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

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  Al-Azhar condemns reported attempt to target Mecca

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top Islamic authority, on Wednesday strongly condemned what it described as an attempt to target Mecca, Islam’s holiest city and direction of prayer, saying any attempt to endanger the sacred city was a grave crime and an attack on a sanctity revered by Muslims. In a statement, Al-Azhar warned against expanding the conflict to include Islamic holy sites, stressing that Mecca must not become a battleground or a target of threats. It said the sanctity of Mecca is a fundamental principle of Islam that must not be violated or threatened. Al-Azhar Al-Sharif stressed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques — the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem — is not a political or

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  Israel: Far-right activists protest outside parents’ home of Israeli film Naza director

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  Dozens of far-right Israeli activists protested outside the home of the parents of NAZA filmmaker Rachel Szor in Savyon, central Israel, on Wednesday evening, chanting slogans including “death penalty for traitors”, Hebrew-language media reported. The protesters were demonstrating against the film, co-directed by Szor and Yuval Abraham, which features testimonies from Israeli officers and soldiers about alleged war crimes during Israel’s war in Gaza. Hebrew news site Walla reported that dozens of protesters gathered outside Szor’s parents’ home in Savyon, calling for the two directors to be condemned over the film. One protester was quoted as saying the directors “will be ashamed to walk the streets”. Another said: “The directors of NAZA went and presented the fighters who are currently

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  Muslim Brotherhood says it has begun mediation contacts amid Yemen escalation

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  The Muslim Brotherhood said it had begun contacts aimed at helping de-escalate fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Yemeni government and Saudi forces, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities and a return to dialogue. In a statement, the group warned against further casualties and urged the parties to pursue de-escalation amid heightened tensions in Yemen and the wider region. Salah Abdel-Haq, acting General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the protection of human life should take priority and called for an end to the fighting. “The sanctity of all Yemeni blood—and indeed all Muslim blood—demands an end to the escalation,” Abdel-Haq said. The group called on all sides to halt attacks on Yemeni and Saudi territory and avoid

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  Gaza public works ministry says around 3,000 buildings at risk of collapse

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  Around 3,000 buildings across the Gaza Strip have been classified as dangerous or at risk of collapse, Gaza’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing said on Wednesday, warning that damaged structures pose a threat to thousands of residents. The warning followed the collapse of a residential building in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City early Wednesday. The ministry said the building collapsed while people were inside, resulting in deaths and injuries. According to the ministry, buildings identified as hazardous contain damaged structural components or sections that could fall, placing families who continue to live in or near them at risk. The ministry attributed the problem to extensive structural damage sustained by residential buildings and other facilities during Israeli military operations

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  IOM says 2,776 Yemenis crossed into Djibouti amid west coast fighting

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  More than 2,700 Yemenis have crossed into Djibouti since the beginning of September amid escalating fighting along Yemen’s western coast, while more than 104,000 people have been displaced within Yemen during the same period, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday. According to the UN agency’s latest figures, 2,776 people have crossed from Yemen to Djibouti as the humanitarian impact of the renewed fighting continues to grow. The IOM said it was providing emergency assistance to the new arrivals in Djibouti, including 1,500 hot meals twice a day. Fighting between forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi movement has intensified in recent months following a prolonged period of comparatively lower levels of hostilities. Within Yemen,

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  CBO estimates US war with Iran has cost $38 billion, strained munitions stockpiles

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  The United States’ war with Iran has cost approximately $38 billion after more than six months of fighting and has placed significant pressure on US munitions inventories, according to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO estimate, which covers spending through 1st August, projects that the conflict could add approximately $3 billion per month to US government costs if current operations continue. The report also estimates that the economic effects of the conflict could increase US inflation by around 0.5 percentage points during the first three months of 2027, partly reflecting higher energy prices. The $38 billion estimate is close to the $37.5 billion figure cited by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Senate hearing on

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  The Mangoush affair, three years on: Palestine remains a red line in Libya’s foreign policy

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  When news broke, in 2023, that Libya’s first female foreign minister, Najla Al-Mangoush, had secretly met her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, in Rome, most Libyans were stunned. It was, as far as is publicly known, the first official meeting between the two countries and the first known high-level diplomatic contact between Libya and Israel. It was not an accidental encounter or a chance meeting, but a deliberately arranged session with a specific agenda — apparently, both sides wanted the meeting. That distinction is crucial to understanding what became known as the Mangoush affair. The significance of the meeting was not simply that a Libyan foreign minister had spoken to an Israeli foreign minister. It was that the episode exposed a

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  At least 60 killed in gold mine collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  At least 60 people have been killed in the collapse of a gold mine in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, while other miners are believed to remain trapped underground, according to reports from the area. The collapse occurred on Sunday at the Al-Zarrah mine in the Al-Fajja area, northwest of the city of En Nahud. The local Kordofan Observatory said more than 70 miners had been killed or were missing following the collapse of a series of nearby mining sites. The group said a miner who managed to escape on Tuesday reported that other survivors remained trapped underground, raising pressure for rescue operations to reach the site quickly. Specialised rescue teams had not yet reached the remote mining area, according to

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with David Miller: The British Employment Appeal Tribunal Verdict: Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Paolo von Schirach: Toppling Maduro: Ushering Democracy or Imperial Grab??

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  Family says Israeli police informed them of Palestinian detainee’s death without providing circumstances

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  The family of 21-year-old Palestinian detainee Moataz Nizam al-Atrash (Abu Sneineh) said Israeli police informed them on Wednesday that he had died in Israeli custody but provided no information about the circumstances of his reported death. The family said it had not yet received confirmation from Palestinian authorities or prisoner advocacy organizations. According to the Palestinian news website Ultra Palestine, al-Atrash’s brother, Basha al-Atrash, said Israeli police at the Kiryat Arba station near Hebron contacted their father on Wednesday and asked him to report to the station. Police informed the father there that his son had died, but did not provide details about when or how the death occurred, according to the family. The family said Israeli police also asked

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  Israeli drone strikes kill nine Palestinians across Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  At least nine Palestinians were killed and around 40 others injured in a series of reported Israeli drone strikes across the Gaza Strip over a 24-hour period, according to Palestinian media reports. Quds Press reported on Wednesday that the strikes targeted individuals, vehicles and groups of people in several areas of northern, central and southern Gaza. In Gaza City, a drone strike reportedly targeted a vehicle carrying Ahmed al-Batsh, whom Quds Press identified as a commander in Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, on Al-Saftawi Street. The report said Youssef al-Zaim was killed in a separate strike near the 17th Roundabout in western Gaza City. In the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, Civil Defence officer Sharif Labad and a child identified as

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  From Count Bernadotte to the ‘Gaza Board of Peace’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 17, 2026

  On the afternoon of 17th September 1948,  a three-car convoy wound its way through the tense, war-torn streets of Jerusalem. Inside one of the vehicles sat Count Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish aristocrat  and diplomat who had achieved international renown during World War II for saving thousands of concentration camp inmates from the brink of Nazi slaughter. As the first United Nations mediator for Palestine appointed in 1947, with a mandate to promote a peaceful adjustment of the situation, he was tasked with a different kind of rescue mission: arresting a spiralling regional war and establishing a framework for a just, legal peace. The convoy never reached its destination. In the Katamon neighbourhood, the vehicles were ambushed by four men dressed

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  Netanyahu vows to revoke citizenship of those who ‘defame’ Israeli soldiers in Gaza documentary NAZA

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Wednesday to revoke the citizenship of those who “defame” Israeli soldiers in NAZA, a documentary on killings in Gaza, and impose significantly higher financial penalties on them, Anadolu reports. Netanyahu made the remarks in a video statement following the recent screening of the Israeli documentary at the Venice International Film Festival. The film documents alleged crimes committed by Israeli forces during the war on the Gaza Strip. “Regarding the film NAZA, which portrayed Israeli army officers and soldiers as war criminals, I will now introduce two bills, both government bills,” Netanyahu said. He said the first bill would revoke the citizenship of those who “defame Israeli army soldiers.” The second, according to Netanyahu,

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  Lewis Hamilton backs Macklemore after Ed Sheeran tour removal for Palestine remarks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed support for US rapper Macklemore after he was removed from the US leg of Ed Sheeran’s tour following pro-Palestinian remarks, Anadolu reports. Hamilton commented on Macklemore’s Instagram post addressing his removal from Sheeran’s Loop Tour, writing: “Thank you for using your voice, standing with you.” Macklemore detailed the situation in a lengthy post that emphasized he does not view himself as a victim, and reiterated that the focus should remain on the human toll of the war in the Gaza Strip. READ: Zionist billionaire pressure to silence Macklemore sparks exodus from Ed Sheeran tour The “Thrift Shop” rapper was dropped from the remaining US dates after making pro-Palestinian remarks during performances at New

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  Syrian army chief visits Khmeimim Air Base, meets Russian military commanders

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Syrian Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Ali al-Naasan inspected Khmeimim Air Base in western Latakia province on Wednesday and met Russian military commanders stationed there, according to the Defense Ministry, Anadolu reports. Al-Naasan was accompanied by Air Force Commander Brig. Gen. Asim Hawari and Navy Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Saud, it said in a statement. The visit included meetings with Russian military commanders at the base, it added, without providing details about the talks. The visit comes about a month after Damascus and Moscow announced a memorandum of understanding to reorganize the Russian presence on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, including the Khmeimim Air Base and the port of Tartus. READ: Syria raises fuel prices by up to 40% amid higher import costs and

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  Is Europe restraining Israel—or merely protecting the two-state illusion?

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  This time, Europe seems serious about holding Israel accountable – or at least that is what 11 European countries, together with Canada, want us to believe. On September 8, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK announced their intention to introduce national restrictions, support European restrictions, or actively consider measures against trade in goods with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Undeniably, the announcement represents a significant political and legal precedent. Dismissing it outright would be impulsive, particularly considering the participation of governments such as those of Canada and the UK, which have historically provided Israel with extensive political and diplomatic support. Yet celebrating the announcement as an earth-shattering event without

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  Turkiye delivers 2,000 tons of flour to Palestinian refugees, displaced families in Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Turkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has delivered 2,000 tons of flour to Palestinian refugees and displaced families in Lebanon. A ceremony marking the delivery was held on Wednesday at the Port of Beirut, attended by Turkiye’s Ambassador to Lebanon Murat Lutem, Lebanese Higher Relief Council chief Bassam Nabulsi, and the director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Lebanon, Dorothee Klaus. The flour will be distributed to Palestinian refugees and families displaced by Israeli attacks. Turkiye is expected to continue providing assistance to people in need across Lebanon. ‘Our solidarity with Lebanon will continue’ Speaking to Anadolu, Ambassador Lutem said Turkiye’s assistance to people in need in Lebanon was ongoing. He recalled that the Health Ministry

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  No peace in Middle East without 2-state solution: UN chief

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that lasting peace in the Middle East is impossible without a two-state solution for the Palestinians, Anadolu reports. “In the context of upheaval across the Middle East, we must never forget the dramatic suffering of the Palestinian people — both in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said at a news conference ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. “The peace plan for Gaza must be fully implemented with unrestricted humanitarian aid,” he said. Turning to the occupied West Bank, Guterres said: “And the creeping annexation of the West Bank must stop.” He stressed that a political resolution remains the only path forward. “There will be no peace in the Middle East

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  Israeli government ‘not gaining friends, losing allies all over’: Top UK diplomat

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  The British foreign secretary said the Israeli government is losing friends and allies because of its actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which he said have mobilized people around the world, Anadolu reports. The “Israeli government is losing friends. It’s not gaining allies; it’s lost allies. It’s losing allies all over,” Ed Miliband said Tuesday in an interview with UK-based podcast The Rest is Politics. He noted that the recent sanctions announcement targeting illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank came after warnings that the two-state solution is being “destroyed by the facts on the ground.” “All measures were to make a difference to that, the sanctions regime targeting the illegal occupation, not targeting or delegitimizing in any

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  Iran rejects German chancellor’s claims on nuclear program, regional allies

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Iran on Wednesday rejected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s accusations concerning Tehran’s nuclear program and regional allies, accusing Berlin of presenting a “knowingly distorted” narrative, Anadolu reports. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on US social media company X that it was the US and Israel, not Iran, that launched the war, criticizing Germany for failing to condemn the attacks. He rejected Merz’s description of Iran’s regional allies as “proxies,” saying they are “independent actors with their own clear causes and calculations.” READ: Iran issues passive defence plan for 3 scenarios, including full-scale war Baqaei denied that Tehran has a military nuclear program and accused Germany of supporting Israel while presenting itself as a “champion of peace.” Merz urged Iran on Tuesday to end

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  117 journalists displaced from Yemen’s western coast amid escalation: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  At least 117 journalists and media workers have been displaced from Yemen’s western coastal city of Mokha and surrounding areas amid a military escalation since the beginning of September, the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. The nongovernmental organization said in a statement that the journalists and media workers fled Mokha, in southwestern Taiz province, and nearby areas amid recent military developments and the entry of Houthi forces. It said the displacement was sudden, with several journalists leaving their homes in the hours before Houthi forces entered Mokha, amid fears of arrest or detention because of their journalistic work. Some journalists were forced to leave without taking their personal belongings or professional equipment, it added. The observatory quoted

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  European Parliament’s Left Group accuses von der Leyen of ‘double standards’ over Ukraine and Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  The Left group in the European Parliament accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of applying “glaring double standards” in her foreign policy after she criticized attacks on civilians in Ukraine, but according to the group, continues to defend Israel, Anadolu reports. “The President of the European Union Ursula von der Leyen delivered a lackluster State of the Union address this year, with an incredible amount of glaring omissions despite a speech that dragged on for over an hour,” the group said in a statement after von der Leyen’s State of the Union address on Wednesday. The Left said the president “rightly” condemned the use of so-called “double tap” airstrikes against Ukrainians but accused her of failing to apply the same

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  Israeli forces arrest 16 Palestinians, demolish homes, Bedouin community structures in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Israeli forces arrested 16 Palestinians, including two women and two teenagers, and demolished Bedouin community and Palestinian structures across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, according to Palestinian sources, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office, a nongovernmental organization, said in a statement that Israeli forces carried out widespread raids and home searches in the provinces of Tulkarem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin. Tulkarem recorded the highest number of arrests, with 10 Palestinians detained in Tulkarem city, Deir al-Ghusun, and Dhanaba, including two women and members of families of prisoners, according to the statement. In Hebron, Israeli forces arrested two young Palestinians, aged 15 and 18, after detaining them for more than four hours on Al-Ikhwan Street in the southern part

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  US senator vows to block $2.8B arms transfer to Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  US Sen. Chris Van Hollen vowed Wednesday to block a proposed $2.8 billion arms transfer to Israel, criticizing the provision of heavy munitions amid persistent bombardments across the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. “Trump is sending $2.8 billion of bombs paid for by you, the American taxpayer, to a govt led by a wanted war criminal,” the Democratic lawmaker from the state of Maryland wrote on US social media company X. Van Hollen argued that the military aid is moving forward while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “keeps bombing Gaza & blocks justice for Americans killed on his watch.” He questioned how the policy aligns with domestic interests and US President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. “We will work to stop it,” he

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  US filmmaker Oliver Stone says America has ‘hunger for war’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Oscar-winning US filmmaker Oliver Stone criticized what he described as America’s continuing militarism, saying the country has a “hunger for war” and warning of the risk of an even larger conflict, Anadolu reports. Speaking at Rome’s Casa del Cinema during a screening of his 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July, Stone reflected on the Vietnam War and subsequent US conflicts, according to Italian daily La Repubblica on Tuesday. “America has a hunger for war, it’s sort of a need of this country. I think it’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen,” Stone said. “A lot of it is just absurd, and our country has been deeply hurt by it.” Stone, a Vietnam War veteran known for films including

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  Nature has its say in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  For nearly three years, Palestinians in Gaza have been taught, brutally, that almost everything necessary for ordinary human life can be destroyed or turned into an instrument of war. A home can disappear, a neighbourhood can be flattened, a road made impassable, a hospital rendered dysfunctional, a field made unreachable and a human contact can be turned into spying . Water pipes, wells, sewage networks and treatment plants can all be damaged until the very infrastructure of everyday existence collapses. Palestinians have been denied the simple possibility of an abode: four walls and a roof to protect a family from the scorching summer sun, the winter rain and the harsh winds of the Mediterranean. The rhythms that constitute everyday life

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  Saudi Arabia warns of Houthi threats to Red Sea navigation

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Saudi Arabia warned Wednesday that attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group pose a threat to maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, calling for joint international action to protect key waterways, Anadolu reports. The warning came during a UN Security Council session, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Abdulaziz Alwasil delivered the Kingdom’s statement at the meeting. “Protecting maritime corridors and ensuring freedom of navigation are shared international responsibilities that require adherence to international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement said. Riyadh warned that Houthi threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb could have repercussions for international trade and global supply chains. Saudi Arabia also highlighted the

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  Russian satellites likely gave Iran targeting edge against US assets: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  Russian spy satellites likely provided Iran with intelligence that helped improve the precision of its attacks against US military assets in the Middle East, according to a CNN report aired Wednesday. The report, citing US officials and other sources, said intelligence collected by Russia’s satellite network may have been shared with Tehran, giving Iranian forces information on the locations and movements of American military assets. CNN focused on the March 27 Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where 12 US personnel were reportedly injured and an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft was destroyed. The report said Russia’s Cosmos 2573 spy satellite passed over the base two days before the attack, alongside 13 other Russian

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  Israeli army demolishes Palestinian Bedouin settlement in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  The Israeli army demolished a Palestinian Bedouin settlement in the northern occupied West Bank where more than 20 Palestinians had lived for more than 20 years, Anadolu reports. According to a statement by the Palestinian organization for the defense of Bedouin rights, BEYDER, the army demolished the settlement west of the town of Deir Ballut in Salfit. More than 20 Palestinian Bedouins had lived in the settlement for over two decades, making their living through livestock farming and raising approximately 1,000 sheep and goats. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society earlier said that a Palestinian was critically injured by Israeli fire in the abdomen and thigh. Israeli forces carry out frequent raids on cities, towns and refugee camps across the occupied

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  Belgian university rector urges government to allow entry of 13 Gazan students

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  The rector of Belgium’s KU Leuven University called on the government to allow 13 Palestinian students from Gaza to enter the country and begin their studies, public broadcaster VRT reported on Wednesday. Speaking to the broadcaster, Severine Vermeire said she was “angry and indignant” over the uncertainty surrounding the students, three of whom were scheduled to begin their studies at KU Leuven this week. “There is only one right decision: those 13 students must be able to come to Belgium,” she said. Vermeire said the university considers the students victims of what she described as “political games” and said Belgian university rectors have been raising the issue with the federal government for months. READ:  Israeli universities expel 100 Palestinian students over

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  70% of hospital generators in Gaza out of service: Health Ministry

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  About 70% of electricity generators at hospitals in the Gaza Strip have gone out of service due to shortages of fuel, oil, and spare parts amid the ongoing Israeli blockade, the Health Ministry said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. Zaher Al-Wahidi, director of the ministry’s Health Information Center, said during a press conference at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City that shortages of fuel and oil threatened to bring critical and life-saving hospital departments to a halt at any moment. Wahidi rejected Israeli claims that it was facilitating the entry of medical aid and logistical supplies into the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that they are attempts to “improve the image” of the situation and conceal a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” in the enclave. He said

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  5 children among 20 Palestinians killed as war-damaged building collapses in Gaza City

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  At least 20 Palestinians, including five children, were killed Wednesday when a residential building housing displaced people that had been damaged during Israel’s genocidal war collapsed in western Gaza City, according to Palestinian sources. Zaher Al-Wahidi, director of the Health Information Center at Gaza’s Health Ministry, told Anadolu Agency that 20 Palestinians were killed when the Al-Saada building in the city’s Al-Sinaa area collapsed. Earlier, Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a statement that 16 people were killed and more than 25 others were injured in the collapse. The ministry said the incident brought the total number of people killed in the collapse of buildings damaged during Israeli attacks to 50. Palestinian Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said during a news

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  Zionist billionaire pressure to silence Macklemore sparks exodus from Ed Sheeran tour

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Ed Sheeran’s backing band and three supporting acts have withdrawn from his tour after Macklemore was dropped following pressure from billionaire Robert Kraft and other stadium owners over the rapper’s pro-Palestinian performances. Irish band Beoga, singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Danish band Lukas Graham and US musician Finneas announced their departures yesterday. Macklemore said Kraft, the pro-Israel billionaire whose company owns Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform at the stadium. The rapper also accused Kraft of rallying other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum. Kraft confirmed that he opposed Macklemore’s participation at Gillette Stadium, citing his performances and what he described as anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery. Promoter Messina Touring Group separately confirmed

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  Global Alliance for Palestine unveils legislative advocacy initiative ahead of October day of action

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Following the announcement of its global mobilisation window from October 9–11, 2026 – culminating in a Global Day of Action on Saturday, October 10 – the Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) is broadening its strategy to launch a member-led legislative drive. This mobilisation initiative, GAFP said, comes against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and the escalating state-sponsored settler violence, land seizures, and forced displacement across the occupied West Bank. Its aims are to confront political complicity and demand international accountability. GAFP said it will pursue these aims “by pairing traditional grassroots tactics – such as public demonstrations, campus walkouts, and peaceful blockades – with targeted parliamentary advocacy, the Alliance is seeking to channel mounting public outrage directly

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  Pakistan’s bet: Power without becoming a pawn

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Small and middle powers rarely choose their geography. They only choose what to do with it. Pakistan sits at the seam of South Asia, the Gulf, and China. It cannot out-produce Beijing. It cannot out-spend Riyadh. It cannot match Washington’s reach. But it can make itself impossible to bypass. That is the calculation now unfolding in Islamabad, and it deserves to be read through the cold lens of realism, not the warm language of diplomacy. Start with the concept itself. Zbigniew Brzezinski gave it a name in The Grand Chessboard: the geopolitical pivot. He defined pivots as states “whose importance is derived not from their power and motivation but rather from their sensitive location and from the consequences of their

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  From Caspian gas to Turkish industry: SOCAR’s geopolitical energy strategy

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has become one of Türkiye’s largest foreign investors and a core pillar of the Baku–Ankara energy partnership. Since acquiring Petkim in 2008, the Azerbaijani state energy company has built an integrated portfolio spanning petrochemicals, refining, gas transit, logistics, storage, and power generation. SOCAR reports approximately $18.5 billion invested in Türkiye, while Azerbaijani officials cite around $19 billion; the additional $7 billion polyolefin expansion remains a future commitment, not current investment. This portfolio creates commercial value for Azerbaijan and strengthens its regional influence, while Türkiye gains capital, industrial capacity, refined products, petrochemical feedstock, gas connectivity, and electricity generation. The partnership is therefore a potential win-win, although exposed to market volatility, geopolitical instability,

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  Gaza healthcare system nears collapse as logistical support halts

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  IMAGES: Gaza dentists protest shortage of dental supplies caused by Israeli restrictions

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Paolo von Schirach: Toppling Maduro: Ushering Democracy or Imperial Grab??

  by Mehdi Editor on September 16, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with John Kiriakou: Why Is Hatred Toward Israel Rising?

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  Gaza: Six-storey building collapses with 60 inside

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  IMAGES: Gaza dentists protest shortage of dental supplies caused by Israeli restrictions

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  Trump plans $2.8bn sale of 40,000 heavy bombs to Israel

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  The Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion weapons package for Israel containing 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, despite longstanding concerns over the devastating impact of the munitions on civilians in Gaza. The proposed package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, according to a US official familiar with the plans cited by Reuters. Relevant congressional committees have been informed informally of the planned sale, which was first reported by the Washington Post. Read: US approves $3 billion military sales to Israel amid ceasefire talks Most of the package would be paid for through US Foreign Military Financing, according to Associated Press. Under that programme, Washington provides funds that Israel uses to purchase American weapons, meaning US taxpayers would finance much

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  Riyadh phones Tel Aviv: From petro-power to palace panic

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Sometimes an entire political order confesses itself in a single telephone call. Saudi Arabia, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, self-appointed pillar of Arab leadership and purchaser of some of the most expensive weaponry ever manufactured, has reportedly found itself seeking Israeli intelligence assistance through US Central Command against Ansar Allah in Yemen. The Jerusalem Post reports that CENTCOM-mediated discussions concerned intelligence that could help Riyadh understand Houthi deployments and future operations. There is something almost indecently perfect about the image. For decades, the Saudi state cultivated the mythology of sovereignty while constructing one of the most elaborate systems of strategic dependency in modern history. Washington supplied the security architecture. Western contractors supplied the weapons. Foreign technicians sustained the machinery.

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  Al‑Zaidi and the age of the unqualified politician

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  The age of the unqualified politician is not a rhetorical flourish; it is a reality that becomes painfully visible every time a press conference turns into a stage for intellectual shallowness. The remarks made by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi during his visit to Berlin were not a slip of the tongue. They were a concentrated example of a deeper structural defect within Iraq’s governing class. Standing in one of Europe’s most important capitals, al‑Zaidi struggled to articulate a single coherent political sentence—offering instead a clumsy assertion that “the world is heading toward stability, and only a little time remains,” likening global politics to the simple transition from night to day. This is not the language of a statesman; it

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  Jewish supremacist manufacturing a civilizational threat to license bigotry

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Jewish hatred is real and must be condemned without qualification. But it cannot be fought by propagating hatred against the followers of another religion. Demonizing Muslims does not combat antisemitism; it simply transfers prejudice from one target to another. Sadly, that is precisely the objective of Jewish supremacists who readily invoke antisemitism to shut down debate and weaponize anti-Muslim hatred, redirecting public attention away from Israel’s policies of genocide and dispossession. At the recent Republican Jewish Coalition’s summit in Las Vegas, Florida congressman Randy Fine told the crowd that the problem was not radical Islamism but “mainstream” Islam. In a separate interview, Fine went further, suggesting some civilizations are simply superior to others. Texas Congressman Brandon Gill referred to a

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  Houthi official denies targeting Mecca with drone

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  The Houthi group on Wednesday denied targeting Mecca with a drone, after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a drone south of the holy city before it entered restricted airspace. Mohammed Al-Farah, a member of the Houthis’ political office, said the claim that Yemen had targeted Mecca was “an outright lie with no basis in truth”, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency. “We are more concerned about Mecca and the holy sites than those who exploit them politically,” he said, accusing Saudi Arabia of using the allegation “to divert attention from the crisis it is facing in Yemen”. Al-Farah said Saudi Arabia was facing a “real dilemma” in Yemen after becoming involved in what he described as a

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  Israeli army chief tells Netanyahu Hamas defeated, confrontation over

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz that Hamas had suffered a military defeat and that the confrontation with the group was effectively over, an Israeli newspaper reported. Zamir made the remarks during a closed-door security briefing earlier this month held during a visit by army commanders to the Gaza Strip, where intelligence assessments of Hamas’s current capabilities and activity were discussed. During the discussion, an intelligence official pointed to signs that Hamas was seeking to regain influence and re-establish control, warning that it still posed a security threat despite the strikes it had suffered. Zamir, however, said the assessments reflected the group’s intentions more than its actual capabilities. He

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  Israeli forces detain Palestinian-American journalist in Bethlehem

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Israeli forces detained Palestinian-American journalist Naqaa Hamed at a military checkpoint in Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem, on Tuesday evening, local sources said. The forces stopped Hamed as she crossed the checkpoint in the town, before detaining her and taking her to an unknown location, the sources said. Later, Israeli forces set up another military checkpoint in the Al-Jurn area of Battir village, west of Bethlehem, stopping Palestinian motorists, searching their vehicles and checking their identities. Hamed is a Palestinian-American dual national and has previously faced an incitement campaign on Israeli websites and social media platforms over her coverage of events in Qusra, south of Nablus. The village has witnessed repeated attacks by Israeli settlers and attempts to seize homes there.

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  UN urges access for international investigators to Gaza as hundreds of bodies remain under rubble

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  The United Nations on Tuesday called for international investigators to be given access to all parts of Gaza to help gather evidence, as hundreds of bodies are recovered from under the rubble nearly three years into the war. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement that “the remains of what appears to be entire families are now being unearthed at locations that were pulverised by Israeli attacks”, stressing that “the discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City resurfaces (the) concerns of war crimes and other atrocity crimes”. “I worry the remains recovered so far may only be the tip of the iceberg,” Turk added, saying that “much of Gaza has been flattened

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  Bombing Iran can destroy targets, not political memory

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Military damage can be measured quickly. Strategic success depends on whether force changes Tehran’s political calculations rather than reinforcing the meaning of resistance. New U.S. strikes on Iran in early September, among the most substantial exchanges since July, again put a familiar measure of wartime success at center stage: what was hit, destroyed, or disabled. But the harder question begins after the damage is counted. If the purpose of force is not merely to remove a target but to change Tehran’s behavior, then the real test is not “What was destroyed?” but “What changed?” That distinction matters especially in Iran. The country is not simply a collection of facilities, missiles, and command centers whose future can be judged by a

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  Houthis deny threat to Mecca from Yemen

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  A Houthi military source has “categorically denied any threat from Yemen targeting Mecca or other holy sites,” according to a statement carried by the movement’s Saba news agency. The source strongly condemned what it described as “fabrication, deception and misinformation” by the Saudi “enemy” in claiming that Yemen posed a threat to Mecca. The source said the promotion of what it called “false reports” was aimed at “smearing” the Houthis and creating sympathy across the Muslim world, describing it as an old tactic previously used by Saudi Arabia. The statement came after Saudi Civil Defence earlier on Wednesday issued alerts warning of a threat in Khamis Mushait, Abha, Taif, Mecca and Jeddah. Later, Civil Defence announced that the threat had

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  Malaysia vows action against shipments aiding Israel’s military

  by Marwa A on September 16, 2026

  Malaysia will take decisive action against shipments passing through its territory that support Israel’s military, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday. Ibrahim posted on X a report saying Malaysian authorities had seized shipments that were on their way to Israel. He said Malaysia’s position on the matter was “clear and unequivocal”, adding: “We will not allow our country to be used as a conduit for any shipment that supports or contributes to Israel’s military capabilities and its atrocities against Palestinians and other innocent lives.” He said any suspicious shipment would be inspected and investigated under Malaysian law, stressing: “Where a violation is established, decisive action will be taken.” Ibrahim said on 15 July that people holding Israeli citizenship alongside