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

• 
  Israel tightens solitary confinement of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, his office says

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  Israeli prison authorities have recently tightened the solitary confinement conditions of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti at Ganot Prison, where he has been held in isolation since November 2023, his office said Thursday, Anadolu reports. According to the statement, Barghouti has been held in Israeli prisons since 2002 after years of pursuit, and has spent long periods in solitary confinement alongside other prominent Palestinian prisoners. His office said Israeli authorities have repeatedly transferred Barghouti between solitary confinement wings in several prisons, describing the measures as “systematic arbitrary practices” against the Fatah leader since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. The statement added that Israeli prison authorities had further tightened restrictions on his confinement. According to Palestinian

• 
  Rouzaina… the true face of Syria

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  I did not regret missing Rouzaina Lazkani’s television work as much as I regretted discovering—too late—that Syria had been hiding its true face in a place we had not looked closely enough. Rouzaina, chosen by President Ahmad al‑Shar’a as part of the complementary third of the People’s Assembly, is not merely an actress stepping into politics. She is a distilled image of a Syria trying to break free from the era of rigid interpretations and step into the era of life. I cannot write about Rouzaina the actress; I was not fortunate enough to watch her performances. But I can write about the Syria I know well through years of journalism—Syria that now reveals itself in small but decisive details:

• 
  6 killed, 22 injured in bomb explosion at cafe in Syrian capital

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  At least six people were killed and 22 others injured in a bomb explosion at a cafe in central Damascus on Thursday, the Syrian Health Ministry told Alikhbariah TV. Earlier, Ahmed Bakour, director of the ministry’s ambulance department, told the television that all the wounded were transferred to several hospitals in the Syrian capital. According to Alikhbariah’s correspondent, the blast was caused by an explosive device planted inside the cafe on Al-Nasr Street, near the Justice Palace.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion, while investigations are ongoing. READ: Israeli forces open fire on civilians in southern Syrian village

• 
  Syrian Airlines launches first flight from Amsterdam to Damascus after years of suspension, media says

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  The first direct Syrian Airlines flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands to Damascus took off on Thursday, marking the resumption of direct flights between the two countries after years of suspension, Syria’s news agency SANA reported. The new route is part of a plan to restore and expand the number of destinations served by Syria’s national carrier to Europe, it said. Direct flights between European airports and Syria are gradually resuming after nearly 14 years of suspension. In addition to Syrian Airlines launching regular flights between Damascus and Amsterdam, Romania’s Dan Air began operating flights from Bucharest to Aleppo as of July 1. Dan Air resumed flights to Damascus in June 2025. Preparations are also underway in Germany

• 
  Israeli army raids city in northern occupied West Bank, closes main roads

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilya in the northern occupied West Bank on Thursday, closing several main roads amid a wide military deployment and a house raid, local sources reported. Several Israeli military vehicles stormed the city through its southern entrance and deployed in the Wadi Street area before raiding a home, sources told Anadolu Agency. No arrests were reported by the time of publication. Israeli forces fired stun grenades at young men in the Wadi Street area while imposing a military cordon around Al-Ghubari Hall and closing all entrances and roads leading to it, the sources said. Tension prevailed in the city as the military deployment and closures continued, disrupting the movement of residents in several neighborhoods. West

• 
  Iranian parliament speaker calls for public turnout at former supreme leader’s funeral

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Thursday called on the public to attend funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing the event as a demonstration of national unity, according to Iran’s Press TV, Anadolu Agency reports. In a message to the public, Qalibaf also called for vengeance over Khamenei’s killing, saying Iranians should not remain silent in the face of what he described as aggression. Public funeral ceremonies are scheduled to begin Saturday at 6 am local time (0300 GMT) at Tehran’s Mosalla Mosque, according to Iranian authorities. Khamenei is expected to be buried on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. He was killed on Feb. 28, the first day of the US-Israeli

• 
  US, Iran expected to hold direct talks in Doha in 3rd week of July: Sources

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  The US and Iran are expected to hold their next round of direct talks in Doha in the third week of July to advance implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency on Thursday. The talks are expected to focus on the evolving situation in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said. “Pakistani and Qatari mediators are in constant touch with both sides to resume the direct talks to settle all pending issues” a source close to mediation process said. Washington is ready for the talks, while Tehran has also conveyed a “positive” response, the source added. “Iran has hinted at resuming the talks after funeral of (slain leader) Syed Ali Khamenei’s funeral,”

• 
  US fighter jets presence over Hormuz threatens regional security: Iranian army

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  The Iranian army warned on Thursday that the continued presence of US manned and unmanned military aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz threatens regional security and vowed a “swift and decisive” response to any American interference in the strategic waterway. In a statement carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the continued presence of US fighter jets and drones over the Strait of Hormuz “has caused insecurity in this waterway and will threaten regional security.” Iran “will not hesitate to take any action” to repel “any aggression and violation by the US military and its supporters in defense of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.” “Any American interference in the Strait of Hormuz will

• 
  At least 21,000 children killed in Gaza after 1,000 days of war, Save the Children says

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  At least 21,000 children have been confirmed killed in Gaza during 1,000 days of war, while hundreds of thousands more have been displaced and deprived of education, Save the Children said on Thursday. Marking the 1,000th day of the war, the aid agency said children continue to dream of peace despite losing their homes, schools and sense of safety. “Every day for the past 1,000 days, the world has failed one million children in Gaza, by not intervening to stop the killing and maiming of children,” said Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Ahmad Ahendawi. The organization said at least 21,000 children have been confirmed killed during the war, though the true

• 
  Palestine solidarity takes center stage throughout 2026 FIFA World Cup

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  Fans of nations competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup –co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico — have been showing support for Palestine in public squares before matches and in stadiums during matches, Anadolu reports. Throughout the World Cup, fans are displaying Palestinian flags, demanding freedom for Palestine and opposing the genocide in the Gaza Strip. Many countries participating in the World Cup have also supported the global demand from fans to “show Israel red card” due to the genocide. Palestinian flag displayed during Turkiye-US match As the Turkish National Football Team defeated the US 3-2 in their final Group D match, a Palestinian flag carried in the stadium behind the goal was waved by a Turkish fan throughout

• 
  1,000 days of Israel’s genocide: Gaza children get killed, orphaned and starved

  by Mehdi Editor on July 2, 2026

  As the Gaza Strip marks 1,000 days since Israel began its genocidal war on the enclave, Palestinian children continue to face a reality shaped by killing, hunger, orphanhood, and displacement, amid the collapse of protection and care systems, Anadolu reports. According to official figures, the Israeli army killed more than 21,000 children and injured about 44,500 others in Gaza from Oct. 8, 2023, to early April 2026, making children among the groups most affected by Israel’s ongoing war. The casualties did not stop even after a ceasefire entered into force on Oct. 10, 2025. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said 265 children were killed and more than 400 others injured since the ceasefire, an average of nearly one child killed

• 
  UK MPs warn platforming Pahlavi risks replacing ‘one form of authoritarian rule with another’

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  British MP Bob Blackman has urged the Dutch parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee to rescind an invitation to Reza Pahlavi, warning that giving the son of Iran’s former Shah an official platform risks undermining the Iranian people’s democratic aspirations. In a letter dated 30 June, addressed to the chairman and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in The Hague, Blackman said he was writing on behalf of the British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF), a cross-party group of members from both Houses of the UK Parliament. Read: Trump questions Reza Pahlavi’s ability to win support in Iran The letter followed reports that Pahlavi had been invited to address the Dutch committee on 6 July. Blackman later

• 
  Democratic primaries reveal what the DNC autopsy buried

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The Democratic National Committee’s 192-page post-mortem on the 2024 election, titled “Build to Win. Build to Last,” failed to build, to win, or to learn. It never answered the only question that mattered: how did a twice-impeached, multiply-indicted former president walk back into the White House with more votes than prior to his indictments? The report, authored by Democratic strategist Paul Rivera and released in May 2026 after months of stonewalling by DNC Chair Ken Martin, reads less as a serious political reckoning than as a confirmation-bias pamphlet drafted by people determined not to upset the party’s old guard. It calls for renewed focus on “Middle America,” criticizes years of disinvestment in state parties, and faults poor economic messaging. It

• 
  Press freedom group moves to quell outrage over fears Gaza journalists could be delisted

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has moved to contain a growing backlash over fears that Palestinian and Lebanese reporters killed by Israel could be erased from its casualty database, voting on Wednesday to affirm its existing definition of “who is a journalist.” The vote came after days of criticism over reports that CPJ was considering whether to revisit its criteria at a time when Israel has killed more journalists than any other recent war. Critics warned that any narrowing of the definition could serve Israeli efforts to smear Palestinian reporters after killing them. CPJ denied that it had planned to exclude slain Palestinian and Lebanese journalists, insisting that its existing definition remains in place. “It is not true that

• 
  Tehran vows ‘immediate powerful response’ to threats against Iranian people, leadership

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Wednesday that any threat against the Iranian people and leadership “will receive an immediate powerful response”, Anatoly agency reported “The terms of the Islamabad MoU are crystal clear and public for all to see,” Araghchi wrote on the US social media platform X. US President Donald Trump “has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv,” he said. “If they ignore their master, Iran will school them.” The minister posted his remarks alongside what appeared to be a screenshot of a news report in which Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “marked for death.” The comments come as a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran,

• 
  Amnesty International accuses Sudan’s RSF of crimes against humanity in El Fasher

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Amnesty International has accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing crimes against humanity and carrying out ethnic cleansing during their military campaign in and around El Fasher between 2024 and 2025. In a report released on Wednesday, the rights organisation said RSF forces conducted systematic attacks against civilian communities in North Darfur during their offensive to seize the city. The report calls on the international community to take urgent action to prevent further atrocities and hold those responsible accountable. Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, a war that the United Nations says has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. Earlier this year,

• 
  ‘Peace Council’ says UNRWA has no role in ‘new Gaza’

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The Peace Council in Gaza said on Wednesday that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees will have no role in what it described as a “New Gaza,” signalling its intention to replace the long-standing aid model with a new governance framework. In a statement posted on its account on X, the council said it aims to end what it described as “continued dependence on aid,” adding that “the people of Gaza deserve more.” The statement was accompanied by a video featuring remarks by US Ambassador to the United Nations Jeff Bartos, who addressed member states during a UN meeting on Tuesday. Bartos said the UN Security Council had approved, by what he described as an “overwhelming majority,” the establishment of

• 
  Israeli Parliament Advances Bill to Restrict Mosque Loudspeakers

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Israel’s parliament has approved the preliminary reading of a controversial bill that would restrict the use of loudspeakers at places of worship, a proposal widely viewed as targeting the Muslim call to prayer. The bill, commonly referred to as the “Muezzin Bill,” passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset on Wednesday by 50 votes to 36. The proposed legislation would regulate the use of loudspeaker systems at houses of worship under provisions aimed at limiting noise. However, public and political debate has centred primarily on its potential impact on the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) broadcast from mosques. The bill was introduced by Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Zvika Fogel. It must still pass committee review and three additional readings in the

• 
  Hamas calls for emergency Arab summit over alleged Gaza displacement plans

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Hamas has called on the Arab League to convene an emergency summit to address what it described as Israeli plans to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, urging Arab states to adopt a unified political response. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said repeated Israeli statements about proposals concerning Gaza’s population reflected what he described as the seriousness of efforts to displace Palestinians from the territory. Qassem argued that these plans are accompanied by military actions that, in his view, are destroying the conditions necessary for civilian life and forcing residents to leave the Strip. He called on the Arab League to hold an emergency summit to coordinate a collective response. According to Qassem, the issue

• 
  Colonial expansion is always accompanied by the international community’s unspoken consent

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  It takes little to ascertain that the reason for Israel’s genocide in Gaza was colonial expansion. Israel made no secret of it from the start, with talks about forced transfer and attempts to involve the international community in its war crimes. Settlement leaders were also very vocal about resettling in Gaza throughout the genocide and recently ridiculed the EU’s sanctions against Israeli settler leaders and organisations. The latter, unfortunately, is probably well placed ridicule as sanctions without decolonisation will not stop Israel’s colonial expansion, as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed this week. Israeli media reported Smotrich stating that there are plans for three Israeli settlements awaiting approval by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During a meeting with the mayor of

• 
  The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader: America’s strategic miscalculation under the shadow of Israeli narratives

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  As Iran prepares for the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the scale of anticipated public participation indicates that they are set to become one of the most significant mass gatherings in contemporary Iranian history. Reports indicate that vast crowds are expected to arrive from across the country, alongside official delegations from numerous states. This moment offers a clear opportunity to assess the U.S. and Israeli decision to assassinate him in February 2026. The operation rested on a flawed assessment of Khamenei’s real role and standing within Iran’s social and political structure. In this regard, the United States was shaped largely by Israeli media narratives and intelligence assessments—accounts that substantially underestimated

• 
  EU hides secret Gaza files as UN says Israel is committing genocide

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The European Commission is refusing to release 17 secret reports on EU-funded infrastructure in Gaza, which could reveal further evidence of Israel’s destruction of European-backed civilian projects and increase pressure on Brussels to confront whether its continued partnership with Israel violates the human rights obligations underpinning EU-Israel relations. The refusal came on the same day that a UN inquiry said Israel continues to commit genocide in Gaza by deliberately targeting Palestinian children, raising questions over whether the EU is concealing evidence that could strengthen calls to suspend or review its agreements with Israel. According to EUobserver journalist Nikolaj Nielsen, the refusal was signed on 23 June by Michael Karnitschnig, acting head of the Commission department dealing with the Middle East.

• 
  Gaza on the edge of forced displacement: Israel’s new language for an old policy

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  In politics, words are not changed for no reason. When a policy becomes too costly morally, legally, or internationally, states do not always abandon it. Sometimes they simply rename it, so it becomes easier to sell and harder to condemn. This is what is happening today in the Israeli debate on Gaza. The term “voluntary migration” no longer serves the purpose. It sounds too close to transfer, and it opens the door to direct accusations of forced displacement. So new language is being tested: “freedom of movement” or “free passage,” or “opening the way for those who want to leave”. But the problem is not the name. The problem is the reality that produces this so-called choice. A Palestinian who

• 
  Spain receives 20 Palestinian children from Gaza for medical treatment

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Spain has received 20 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip along with their families as part of the sixth medical evacuation mission, where they will receive treatment in Spanish hospitals. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said in a post on X that the children “leave behind the barbarity to receive the care they need in our hospitals.” She added that they “arrive with fear, but also hope,” describing their arrival as “a source of national pride.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that “no human being, and, of course, no child, should have to endure the horror being lived through in Gaza.” He added Spain is currently hosting 100 Palestinians, including the 20 children and their families, for medical treatment.

• 
  US, Iran make progress in indirect talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The United States and Iran have made progress in indirect talks, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said late on Wednesday that “positive progress” had been made on issues related to the framework agreement reached two weeks ago to end the Iran war. The talks were held in the Qatari capital, Doha, with mediators holding separate meetings with negotiators from both sides. In a post on X, Al Ansari said the two sides had “agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader.” He was referring to Ali Khamenei, who was killed

• 
  Arab League says calls to end UNRWA’s role in Gaza lack legal basis

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The League of Arab States on Wednesday condemned statements by the Board of Peace regarding the Gaza Strip, in which it called for ending the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the territory, saying such a move “lacks any legal basis”. In a statement issued by its Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Department, the Arab League said it strongly condemned the remarks, describing them as political claims that “lack any legal or humanitarian basis”. Earlier on Wednesday, the Board of Peace said in a statement that there was no place for UNRWA in what it called the “new Gaza”. The board claimed it was seeking to end what it described as the “continued

• 
  Shocking figures: Iraqi official says more than $2tn stolen since 2003

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  An Iraqi official has claimed that more than $2 trillion has been stolen from Iraq since 2003, describing the scale of corruption and illicit wealth as “beyond belief”. Munir Haddad, legal adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, told the state-run Iraqi TV channel that the value of stolen public funds had exceeded $2 trillion since the 2003 US-led invasion. Haddad said investigations into those arrested on corruption charges were continuing and that there were no final figures on the number of suspects, as daily raids and arrests were still being carried out. He said key suspects had made detailed confessions that led security and judicial authorities to identify and arrest more individuals. Some suspects had attempted to flee Iraq

• 
  Israel to keep troops in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israeli forces would remain in what he described as “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for an indefinite period, with no timetable for withdrawal. Speaking at a memorial ceremony for soldiers killed in the 2006 war with Lebanon, Katz said: “The Israeli army will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza until further notice to protect our residents and communities from jihadist elements.” He stressed that Israel “will not withdraw from the security zones”. Katz also renewed his warning to Tehran, saying Iran would face strikes “with full force” if it attacked Israeli forces operating in Lebanon. His remarks came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

• 
  Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar killed by Israeli army in Gaza

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar was killed earlier this week in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army, according to a statement by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), Anadolu reports. The PFA said Al-Ashqar was killed by fire opened by occupation forces. It said he was one of hundreds of Palestinian sporting figures killed, including more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes, since the genocidal war began in October 2023. Al-Ashqar was married five months ago, and his wife is expecting the couple’s first child. An outpouring of grief from relatives, teammates, and the wider Palestinian sporting and world community have occurred since his death. “We deeply mourn the tragic death of 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper Salim Al-Ashqar. He was killed by the Israeli

• 
  Gaza’s Resistance Security says it executed man accused of role in killing Al-Qassam commander

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  The Resistance Security in the Gaza Strip said on Wednesday it had executed a man convicted of collaborating with Israeli intelligence, accusing him of helping carry out assassinations targeting leaders of Palestinian resistance factions, including the late commander of Al-Qassam Brigades, Izz al-Din al-Haddad. In a statement received by Quds Press, the group said the man, identified only by the initials M.M., was executed after what it described as the completion of “all revolutionary procedures”. It alleged that he worked with Israeli intelligence and was responsible for facilitating “several massacres” during the war in the Gaza Strip. It also accused him of assisting in the assassinations of several resistance leaders, most recently Izz al-Din al-Haddad, chief of staff of Al-Qassam

• 
  The Green Zone always wins

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Counter-Terrorism Service sealed every entrance to Baghdad’s Green Zone and moved with military precision through the residential compounds within. When the sun rose, 47 people were in custody. Among them: twelve sitting members of parliament, a former governor, a senior adviser to the outgoing prime minister, and an array of oil ministry officials. The trigger was the confession of Adnan al-Jumaili, the Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs, detained the previous month on corruption charges. Investigators say al-Jumaili’s testimony, accompanied by the prior seizure of more than $85 million in public funds, implicated an entire ecosystem of officials in schemes to misappropriate state revenues. The Commission of Integrity issued the warrants. Several suspects fled before security forces reached them; the

• 
  Monsters playing victims: Danny Danon’s twisted war on the truth

  by Marwa A on July 2, 2026

  Whether Israelis will ever comprehend the irreparable damage inflicted upon their country’s reputation by their UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, is a moot point. The damage Israel has done to itself through its barbaric practices in occupied Palestine is simply impossible to overcome. Danon, however, utilises a peculiar approach to defending Israel within international institutions: he relies on bullying, intimidation, and an overt attempt to silence anyone who dares to challenge the official Israeli narrative—particularly women leaders. Yet, what makes his behaviour most outrageous is his deployment of these abrasive tactics to suppress an issue that demands the utmost sensitivity: the systemic use of sexual violence and human rights abuses against Palestinians. The confrontation took place during a UN General Assembly

• 
  Iran says IAEA inspectors ‘will not be granted any access’ to bombed nuclear sites

  by Marwa A on July 1, 2026

  Iran’s Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “will not be granted any access” to its bombed sites, Anadolu reports. “Parliament itself passed the law, and the Supreme National Security Council has also adopted a corresponding resolution,” Qalibaf said in televised remarks posted on his Telegram channel. “Under this law, no access whatsoever will be granted to sites that have been bombed and damaged,” he added. The speaker stressed that Tehran “will not grant any access” beyond what has been authorized by the country’s Supreme National Security Council. “The IAEA inspectors are only entitled to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Tehran Research Reactor,” he added. His comments

• 
  UN peacekeepers in Lebanon say they face movement restrictions in southern Lebanon

  by Marwa A on July 1, 2026

  The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that they continue to face restrictions on their freedom of movement in Lebanon, Anadolu reports. Those restrictions included “blocked routes due to barriers, debris, and other obstacles temporarily halt essential patrols and safety operations,” the UNIFIL said in a statement released on Telegram. “UN peacekeepers remain on the ground, monitoring the situation and reporting observed violations in line with our mandate under Security Council resolution 1701,” it added. The statement said the UNIFIL forces continue to ease humanitarian access, with its peacekeepers remaining in position and committed to supporting stability in southern Lebanon despite difficulties. On Friday, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-sponsored framework agreement aimed at facilitating a

• 
  UN warns expanding Israeli-controlled areas in Gaza are increasing risks to civilians

  by Marwa A on July 1, 2026

  The UN warned on Wednesday that Israel’s continued expansion of controlled areas in Gaza is increasing risks to civilians and limiting humanitarian operations, Anadolu reports. At a daily briefing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said humanitarian partners urged protection for civilians, including along the so-called “yellow line.” He said the Humanitarian Country Team, which includes UN agencies and NGOs operating in the occupied Palestinian territory, reported that Israel’s territorial expansion since the October ceasefire has heightened civilian risks and further restricted aid delivery. Dujarric said the UN human rights office verified the deaths of 196 Palestinians, including 18 women and 43 children, in Israeli attacks near areas where Israeli forces were deployed between Oct. 10 and April. “Many people were reportedly

• 
  Iran says part of initial $6B in frozen assets to fund purchase of ‘needed goods’

  by Marwa A on July 1, 2026

  Iran announced Wednesday that part of the initial $6 billion in frozen assets will be used to purchase “needed goods” following talks in Doha, Anadolu reports. According to the official IRNA news agency, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs and chief negotiator, said discussions with Qatari officials included issues related to spending part of the funds. “During meetings with Qatari officials, some issues related to spending part of the initial $6 billion were reviewed, and it was decided that, based on our country’s declared needs, the purchase of needed goods would be carried out and made available to Iran,” Gharibabadi said. He made the remarks after concluding a round of talks in Doha, where an

• 
  3 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza despite ongoing ceasefire

  by Marwa A on July 1, 2026

  Three Palestinians were killed Wednesday in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, in fresh violations of the ceasefire agreement in place since October 2025, Anadolu reports. Mohammed Naim Jundiya was killed when an Israeli drone targeted him near Municipal Park on Omar al-Mukhtar Street in central Gaza City, a medical source told Anadolu. Witnesses said the strike hit Jundiya while he was walking on Omar al-Mukhtar Street, one of the city’s main roads, and damaged several vehicles at the scene. Two Palestinians were also killed and a third was critically injured after a drone strike targeted a gathering of civilians in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City, the source added. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli violations of

• 
  Germany weighs bringing navy ships home as Hormuz mission looks unlikely

  by Marwa A on July 1, 2026

  Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday he was considering recalling two German navy ships deployed to the Red Sea as part of preparations for a possible minesweeping mission in the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. Pistorius told reporters in Berlin that Iran had firmly rejected a French proposal to cooperate on clearing mines in the strategic waterway and that he sees no realistic prospect of a minesweeping operation anytime soon. “Logically, this means we will not leave our two ships stationed in Djibouti until autumn, simply hoping that something might eventually happen. We will make a timely decision this summer,” he told reporters. “Ultimately, it is better for our soldiers to spend their summer in Berlin at 40 degrees

• 
  Inside the Collapse of Global Accountability for Israel | Palestine This Week

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  This episode of Palestine This Week opens with Israel’s renewed push to promote the so-called “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from Gaza, asking whether ethnic cleansing is now being pursued without even the pretence of concealment. We also look at Trump’s proposed Gaza board and warnings that it could create a legal black hole for officials and contractors, before turning to the unprecedented lawsuit filed by ICC judges against US sanctions they describe as an attempt to punish and coerce the court. The episode also explores growing threats to journalism, from the UK’s State Threats Bill to double standards in how the media defines press freedom, alongside new revelations about the Hannibal Directive during the events of 7 October. We then

• 
  White flag judgments: Palestine Action, protest and the UK courts

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  The justice system of the United Kingdom, represented by stout cathedral structures and solemn rituals, tends to resemble a casino rather than a priestly haven of solemn judgment.  It’s the justice of the punt, the throw of the dice, not the fairness of judicial deliberation, that prevails.  That, at least, has been the prevailing view of Richard Ingrams, a co-founder of Britain’s rapier satirical publication Private Eye.   Since the decision by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to ban Palestine Action in 2025, some 3,000 people have been arrested for doing such unthreatening things as holding placards with the following words: “I oppose genocide.  I support Palestine Action.”  Over 700 of these, according to Human Rights Watch, “are pending in the courts

• 
  Israeli opposition leader accuses Netanyahu of fabricating Iran nuclear claims to frighten public

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  Former Israeli army chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fabricating claims that Iran possesses nuclear weapons in order to frighten the Israeli public. According to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Eisenkot made the remarks at a conference in central Israel, saying Netanyahu’s recent statements on Iran’s nuclear capabilities were false. “Netanyahu said repugnant things. Iran had no nuclear bombs whatsoever. He is fabricating reality to frighten the Israeli public,” Eisenkot, who is also the head of Yashar party, was quoted as saying. The newspaper said Eisenkot was referring to comments Netanyahu made Tuesday in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, in which the prime minister said: “I entered Iran twice to save us

• 
  France says firms risk violating international law through business in illegal Israeli settlements

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  France on Wednesday warned companies that doing business in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory could expose them to being found responsible for violations of international law, Anadolu reports. “Companies engaged in such activities are exposed to significant legal, economic and reputational risks,” the Foreign Ministry said in updated guidance addressed to French companies, subsidiaries and citizens. The ministry reiterated France’s position that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the occupied Golan Heights are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to achieving a two-state solution, citing UN Security Council resolutions and a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. READ: France to convene Israeli, Palestinian civil society leaders in Paris to

• 
  Israeli army demolishes homes, sets up checkpoints in occupied areas of southern Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  The Israeli army set up checkpoints between the so-called “yellow zone” and the border area in southern Lebanon, as it continues its military presence inside Lebanese territory, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported Wednesday, Anadolu reports. The “Yellow Line” is an unofficial line extending roughly 8 kilometers (5 miles) into Lebanese territory from the border, imposed by Israel during its latest offensive on Lebanon. The Israeli army established checkpoints between the yellow zone, the border area and the area south of the Litani River, the report said, without providing details on their nature, number or locations. Israeli forces also razed roads, including the road linking the Hamoul area to Naqoura and Aita al-Shaab, and cut down trees on both sides, it

• 
  Israeli occupiers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, perform Talmudic rituals

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  Israeli occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday under the protection of Israeli police, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Anadolu reports. Citing the Jerusalem Governorate, WAFA said dozens of occupiers entered the compound, toured its courtyards and performed Talmudic rituals under the protection of Israeli police. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples. Palestinians say Israel is escalating efforts to Judaize occupied East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity. The Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, in line with international resolutions that do

• 
  Beyond a ceasefire: The Lebanon-Israel framework seeks to reorder power in the south

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  The 14-point U.S.-brokered framework signed in Washington on June 26 is being presented as a way to end the immediate fighting between Lebanon and Israel. Yet its own language points to a much broader ambition. The agreement is not simply designed to stop fire across the border. It seeks to establish a new security order in southern Lebanon in which the Lebanese state becomes the sole authority entitled to use force, Hezbollah loses its military role, and direct Lebanese-Israeli engagement begins to move toward a fuller political settlement. That is what makes the framework more consequential, and more precarious, than an ordinary ceasefire. It ties three processes together: Israeli redeployment, the disarmament of non-state armed groups, and international reconstruction aid.

• 
  Iranian official: War cost us $200bn, increased citizens’ hardship

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  A member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council has acknowledged that the recent war caused major economic losses for Iran, saying it pushed the economy back by an estimated $200 billion at a time when the country is already facing living-cost pressures and high inflation affecting the middle class. According to Iran International, Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, said the recent war resulted in heavy economic losses and delayed Iran’s economic development by around $200 billion. In remarks carried by Jamearan, Bahonar said Iran was already facing difficult economic conditions before the war began, noting that inflation over the past eight years had reached around 1,000 per cent. READ: Iran warns it is ready for war if

• 
  Hamas hopes international forces’ arrival will curb Israeli violations

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  The Hamas movement said on Tuesday that it hopes the start of the arrival of international forces will mark the beginning of implementing their assigned tasks, mainly separating Palestinians from the Israeli occupation army and working to stop its violations in the Gaza Strip. The remarks were made in a statement by Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, following the announcement by the Board of Peace regarding the arrival of the first tactical vehicles at a logistics support area known as Endurance. Endurance is a logistics zone established in southern Israel near the Kerem Abu Salem crossing and is not located inside the Gaza Strip. It serves as a transit and support hub for the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that is expected

• 
  Netanyahu admits failure to dismantle Hamas civil rule, says ‘voluntary migration’ still an option

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israel has not yet achieved its goal of ending Hamas’ civilian rule in the Gaza Strip, but said it would eventually do so. His remarks came as reports indicate that the Israeli military is expanding its control over Gaza. Netanyahu previously said he had instructed the army to increase its control to 70 per cent of the territory, up from the current 60 per cent, a move that conflicts with the ceasefire agreement brokered by the administration of US President Donald Trump in October 2025. Speaking about the proposed “voluntary migration” plan for Gaza’s residents, Netanyahu said the proposal remains under consideration. Israeli media have reported that officials have decided to replace

• 
  National forces join Gaza wounded in sit-in outside Red Cross, demanding travel and medical care

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  WATCH: Gaza generator fuel crisis deepens under tightened Israeli blockade

• 
  Former Arab League chief responds to Gulf criticism, praises Iran’s ‘smart resilience’

  by Mehdi Editor on July 1, 2026

  Former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has responded to criticism from some Gulf officials and commentators, saying his remarks praising Iran’s “smart resilience” were about its confrontation with the United States, not support for attacks on Gulf states.  Speaking on the Maw’ed Ma’a Lamis podcast hosted by Egyptian presenter Lamis El Hadidi, Moussa rejected claims that all Gulf countries were angry with him because he had not clearly condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf states. He said: “It is not true that all Gulf countries share this view. There may have been some offensive comments on social media, but the main criticism came from figures such as journalist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed and senior diplomatic adviser to the UAE President Anwar Gargash. Their