to Iran would be “totally unacceptable,” according to the US ambassador to China, Anadolu reports. Speaking to CNBC on Friday, David Perdue said the issue of Chinese support for Iran has been a recurring subject in US-China discussions and was raised again during Trump and Xi’s White House talks on Thursday. “We made it very clear to them weeks ago that any help that they would give Iran, whether it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence, or parts, or military equipment, was totally unacceptable,” Perdue said. “President Trump made that very clear again yesterday.” Perdue said Washington remains concerned about what

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  Zionism is racism, says Green leader Zack Polanski

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said Zionism is a form of racism and declared himself an anti-Zionist, drawing boos and heckling at a Jewish community election hustings in London. Asked whether Zionism was racist, Polanski said: “If you’re defining Zionism as a displacement genocide, which is how, in practice, Zionism has become, then that is racism.” His answer followed a qualification that people understood the term differently, Jewish News reported. Speaking in Holborn and St Pancras on Thursday, Polanski acknowledged that his declaration of anti-Zionism would be difficult for some audience members to hear. When challenged about where Jewish people should go, he argued that Israel’s exercise of self-determination relied on the displacement and genocide of Palestinians. The response

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  71,000 children displaced in Yemen in 3 weeks amid escalating conflict: UNICEF

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Some 71,000 children have been forced from their homes in Yemen over the past three weeks amid escalating conflict, UNICEF said Friday, warning that hunger and displacement are putting children at growing risk, Anadolu reports. Akhil Iyer, UNICEF’s country representative in Yemen, told reporters in Geneva that nearly 130,000 people, including 71,000 children, had been displaced during the period, with most uprooted from or within the southwestern governorate of Taiz. “Conflict is driving hunger, and hunger makes children even more vulnerable to conflict,” Iyer said. UNICEF in recent weeks, has screened nearly 2,900 children through mobile nutrition teams in areas where it has safe humanitarian access. More than one in four were found to be acutely malnourished, while around 200

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  Egypt urges resumption of US-Iran talks, regional de-escalation

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Egypt stressed Friday the need to resume negotiations between the US and Iran and halt escalation in the straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb during separate meetings between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Iranian and Omani counterparts, Anadolu reports. The meetings were held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to two statements by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Abdelatty and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed efforts and proposals aimed at reaching an agreement that would contain tensions and reduce escalation. “The utmost importance of every country fulfilling its responsibilities to ensure the movement and freedom of international navigation, limiting the negative repercussions of the crisis on the global economy,” the Egyptian foreign minister stressed. He

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  Saudi grand mufti urges front-line troops to unite against Houthis

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan urged the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and Saudi soldiers stationed along the front line to remain united in confronting the Houthis and defend Saudi territory and Muslim holy sites, Anadolu reports. In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday and addressed to coalition forces and Saudi soldiers stationed along the border, Al-Fawzan called the Houthis “a misguided faction and deviant group,” urging the soldiers to “cooperate with one another and unite your word.” Guarding the country’s borders, “repelling aggression against them and punishing anyone who seeks to harm even an inch of it are among the greatest duties,” he said. “Restoring security and stability in Yemen under its legitimate

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  Israeli army prepares for new phase of fighting in southern Lebanon: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  The Israeli army is preparing to enter a new phase of fighting in southern Lebanon in the coming days, Israeli media reported on Friday. The report comes as the army continues its attacks in southern Lebanon, in violation of a US-brokered framework deal signed with Beirut in June. The army will reorganize its forces in what it called the “yellow zone,” including reducing and redeploying troops stationed along the line, Israel’s Channel 12 said. In April, Tel Aviv announced it established what it calls the “yellow line” in southern Lebanon. It is an imaginary line separating an Israeli-occupied “buffer zone” from the rest of Lebanese territory, extending up to 10 km (around 6.2 miles) into Lebanon in certain sections. Israel

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  Iran just gave Washington a deadline. Watch Islamabad, not the White House

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Iran’s message at the United Nations this week wasn’t subtle. President Masoud Pezeshkian stood before the General Assembly and told the room his country would not surrender, hours after President Trump had reportedly threatened Iran with annihilation. The American delegation walked out mid-speech. Then came the real substance: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, said Tehran had handed Washington a written road map — a phased 60-day ceasefire, a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, an end to the US naval blockade — and given the Americans four to five days to accept it. That’s not the language of a peace process finding its footing. It’s the language of a war entering its final act, one way

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  Report: UK’s ‘double lock’ on arms to Israel suspends nothing

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  The British government has not suspended or revoked a single additional arms export licence for Israel since announcing what Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described as a “double lock” on military sales, according to an investigation by Declassified UK. Miliband announced a package of measures on 8 September targeting Israel’s illegal occupation and settlement activity. The measures included plans to prohibit trade with illegal settlements and refuse applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation of Palestinian territory. However, responding to a parliamentary question from independent MP Iqbal Mohamed, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade confirmed that no further licences had been suspended or revoked since the announcement. The department said this was largely because

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  Protesters outside UN’s New York headquarters demand Netanyahu face war crimes charges

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  A large crowd of protesters gathered in New York to denounce Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Thursday address to the UN General Assembly, demanding he face prosecution for his war crimes. “I’m so shocked and disgusted that the United Nations even allows the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before it,” Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of US-based anti-war group Code Pink, told Anadolu. Saying his hands are “dripping in blood,” she added: “We’re here to say we’re the ones who represent the global community that says Netanyahu should not be here. He should be in The Hague facing war crimes (charges).” In November 2024, the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu

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  Rising from the ashes: Post-Assad Syria is slowly stirring

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  The adage goes, “No news is good news,” and a lack of headlines generally means that all should be well. In the case of Syria, that is true to some extent, though during the latter years of the conflict, numbness to Assad’s many crimes meant that reporting seemed to dwindle as observers accepted his “victory”. Nevertheless, Syria is generally out of the headlines when considering the region more broadly. There can be no question that the state is in a much better place than it was before 8 December 2024, but headlines in recent days remind us that there is still a great deal to consider. There have undoubtedly been many successes in Syria since the removal of Bashar Al-Assad.

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  Abbas at UN: ‘Do not allow Palestinian homes to be burned while residents sleep’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that Palestinians would not leave their homeland or accept forced displacement, while reiterating his support for a negotiated peace based on a two-state solution. In a recorded address to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Abbas said Palestinians would not allow others to determine their political future and called for international action to protect Palestinian communities. “We will not remain waiting, nor will we accept what the governments of the Israeli occupation state decide for us,” Abbas said, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. “No lasting security can be built upon the occupation of another people and the denial of their legitimate

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  Delegates walk out as Netanyahu defends Israel’s regional wars in UN address

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began an address defending Israel’s military aggression against Iran and other regional adversaries and rejecting mounting international criticism of his government’s policies. Netanyahu responded to the walkout by describing the departing delegates as “moral cowards.” The protest left a large number of seats in the General Assembly hall empty as he continued his speech. The Israeli prime minister portrayed his country as fighting a “seven-front war,” naming Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, Iran, armed groups in Iraq and Syria, and Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank. “We are going to win. We have no other choice,” he said. Turning to the war

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  Netherlands bans trade in products from Israeli settlements

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  The Netherlands has begun enforcing a ban on the import and trade of goods originating from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories, as part of measures aimed at preventing Dutch economic activity from contributing to settlements considered illegal under international law. The measure took effect on 22nd September and covers products originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the occupied Golan Heights. The prohibition applies not only to commercial imports but also to intermediary trade in settlement goods. Dutch companies operating abroad are also required to comply with the measure. According to Dutch authorities, the restrictions can also apply to settlement products carried into the Netherlands by individual travellers, including

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  Barghouti proposes Fatah reunification ahead of Palestinian elections

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti has proposed an initiative aimed at reuniting the movement’s competing factions ahead of upcoming Palestinian elections, including a call for Fatah to contest the legislative vote on a single, inclusive list. Fatah official Ahmed Ghunaim said on Thursday that Barghouti’s proposal had been formally submitted to the movement’s leadership, Central Committee and Revolutionary Council. According to Ghunaim, the initiative calls for restoring unity among Fatah’s different components and addressing previous decisions that resulted in the exclusion, marginalization or dismissal of members and prominent figures. The proposal also calls for Fatah to contest the legislative elections through a unified list representing the movement’s various currents rather than one faction within it, Ghunaim said. Earlier reports about

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  Ankara: Netanyahu’s claims against Turkey, Erdogan are desperate attempts to cover up Gaza war

  by Mehdi Editor on September 25, 2026

  Ankara has described claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “desperate and empty attempts” to cover up Israel’s war in Gaza and its ongoing aggression in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere. The statement was issued by a Turkish diplomat at the rank of third secretary at the Foreign Ministry, speaking on behalf of Turkey during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, in response to what it described as baseless claims by Netanyahu. Turkey firmly rejects the baseless and malicious accusations directed against the country and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the statement said. It added that the departure of a large number of delegations