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

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  US senator calls for accountability over Israel’s killing of 9 Americans in occupied West Bank

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  US Senator Chris Van Hollen renewed his call for accountability for nine American citizens killed by Israel in the occupied West Bank since 2022, Anadolu reports. “I want to take a few minutes to tell my colleagues about these nine American citizens who’ve been killed by Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in just over the last four years,” Van Hollen said in a Senate floor speech shared in a video on his X account. He named the dead as Omar Assad, 78; Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, 51; Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, 17; Mohammad Khdour, 17; Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26; Amer Rabee, 14; Saif Musallet, 20; Khamis Ayyad, 40; and Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 19. He said Israeli

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  Israel votes with Netanyahu’s future on the line

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  Voting began Tuesday in Israel’s parliamentary elections, with more than 7.3 million people eligible to cast ballots to elect the 120-member Knesset, Anadolu reports. Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0500GMT) and are scheduled to close at 10 pm (2000GMT), according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee. A total of 12,018 polling stations and approximately 18,000 ballot boxes have been prepared nationwide, with around 100,000 election workers deployed. Thirty-seven parties and electoral lists are competing in the elections, with at least 61 seats required to form a governing coalition. The main contenders include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, former Army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and the Together alliance led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

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  Hamas says UN report provides new evidence of Israeli crimes and impunity

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  Hamas said on Monday that a new UN report documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israeli forces in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and warning that the genocide in Gaza was continuing, provided further evidence of the scale of violations against Palestinians and the impunity enjoyed by those responsible. In a statement, the Palestinian group said the atrocities and systematic violations outlined in the report reflected the failure of the United Nations and the international community to fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities and prevent such crimes. Hamas called on the UN and the international community, including all its institutions and member states, to take serious action to implement the report’s recommendations, particularly decisive measures to end

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  Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia agree to continue regional security cooperation

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have agreed to continue dialogue to strengthen cooperation on regional peace and security, according to a joint statement issued after a four-way meeting in Tehran. The statement said the four countries had agreed to continue dialogue to enhance cooperation, including in the fields of regional peace and security. The first meeting of the four countries was held in the Iranian capital on Monday, 26 October 2026. The meeting was hosted by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also attended. READ: Pakistan can mediate between Washington and Tehran, but it cannot manufacture trust Participants agreed to

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  Erdogan says EU objections to Turkey-Libya maritime deal have no legal basis

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the European Union’s objections to the memorandum of understanding between Turkey and Libya on maritime jurisdiction areas have no legal basis. Speaking after a cabinet meeting he chaired in Ankara on Monday, Erdogan said: “The memorandum of understanding between Turkey and Libya protects the rights of both countries in the eastern Mediterranean, and there is no legal basis for the objections raised by the European Union and other parties. We expect the EU and other concerned parties to adopt a constructive approach.”  He added: “I would like to reiterate that we expect all parties seeking to exclude Turkey from the eastern Mediterranean to respect the shared will of our country and Libya.” “We

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  Egypt warns of repercussions following Ben-Gvir’s Al-Aqsa Mosque incursion

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  Egypt has condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque, accompanied by hundreds of settlers and protected by Israeli police, saying such actions violate the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and the historical and legal status quo in occupied East Jerusalem. In a statement on Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry warned that continued violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque could escalate tensions and threaten regional stability. Egypt reiterated its rejection of any attempts to change the status quo at the mosque or impose a temporal or spatial division there. It called on the international community to fulfil its responsibilities, work to halt such practices and ensure respect for relevant international resolutions. READ: Israel’s Ben-Gvir uses fines against mosques in election campaigning

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  Egypt’s regime persecutes journalists

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  The assault on an Egyptian journalist, who was beaten and dragged along the ground outside 6 October Central Hospital, west of Cairo, just days ago, highlighted the risks journalists face in Egypt. A video (https://h1.nu/1GKSf), widely shared on social media, shows around seven people beating and dragging journalist Mohamed Faisal and detaining him inside the hospital while he was reporting. One of the assailants claims to be an “army officer”, reflecting the wider security crackdown on Egyptians, particularly journalists. Faisal, who works for the government-authorised website Besraha, received a public apology from Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, who also decided to terminate the contract with the security company responsible. The incident, however, reopened old wounds among journalists. Since Abdel Fattah

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  Book of Wills

  by EditorMehdi on October 27, 2026

  “In Gaza, where the world wavers between silence and forgetting, the written word becomes a final sanctuary – a fragile, luminous act of survival,” Reem Ghanayem writes in the Editor’s Note to the bilingual edition of Book of Wills (Akoya Publishing, 2026). Both erasure and preservation are recorded in this collection of brief writings from Gaza during the genocide. As the writers in this anthology address various people, including the readers themselves, there is no escaping the importance of language.  “Language is a feeble tool,” Alberto Manguel writes in the foreword. “And yet, despite the impossibility of finding language adequate to address a victim’s suffering, when confronted with that suffering, our human condition impels us to speak.”  The book opens

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  EU’s Kallas warns of ‘serious risk’ of renewed US-Iran escalation

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Monday of a serious risk of renewed escalation between the US and Iran, saying further confrontation would benefit neither side, Anadolu reports. “There is a serious risk of renewed escalation between the United States and Iran, and any new escalation would only have losers,” Kallas said at a news conference following the European Group of Five defense ministers’ meeting in Paris. Her remarks came as she outlined discussions on the Middle East, maritime security and European defense readiness. Kallas said the EU’s naval Operation Aspides was helping keep cargo and oil flowing through the Red Sea. “I want to thank France, Italy and Greece for their important contributions to this operation,” she said.

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  Israel votes Tuesday in closely contested election as Netanyahu faces challenge from Eisenkot

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Israelis head to the polls Tuesday in a closely contested parliamentary election that could end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long rule or leave the country facing another political deadlock, with neither major bloc projected to secure a governing majority, Anadolu reports. The vote will be Israel’s first general election since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and the subsequent Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, as well as military confrontations with Lebanon and Iran. It will also be the first Israeli general election held on schedule since 1988, following decades in which successive governments collapsed before completing their four-year terms. Around 7.3 million people are eligible to vote, including approximately 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel. Voting will take place at

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  Israel’s Mossad chief backed swift Iran operation opposed by army chief: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  The head of Israeli spy agency the Mossad backed a swift military operation against Iran proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed it, Israeli media reported Monday, on the eve of the country’s pivotal general elections, with Netanyahu’s post at stake, Anadolu reports. Daily Israel Hayom said Netanyahu pushed for the operation but faced opposition from Zamir, who had not been informed of it in advance, while Mossad chief Roman Gofman supported the proposal. The daily quoted an unnamed source familiar with the discussions as saying the operation “could have led to renewed war with Iran,” although it would not have amounted to a resumption of an intensive military offensive. Israeli opposition figures

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  Lula’s victory is a cry for sovereignty against imperialism

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory in the second round of Brazil’s presidential election safeguards the country’s path towards determining its own destiny and contributing to the construction of a less unequal international order. For me, his victory over Flávio Bolsonaro also represents a defeat for the project of subordinating Brazilian foreign policy to the priorities of the United States and Israel. The ballot box has renewed the responsibility to translate diplomatic independence into development, solidarity and the defence of peace. According to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Lula secured 64,256,232 votes, representing 51.79 per cent of valid ballots, against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 59,826,041 votes, or 48.21 per cent — a margin of 4,430,191 votes. In the first round, Lula had

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  Hind Rajab Foundation files UK criminal complaint against Israeli soldier over Gaza war crimes

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint with UK authorities against Israeli soldier Lidor Dafna over alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide committed in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. The foundation said in a statement Sunday that Dafna, a reservist serving as a D9 armored bulldozer operator in the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, participated in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon from November 2023 onward. The foundation said it has reason to believe he is currently in the UK. The complaint focuses on the destruction of Great Ocean Mills, an industrial flour-producing facility in the Morag Corridor between Khan Younis and Rafah, on May 25, 2025. According to

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  Israel enters election silence period ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary vote

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Israel entered an election silence period Monday ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary elections, Anadolu’s correspondent reported. The period will remain in effect until the last polling station closes at 10 pm local time (2000GMT) Tuesday. OPINION: Israeli elections and the limits of change

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  Algeria to deploy troops to Niger to protect shared energy, economic interests

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Algeria announced Monday that it would deploy military units to neighboring Niger at the request of Nigerien authorities to protect the two countries’ shared energy and economic interests, Anadolu reports. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who also serves as supreme commander of the armed forces and national defense minister, approved the deployment, the Algerian presidency said in a statement. The move aims to “ensure the protection of shared Algerian-Nigerien energy and economic interests,” it added. The presidency said the decision was taken in accordance with the Constitution, particularly Articles 30 and 91, following a request from Niger’s authorities. Both chambers of Algeria’s parliament — the Council of the Nation and the People’s National Assembly — unanimously approved the deployment during closed-door plenary

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  Iran ready to take steps toward regional cooperation, resolving differences: President

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is ready to take steps toward deepening regional cooperation and resolving differences, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday. Speaking during a meeting in Tehran with officials from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, the members of the Mecca Defense Alliance, Pezeshkian stressed the need to strengthen unity and cooperation among Muslim countries. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, with firm conviction and serious determination, is ready to take steps toward deepening regional cooperation, resolving differences and drawing on the shared capabilities of Islamic countries,” he said. READ: Iranian parliament speaker threatens ‘unpredictable’ response to any attack, warns US He noted that Tehran supports any understanding that contributes to strengthening regional unity, cohesion, security, and development.​​​​​​​

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  Egypt’s parliament approves military support for Saudi Arabia

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Egypt’s House of Representatives on Monday approved President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s request for military assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to a parliamentary statement, Anadolu reports. The approval followed closed-door discussions on authorizing military support to the kingdom, including the possible deployment of troops, amid escalating regional tensions. Parliament said the authorization, approved by a two-thirds majority, allows Sisi to take measures in coordination with Saudi Arabia to defend the kingdom’s territory, sovereignty and holy sites. The decision followed closed-door sessions held on Oct. 18, 19 and 26 at the president’s request, the statement said. Lawmakers discussed regional developments and their implications for Egyptian and Arab national security, with representatives from different political parties and independent lawmakers participating, it added. READ: Egypt

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  Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran hold quadrilateral meeting in Tehran

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  A quadrilateral meeting between delegations from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran began in the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday, with talks set to focus on regional security, Israel’s activities in the region, and developments in Palestine and Lebanon, Anadolu reports. The meeting, hosted by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, brought together delegations from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are attending the meeting, while Turkiye is represented by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalin, Saudi Arabia by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Pakistan by Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir. READ: Turkiye, Qatar, Indonesia and Pakistan sign defense cooperation pact

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  Extremist Israeli minister storms Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on eve of elections

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday under heavy police protection on the eve of Israel’s general elections, Anadolu reports. Israeli Channel 7 reported that Ben-Gvir entered the flashpoint site amid tight security measures and performed prayers at the Al-Buraq Wall (Western Wall), the western portion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. A photo published by the channel showed Ben-Gvir surrounded by Israeli police officers and special units inside the mosque compound. READ: Netanyahu says Ben-Gvir will hold prominent ministerial position in next government Ben-Gvir had

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  ‘You hate Israel’: European Parliament Left group’s press officer says Israel deported him after 8-hour detention

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  A press officer for The Left group in the European Parliament, Manus Carlisle, said Israeli authorities deported him after detaining him for approximately eight hours at Ben Gurion International Airport, citing political activism, previous travel to the occupied West Bank, and opposition to Israel, Anadolu reports. Carlisle, who was traveling with his partner to participate in the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank as part of the Fa3za campaign, said the couple were denied entry into Israel upon arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. The Fa3za campaign coordinates volunteers and solidarity efforts between Palestinian villages facing attacks, seeking to support communities, and help protect farmers during the olive harvest season. Speaking to Anadolu, he said the

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  More than 2,600 Palestinians displaced as Israeli army continues large-scale offensive in Hebron

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  More than 2,600 Palestinians have been displaced as the Israeli army continued a large-scale military offensive in the West Bank city of Hebron for a fourth consecutive day on Monday, amid raids, closures, and assaults on residents, Anadolu reports. The army has shut all entrances to Hebron and surrounding villages since Friday following a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. Local sources told Anadolu that additional Israeli forces accompanied by military vehicles entered Hebron around midnight through the Farsh al-Hawa entrance, while troops raided the southern part of the city near Jabal Karbaj. Military reinforcements and large trucks arrived in the Al-Jilda area early Monday, where Israeli forces seized several Palestinian vehicles, the sources said. Anadolu footage showed Israeli

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  UNRWA staff rally in Gaza over salary cuts and service reductions

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  Staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) organised a demonstration and march in Gaza, Palestine, on Monday, to protest a 20 per cent salary cut and the scaling back of services, Anadolu reports. Organized following a call by the Arab Workers’ Union, the march drew UNRWA personnel from Gaza and the northern regions to gather in front of the Ketibe Mosque before marching toward the agency’s regional office to demand the protection of labor rights and the preservation of essential relief, health, and education services for Palestinian refugees. The protest comes amid severe humanitarian and living conditions across Gaza, with demonstrators raising concerns about how austerity measures are affecting workers and refugees as

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson: Will the US and Israel Attack Iran Before the Israeli Election?

  by EditorMehdi on October 26, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with John Kiriakou: Mossad US Operations: How Extensive and Long-Running? 

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  A Movement’s Promise: The Making of Contemporary Palestinian Theater

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  When Palestinian negotiators returned from the Madrid peace talks in the early 1990s, they briefed the press at a theatre in East Jerusalem. It seems an odd setting for news of talks that held the world’s attention, until you discover the role theatre had played in Palestinian life since the Nakba. A burned-out cinema until 1984, the Palestinian National Theatre was where the negotiator Hanan Ashrawi and the Jerusalem leader Faisal Al-Husseini accused Israel of ignoring its commitments. It also hosted a festival for local schools and a literary festival marking twenty years since Ghassan Kanafani’s assassination. In Al-Saber’s words, the theatre “stepped into the role of an acting ministry of culture”. That a theatre could take on such a

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  Israeli media highlights Egypt’s Rafale deployment as part of broader regional deterrence strategy

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Israeli media have highlighted the deployment of Egyptian Rafale fighter jets on the eastern front, describing the move as part of a broader military strategy aimed at strengthening Egypt’s deterrence capabilities and maintaining operational readiness across multiple regional fronts. The Israeli platform Ntziv.net reported that Egypt possesses an advanced network of modern airbases, challenging the assumption that its most sophisticated fighter aircraft are positioned toward Israel because of insufficient infrastructure elsewhere in the country. According to the platform, Egypt’s deployment of modern combat aircraft, particularly the French-made Dassault Rafale, reflects a strategy of multi-front deterrence, strategic independence and regional power projection extending beyond its eastern border. The report identified Gabal al-Basur Air Base, northwest of Cairo, as the principal operating

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  Riyadh airport partially resumes flights after Houthi attacks

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh resumed some flights on Sunday after a suspension lasting roughly two weeks following attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group. Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya reported the return of flights, airing footage from inside two terminals that had reopened. The state-run AlEkhbariya television said Terminal 1 resumed operations for domestic flights, while Terminal 2 reopened for international flights operated by Saudi carriers. The resumption followed intensive coordination between the General Authority of Civil Aviation and security and technical agencies to ensure the airport’s readiness and compliance with safety and security standards, it added. The announced resumption covers only the two terminals, with no announcement of a return to full operating capacity. Airport management did

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  Arab parliament launches international initiative to support Palestinian rights and pursue accountability

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  The Arab Parliament has launched an international parliamentary initiative aimed at mobilizing legislative bodies worldwide to increase pressure to end the Israeli occupation and hold those responsible for violations against Palestinians accountable. The initiative was announced by Arab Parliament Speaker and Chairman of its Palestine Committee, Saad bin Salib Al-Otaibi, during the committee’s first meeting of the third session of the fourth legislative term. Al-Otaibi called for moving beyond expressions of political solidarity with Palestinians toward coordinated international parliamentary action capable of translating political positions into concrete measures. He emphasized that the Palestinian issue would remain a central priority for the Arab world, stressing the need to transform parliamentary resolutions and declarations into practical steps that could be monitored and

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  Jordanian court sentences seven Muslim Brotherhood leaders in fundraising and money laundering case

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  A Jordanian court on Sunday sentenced seven leaders and members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, including the group’s General Supervisor Murad Al-Adayleh, to prison terms ranging from six months to three years in a case involving illegal fundraising and money laundering. According to Jordanian media reports, the verdicts are subject to appeal within one month. Al-Adayleh and fellow Brotherhood leader Tariq Al-Raqab were each sentenced to six months in prison after being convicted of the misdemeanour of illegal fundraising. Al-Adayleh was acquitted of charges related to violations of Jordan’s Anti-Money Laundering Law. Five other Brotherhood leaders and activists received three-year prison sentences, including Ahmed Al-Zarqan, who was responsible for overseeing the organization’s financial affairs. Al-Zarqan was convicted of violating the

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  Hamas condemns Israeli airstrikes on Islamic University in Gaza, calls for mediators to intervene

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Hamas on Sunday condemned Israeli airstrikes on the campus of the Islamic University in Gaza City, describing the attack as a war crime and urging mediators and guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement to intervene immediately. In a statement, the movement said the strikes occurred while students were present on campus, killing three university staff members and injuring several others. Hamas described the attack as a “clear-cut war crime” and accused Israel of continuing its military operations against civilian institutions despite the ceasefire agreement. The movement said the bombing was part of what it described as an ongoing campaign of destruction and attacks against Palestinians in Gaza. Hamas also accused the Israeli government of repeatedly violating the ceasefire through continued

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  Palestinian Rights Commission calls for international investigation into home demolitions and forced evacuations in Hebron

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) has condemned Israeli military operations in Hebron, warning that the demolition of homes, forced evacuation of residential neighbourhoods and restrictions imposed on civilians may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, Anadolu reports. In a statement issued Sunday, the commission, also known as the Ombudsman, called for an immediate halt to the measures and an urgent international investigation, urging that those responsible be held accountable before international courts. The commission said Israeli forces had maintained closures around Hebron and its entrances following an armed operation on Friday, 23rd October, while ordering hundreds of Palestinian families to evacuate their homes. According to the statement, Israeli forces have demolished residential buildings and commercial facilities,

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  Palestinian president’s adviser accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing in West Bank

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Israel has displaced more than 3,000 Palestinians from their homes in the northern occupied West Bank over the past two years, particularly in the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s adviser Mahmoud al-Habbash said, warning that the same scenario could be repeated in Hebron. Speaking to Cairo News Channel presenter Yasser Rushdi, al-Habbash said hundreds of Palestinian families, including shepherds, tribal communities and Bedouin families living in the mountainous areas of the West Bank, had been forced to leave their homes and prevented from grazing their sheep, threatening their livelihoods and stability. He said these developments raised concerns about a systematic plan to remove Palestinians from their land, adding that such fears had grown amid

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  7-year-old girl among 4 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Four Palestinians, including a 7-year-old girl, were killed and 14 others injured in attacks by the Israeli army and Israel-backed gunmen in the Gaza Strip on Monday, amid daily violations of last year’s ceasefire agreement, a medical source said, Anadolu reports. The source at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza told Anadolu that the bodies of two young men and a girl were brought to the hospital following an airstrike and gunfire in the Bir 19 area west of Khan Younis. An Israeli drone carried out several strikes on Bir 19, an area housing tents for displaced Palestinians, killing a young man and moderately injuring four others, witnesses said. Israeli military vehicles also opened heavy fire toward the displacement tents as

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  Israeli army chief clashes with Netanyahu over toppling Iran’s regime

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Israeli media reports have highlighted growing divisions between Israel’s political and military leadership over how to deal with Iran, with security officials and allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believing that Iran’s regime cannot be toppled through direct military action. Israel’s Channel 12 reported an “unprecedented” confrontation between army chief Eyal Zamir and Netanyahu, which escalated in recent hours over their positions on Iran and related developments. According to the report, Zamir and several senior security officials fear that the political leadership’s approach could lead to a serious miscalculation and trigger a dangerous military escalation with Iran ahead of Israel’s elections. Concerns are also growing within the military that the Iran issue could be used for political purposes. Meanwhile, Israel’s

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  Iranian parliament speaker threatens ‘unpredictable’ response to any attack, warns US

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Iran is prepared to respond in “unpredictable” ways to any attack on its territorial integrity, the Iranian parliament speaker said, warning that threats of all-out war or assassination operations would not force the Iranian people to abandon their rights and interests. In remarks carried by the Iranian Tasnim news agency, the speaker said Tehran would not allow any foreign power to impose its will on the country or dictate its choices. He added that military threats would not change Iran’s position. The United States would not be credible in Tehran’s eyes unless it honoured its commitments in a genuine and tangible way, changed its behaviour and abandoned what he described as US ambitions, he said. The Iranian official accused Washington

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  PLO rejects plans to lay off UNRWA staff, calls for urgent funding

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee on Sunday firmly rejected any plans to lay off large numbers of staff at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), calling on donor countries to provide adequate and sustainable funding. The committee discussed the issue at a meeting in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, following remarks on Friday by Riyad Zeighan, head of the General Conference of Local Staff Unions at UNRWA, who said the agency planned to lay off large numbers of employees across its areas of operation due to a lack of funding. The committee called for urgent international action to provide about $70 million to cover immediate funding needs and ensure UNRWA staff receive their salaries in November

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  Iraq suspects Israel behind attack on weapons depots and military systems inside Iraq

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  An attack targeted military facilities in Iraq last week, including Chinese-made air defence systems and ammunition depots reportedly recently delivered from Iran for Shiite militias in the country, Iraqi sources said, with suspicions that Israel was behind the strike. Saudi media quoted two Iraqi sources as saying that authorities in Baghdad had indications pointing to Israel’s involvement, but had yet to determine how the attack was carried out or whether it involved warplanes or drones. The attack wounded five people, who sustained minor injuries, according to the sources. Iraqi authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The developments come amid previous reports of possible Israeli military activity inside Iraq. About six months ago, US media reported that Israel

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  Netanyahu’s inner circle doubts military action can topple Iran’s regime

  by Marwa A on October 26, 2026

  Sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior security officials believe military action will weaken Iran’s regime but will not topple it, Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11 reported. One of Netanyahu’s allies recently said he did not believe military action could replace Iran’s regime, but could only weaken it. A senior Israeli security official was also quoted as saying that “a military attack will not topple the regime, but will weaken it”. These assessments contradict Netanyahu’s own statements in recent days, when he said the mission must be completed and Iran’s regime toppled during the remaining two years of US President Donald Trump’s term. About six months ago, Netanyahu said that toppling the regime was a matter for

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

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026
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  Why is the Middle East waiting out the Trump presidency?

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  There appears to be little prospect of lasting peace between Iran and the United States while Donald Trump remains in the White House. This is a view that an increasing number of serious actors across the region now seem to share. Eight months into Iran war, Washington has neither broken Tehran’s resolve nor found a clear path out. The president’s own remarks point to a narrowing set of options. Trump told TIME he does not believe peace with Iran is ever possible, a striking admission from the leader still expected to negotiate one. Tehran, for its part, has set conditions it knows this administration cannot meet, insisting that sanctions and threats be lifted before talks resume and that not a

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  Opposition leader says Netanyahu ‘no longer fit’ to lead Israel

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  Just days before pivotal Israeli elections, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “no longer fit” to lead the country, warning that his economic plan to counter potential international sanctions threatens national security, Anadolu reports. On US social media company X, the Yashar party leader accused Netanyahu of turning his attention to “dismantling the Israeli economy for generations ahead” after “dismantling Israeli society and weakening the army.” Eisenkot said Netanyahu’s recent remarks are “conclusive proof that he has lost touch with reality and moved into a world of delusions,” accusing him of proposing preparations to disconnect from the global financial system in response to Israel’s declining international standing. “This is the madness of a man

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  Israeli army turns Palestinian homes into military posts in West Bank city of Hebron

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  Israeli forces turned Palestinian homes into barracks and observation posts after forcing residents to leave the city of Hebron on Saturday, day two of a military operation in the southern occupied West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, Anadolu reports. Troops took over homes in the Khallat Manna and Dahiyat al-Zaytoun areas of southern Hebron to be used as barracks, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, citing sources. They also forced residents from homes in other neighborhoods and used the properties as observation posts, said sources. The evictions follow the forced displacement of hundreds of families since Friday, amid extensive raids, road closures, and tight restrictions on movement. Near Bethlehem, Israeli forces blocked dirt roads leading to the

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  UK urged to impose ‘full sanctions and political isolation’ of Israel over situation in West Bank

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  A ruling Labour Party lawmaker on Saturday urged the British government to act on the situation in the occupied West Bank, saying “full sanctions and (the) political isolation of Israel” must be led by the UK, Anadolu reports. “As Netanyahu starts the process of turning the West Bank into a second Gaza our government has to act,” John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes & Harlington, wrote on US social media platform X. “The message needs to go out that this extension of the genocide will not be tolerated.” McDonnell’s remarks came after reports that Israel had launched a campaign of collective punishment of Palestinians in the city of Hebron after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three near a

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  Saudi-led coalition intercepts 10 Houthi ballistic missiles targeting southern Saudi Arabia

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Sunday that it intercepted and destroyed 10 ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group from Yemen toward Saudi Arabia’s southern region, Anadolu reports. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said on US social media company X that the missiles were shot down, without giving any details about injuries or damage. His announcement came after he said earlier in the day that the coalition intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile that targeted the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait. Maliki also said that coalition forces had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and two drones launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh. The developments came amid escalating hostilities involving attacks on Saudi aviation and energy infrastructure and

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  Iran says ‘nothing will be same’ in region after war with US

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that “nothing will be the same” in the region after the recent war with the US and Israel, including the management of the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. “The current war has changed everything. We must acknowledge that new realities have emerged,” Araghchi said in a speech at the Foreign Ministry, as cited by Iran’s Press TV. “The shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same as before, nor will the strait be managed as it was in the past,” he added. The top diplomat stressed that Tehran would welcome “any security plan originating from within the region itself.” Iran and the US remain at odds over

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  Could Hormuz become America’s Suez?

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  In 1956, Britain was forced to abandon the Suez Canal and withdraw from Egypt after a humiliating political and financial defeat. The crisis did not end the British Empire overnight, but it exposed the decline of a power that had dominated much of the world for more than two centuries, in an empire on which the sun famously never set. Britain could still fight wars, but it could no longer act as an independent global power without facing the economic and political limits of its strength. Now, nearly seventy years later, the question is whether the war with Iran and the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz could become America’s Suez. When war becomes too expensive After Egyptian President Gamal

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  Senior Iranian lawmaker threatens to target Israel if Iran comes under attack

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  The head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee warned Saturday that a “single miscalculation” could render Israel uninhabitable in less than an hour, posting a map marking infrastructure sites across the country, Anadolu reports. “A single miscalculation is all it takes: the occupied lands rendered uninhabitable in under an hour,” Ebrahim Azizi wrote on US social media company X. بدانید در صورت هرگونه اقدام علیه امنیت و منافع ملی ما، غیرمسکونی سازی سرزمین های اشغالی کمتر از یک ساعت زمان می‌برد. https://t.co/UIwf6PTNop — ابراهیم عزیزی (@Ebrahimazizi33) October 24, 2026 The map identified desalination plants, power stations, oil facilities, bridges, and transport routes, as well as the Dimona nuclear research center in the Negev desert in southern

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  Cryptocurrencies cannot circumvent sanctions: Bank of Israel responds to Netanyahu

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  The Bank of Israel said Saturday that cryptocurrencies cannot be used to circumvent potential economic sanctions in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to prepare alternative financial arrangements, according to a media report. The public broadcaster said the central bank’s response followed Netanyahu’s interview on Friday with an Israeli business channel, during which he proposed using cryptocurrencies as part of contingency plans for possible economic and banking sanctions, Anadolu reports. The bank said cryptocurrencies “cannot be used as a route for bypassing sanctions,” according to the broadcaster. “The right thing for Israel’s economy is preserving the economic relationships with our principal trade partners and focusing on preventing sanctions and their negative influence on the economy,” said the bank. It

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  Terrorists in the West Bank: Settler violence and the excusing hand

  by Marwa A on October 25, 2026

  The persistent violence from Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied territories of the West Bank has become such common fare it risks becoming banal. Unfortunately, it takes events such as those befalling veteran photojournalist Heidi Levine of The Washington Post and European diplomats to return the attention to something that is not only grotesque but programmatic. On 16th October, while covering the annual olive harvest in the West Bank Levine, fellow journalists and a group of Palestinians became the ripe targets of Israeli settlers.  The auguries of violence were already present: over the course of 24 days since the season commenced, 125 physical attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters had been reported.  After an initial gathering at a hilltop in

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  Chile passes law establishing annual day of friendship and solidarity with Palestine

  by Marwa A on October 24, 2026

  Sixteen years after recognising the State of Palestine, Chile will mark its first official Day of Chilean-Palestinian Friendship and Solidarity on 7th January 2027, following the passage of a new law celebrating the historic ties between the two peoples. Published in Chile’s Official Gazette on Thursday, 22nd October 2026, Law No. 21,843 officially designates 7 January as an annual day of friendship and solidarity with Palestine. The move also reaffirms Chile’s commitment to Palestinian human rights, going beyond a symbolic celebration of the longstanding relationship between the two countries. The move goes beyond celebrating the historic friendship between the two peoples. It also reaffirms Chile’s commitment to protecting human rights, particularly those of the Palestinian people, in line with UN

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  Gwadar in the regional energy equation: Strategic opportunity or costly promise for Pakistan?

  by Marwa A on October 24, 2026

  Marine bunkering services have begun at Gwadar. Meanwhile, according to reporting in June 2026, the proposed $10 billion Saudi refinery announced for the port in 2019 had yet to attract the promised investment. These contrasting experiences raise a fundamental question: where should Pakistan begin with Gwadar’s development? The strongest starting point is commercial activity with existing customers and measurable revenue. That can provide a foundation for larger investments. Pakistani fuel, a new market According to a July 2026 announcement by Pakistan’s Port Community System, Gwadar’s inaugural commercial bunkering operation delivered 2,500 tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil produced by Cnergyico. Vitol conducted the operation with Pakistan’s National Logistics Corporation (NLC). Cnergyico’s coastal refining complex is located in Hub, Balochistan.