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

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  Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon with airstrikes, home explosions, artillery fire

  by Marwa A on October 1, 2026

  The Israeli army continued attacks Thursday in southern Lebanon, carrying out airstrikes, blowing up homes, firing artillery and conducting machine-gun sweeps, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA), Anadolu reports. The attacks targeted the towns of Al-Mansouri and Majdal Zoun in the Tyre district; Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Nabatieh al-Fawqa in the Nabatieh district; Haddatha in the Bint Jbeil district; and the Zahrani area in Sidon district. In the Tyre district, Israeli warplanes struck Al-Mansouri as Israeli forces carried out massive explosions in the town, according to the agency. The blasts caused powerful tremors and were heard in the city of Tyre and surrounding villages, it said. Israeli forces had earlier rigged several homes in Al-Mansouri with explosives before blowing

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  Iran summons British ambassador for claims linking Tehran to RAF Fairford plot

  by Marwa A on October 1, 2026

  Iran summoned the British Ambassador to Tehran Hugo Shorter on Thursday to protest accusations linking the country to an alleged sabotage plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British military base used by US forces, state broadcaster IRIB reported, Anadolu reports. Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi conveyed Tehran’s “strong protest” at the “destructive approach” by the British government following remarks by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Takht-Ravanchi rejected the “false and ridiculous claims” by British officials linking Iran to the alleged plot targeting the military base. He demanded the British government officially clarify the matter and “correct its inappropriate approach” toward Iran, according to IRIB. Burnham said Wednesday there was a “strong indication” that Iran had played a role in

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  Japan calls for ‘momentum for diplomacy’ to end US-Iran war

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Japan on Thursday urged Iran to show “maximum flexibility” and called for building “momentum for diplomacy” to end the US-Iran war, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Anadolu reports. This came in a phone call between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, a ministry statement said. Motegi said that indirect talks between Washington and Tehran had been “underway since last week,” according to the statement. The US and Iran held indirect talks through Qatar in New York last week on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Japan has “made consistent efforts toward an early de-escalation and stabilization of the situation and a diplomatic resolution,” Motegi said. He added that Japan

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  Gaza genocide continues a year after ‘ceasefire’, Medical Aid for Palestinians warns

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Israel continues to kill Palestinians, attack healthcare facilities and block vital supplies nearly a year after the Gaza ceasefire was announced, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has warned. The charity said Israeli forces had killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and injured over 5,000 since the agreement announced on 10 October 2025, citing Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Hospitals remain short of medicines, fuel and essential supplies, leaving the health system struggling to recover. “A year ago, Palestinians were told that the killing would stop and they would have a chance to rebuild their lives. Instead, they have spent the past year living with continued death, displacement and destruction,” said MAP’s Gaza Director, Fikr Shalltoot. “Palestinians should not have to spend another

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  Humiliation for Israel loyalists as Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ tour sells out despite attempts to silence him

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  US rapper Macklemore has announced that all three concerts on his “Free Palestine” tour sold out “immediately”, weeks after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US tour following his onstage support for Palestinians. The fundraising concerts will take place in October at Dublin’s 3Arena, Paris’s Accor Arena and London’s Wembley Arena, with all proceeds going to organisations supporting Palestinians. Other participating musicians will be announced later. “I’m honestly blown away,” Macklemore said in a statement announcing the sell-out, The Independent reported. “We put these shows together fast and in community, believing that musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds and show what collective action can look like.” READ: Zionist billionaire pressure to silence Macklemore sparks

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  Trivialising memory with gratuitous gratitude

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  From scant details reported on the Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People’s meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, it would seem as if the representatives arranged a meeting to thank and praise each other. The Palestinian people were just an exploited backdrop to the reported charade.  The Committee’s Chair Cheikh Niang was reported to have “praised the Secretary-General’s principled and strong positions in defence of the rights of the Palestinian people and their fill realisation as soon as possible.” However, Guterres’s track record shows otherwise, with his insistence on the two-state paradigm and absolute refusal to consider decolonisation.  Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the State of Palestine to the UN

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  Yemeni army says 30 Houthis killed, 50 wounded in clashes south of Taiz

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Yemeni government forces said Thursday that 30 Houthi fighters were killed and 50 others wounded in clashes south of the city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen, Anadolu reports. The media center of the Taiz Military Axis said the casualties occurred on the Al-Aqrud front in Al-Misrakh district. It said the Houthi fighters were killed and wounded by government forces during the fighting. A military source told Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency that government forces fought intense battles with the Houthis on several fronts across Taiz province on Thursday. The source said the fighting was concentrated in Bani Bakari in Jabal Habashi district, Humair in Maqbanah district and the Al-Aqrud front southeast of the province. The clashes later spread to the

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  5 killed, 47 injured in RSF drone attack on university dormitory in Sudan: Doctors group

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  At least five civilians were killed and 47 others injured Wednesday when paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drones struck a dormitory at Kordofan University in the central Sudanese city of El-Obeid, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The independent medical group said the initial toll from the strike stood at five dead and 47 wounded. It described the attack as part of continuing RSF attacks on civilians and civilian facilities across Sudan. The network said targeting student accommodation and educational facilities constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and puts civilian lives at risk. It also warned of “a worrying escalation in attacks on civilian and public-service facilities.” READ: Sudan says ‘foreign interference must end,’ RSF must be disarmed The

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  A shield, not a sword: what the Makkah pact’s first test reveals

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  On Wednesday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the Makkah alliance its clearest public definition yet. Opening the new session of the Shura Council, he said the alliance was created to strengthen regional stability and shield the region from the repercussions of tensions and conflicts. In the same address he said the kingdom was making every possible effort to de-escalate while promising to respond firmly to any attack. That is the language of a shield, and it was delivered under fire. On 24 September Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis at Taif and the Yanbu area. The Houthis went further, claiming missile and drone strikes on Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Riyadh has

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  Israeli minister who champions Tommy Robinson brands Shabana Mahmood an ‘Islamist’

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  An Israeli minister who has championed anti-Muslim campaigner Tommy Robinson and cultivated alliances with Europe’s far right has been accused of racism after portraying British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as part of an Islamist takeover of Britain. Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for diaspora affairs and combating anti-Semitism, targeted Mahmood after she announced plans allowing charities and non-profit organisations to sponsor refugees.  In a post on X on 29 September, Chikli wrote: “When people speak of the political takeover of a country by Islamism, they imagine bearded sheikhs in robes. “In reality, political Islam often looks exactly like this: Oxford English, fashionable clothes and progressive rhetoric. That is true of the Islamist @NYCMayor Mamdani and it is equally true of the

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  Detained Gaza hospital director Abu Safiya nominated for European Parliament human rights prize

  by Marwa A on October 1, 2026

  Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the detained director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been nominated for the European Parliament’s 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the parliament announced Thursday, Anadolu reports. Abu Safiya was nominated by the Greens and The Left political groups as one of six candidates for the annual award, which recognizes individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Abu Safiya, a Palestinian pediatrician and former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has been held in Israeli custody since his detention by Israeli forces in December 2024. He has been detained without charge or trial, with Israel alleging that Abu Safiya is affiliated with Hamas, an allegation his lawyers and family have denied.

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  Trump declines to endorse Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  US President Donald Trump declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for another term in office ahead of upcoming elections, avoiding direct backing of his long-time ally in an interview published on Thursday, Anadolu reports. “Well, I can only say that I’m not involved in politics anymore, except that we’re popular—,” Trump told TIME magazine when asked whether the premier should be given another term in Oct. 27 elections. Pressed again, he responded: “No, my primary thing—I do want to help them defend Israel,” pivoting away from an explicit endorsement in the interview conducted on Monday. Trump pointed instead to his personal standing among the Israeli public, claiming his popularity reaches “like 99%” due to past policies. Asked whether

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  UK government urged to end ban on Palestine Action group

  by Marwa A on October 1, 2026

  Scottish Greens on Thursday urged the British government to reverse the ban on the Palestine Action group after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said “we hear” the millions of people who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people, Anadolu reports. “The people who have marched, organised and spoken out against Israel’s genocide have helped force Palestine onto the political agenda. They deserve to be heard and their rights respected,” Maggie Chapman, Scottish Greens spokesperson, was quoted by Scottish daily The National as saying. Her comment came after Miliband said earlier this week that they hear the millions of people in this country and indeed elsewhere who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the

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  Why Indonesians should boycott the Israel & New Breed concert in Jakarta

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  On 24 October, the American gospel singer Israel Houghton plans to perform in Jakarta with his band, Israel & New Breed. Reports say tickets are still on sale. Indonesians must not buy them. Anyone who fills that hall is giving a public welcome to a man who stood with Israel while Gaza burned. We must refuse to attend, refuse to applaud, and refuse to stay silent. A note first, because the name confuses many people. “Israel” is the singer’s first name, and he is American. His name is not the problem. His public words are. In October 2023, he posted “I stand with Israel” beside a flag. The reports I found quote that post. None quote him speaking up for

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  Israeli army attacks NAZA film, distances itself from Gaza crimes

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  The Israeli army on Thursday rejected the portrayal of its operations in the film NAZA, which documents Israeli massacres in the Gaza Strip, and sought to distance itself from the genocide against Palestinians, Anadolu reports. The comments marked the army’s first response to the film, directed by Israeli Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It has faced repeated attacks from officials in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has been described as the most right-wing in Israel’s history. In a statement Thursday, the army said the film presents a “distorted, misleading and far-from-reality picture” of how it plans and carries out strikes against targets. It said the film’s “narrative is based on fundamental factual errors” resulting from a

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  Israel’s Supreme Court hears appeals by Arab candidates barred from Knesset elections

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday began hearing appeals against the disqualification of Arab electoral lists and candidates from the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections, Anadolu reports. According to an Anadolu correspondent, the Supreme Court in West Jerusalem convened a nine-judge panel to hear cases involving the disqualification of Arab candidates and electoral lists. Arab lawmakers and their supporters held a protest outside the court before the hearings began, the correspondent reported. At the same time, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived at the court and made remarks against the protesters. Ben-Gvir was accompanied by a group of far-right Israelis who chanted against Arab participation in the elections. Meanwhile, Knesset member Ofer Cassif told supporters gathered outside the court: “We will

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  UN official warns inaction on Hormuz fertilizer flows could push millions into food insecurity

  by Marwa A on October 1, 2026

  A senior UN official on Thursday warned that continued disruption to fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could have severe consequences for food security, urging the parties involved to show the political will needed to enable limited transit, Anadolu reports. Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN under-secretary-general and head of the UN Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz, told the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs in Brussels that the disruption of shipping through the strategic waterway was already affecting global energy and food security. “It’s important that we focus on the consequences of inaction … are a tragedy for developing countries,” Moreira da Silva said, stressing that some of the countries most dependent on fertilizer supplies from the

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  Iraqi prime minister sets June 30 deadline to disarm groups outside state control

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Thursday that his government will address weapons outside state control under a roadmap with agreed timelines, with the process to be completed by June 30, 2027, Anadolu reports. In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency, Zaidi said the process would follow “a clear roadmap and agreed timelines.” It will also uphold the constitutional principle that decisions on war and peace belong to the constitutional authorities, prohibiting military action outside their authority. The government would also work to fully disarm all non-Iraqi armed groups operating on Iraqi territory, he added. “We congratulate the Iraqi people on this great day, Oct. 1, 2026, and the major national achievement of ending the international coalition’s mission

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  Hundreds of occupiers storm ‘Joseph’s Tomb’ under Israeli military protection

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Hundreds of Israeli occupiers stormed “Joseph’s Tomb” in the eastern part of Nablus in the occupied West Bank early Thursday and performed Talmudic rituals under heavy protection from Israeli forces, according to official sources. Israeli military vehicles stormed the eastern part of Nablus and forced residents of homes surrounding the site to evacuate, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. The homes were turned into military barracks, while Israeli snipers were deployed on the rooftops of several houses, it added, citing local sources. Buses carrying hundreds of occupiers entered the eastern part of the city and headed to “Joseph’s Tomb,” where they performed Talmudic rituals, according to the report. The incident came amid intensified incursions by Israeli occupiers into Muslim

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  Americans are paying the price to preserve Israel’s nuclear hegemony

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Since the start of the latest made-for-Israel war, Donald Trump and his surrogates have repeatedly promised Americans that it would be few weeks and oil prices would soon crash below prewar levels. Instead, it was every promise that crashed. When those promises failed to materialize, the message shifted: the war is worth the price to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power. But what if Iran did become a nuclear power? How would that pose a greater threat to the U.S. than North Korea or Russia already do? Or is the real concern not a risk to America, but a challenge to the regional hegemony of a foreign nuclear power, Israel? For more than thirty years, according to Israel’s fiction,

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  UK’s ‘double lock’ on arms exports to Israel has led to no new licence suspensions, CAAT says

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Britain’s “double lock” on arms exports to Israel has resulted in no additional export licences being suspended or revoked, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has said, accusing the government of failing to match its condemnation of Israeli war crimes with action. The organisation challenged reports suggesting that further licences had been suspended following Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s announcement of the policy on 8 September. Speaking in the Commons during an announcement on banning settlement trade, Miliband said the government would “refuse all licence applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation”. However, according to a parliamentary answer cited by CAAT, a minister confirmed on 16 September: “We have also reviewed all extant licences for exports to

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  Denial as a way of life: Netanyahu on Egyptian warnings about 7th October

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Things are looking bleaker by the day for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, most notably for his standing as a competent leader in full mastery of his office.  After allegations were made that he had received warnings from the United Arab Emirates leader President Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) that the 7th October 2023 attack by Hamas was, if not imminent then certainly most likely, a sense of paralytic denial has taken hold.  The claim by Haaretz, based on research for the book Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, finds Netanyahu being told, in unambiguous terms, that an attack by Hamas was being planned.  A 45-minute conversation apparently took place between the UAE President and Netanyahu,

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  Pro-Iran Iraqi factions say they are ‘not bound by any timeline or agreement’ on weapons

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Pro-Iran Iraqi factions said on Wednesday that they are “not bound by any timeline or agreement” regarding the surrender of their weapons, as the Iraqi government seeks an understanding with the groups amid increasing US pressure. Jaafar al-Husseini, military spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah, made the remarks during a ceremony held by the factions to mark the end of the US-led international coalition’s mission against jihadist groups. “For more than forty days, the Islamic Resistance has engaged in negotiations to discuss the process of regulating the Resistance’s weapons, while reserving its right to respond directly to any US or Zionist breach or violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” al-Husseini said. “However, we have not received a response from the Iraqi government to this

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  Settlers attack farmers, prevent olive harvesting in Salfit

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers harvesting olives in the Wadi al-Ahmar area between the villages of Yasuf and Marda, northeast of Salfit, on Wednesday, according to local farmers. Farmers said a group of settlers confronted them while they were harvesting olives on their land and forced them to leave the area under threat. According to the farmers, the settlers sprayed pepper spray at a man and his children, causing injuries to their faces. Palestinian Red Crescent teams from Marda provided them with first aid and treatment. The farmers also reported that the settlers confiscated olives they had already harvested and prevented them from continuing their work, resulting in financial losses. READ: Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu government of encouraging occupier violence in

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  US lifts policy of denying military export licenses for Syria

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  The US State Department announced on Wednesday that Syria would no longer be subject to a policy of denying licenses and other approvals required for the export of military equipment and defence services. “Syria has been removed from the list of countries subject to a policy of denying licenses and permits required for the export of military equipment and defence services,” the State Department said in a statement. The department said the change would allow the US administration to consider applications for such licenses involving Syria. The amendment is set to take effect on 1st October. The move follows a US decision in late August to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. READ: US removes Syria from

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  Mohammed bin Salman: Establishing an independent Palestinian state remains a steadfast Saudi goal

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Wednesday that establishing an independent Palestinian state remains a steadfast goal for Saudi Arabia, reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Palestinian rights. The Crown Prince made the remarks in the annual royal address, delivered on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the opening of the third year of the Shura Council’s ninth session. Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia possesses highly capable human and military resources enabling it to confront and deter threats regardless of their source, stressing that protecting the Kingdom’s security and stability remains a priority on which it will not compromise. He said attacks targeting members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) demonstrated the interconnected nature of their

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  Egyptian minister rejects Israeli concerns over Sinai railway project

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir said on Wednesday that Egypt’s expansion of transport infrastructure in North Sinai and the reopening of railway lines to reconnect the peninsula with the rest of Egypt are part of efforts to develop the area. His remarks came in response to concerns over the projects reported by Hebrew media. Speaking on Egyptian television on Wednesday evening, El-Wazir said he was focused on restoring the Sinai railway and extending it to Bir al-Abd, then to Al-Arish and later Taba, alongside the Suez Canal tunnels he oversaw while serving as head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. He said the projects aimed to reconnect Sinai with the rest of Egypt, adding: “Why are they upset? Have we

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  How Israel destabilizes the Middle East: Denying sovereignty and the right to exist

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Israel’s pursuit of security increasingly rests on a destabilizing proposition: that its neighbours become less threatening when their capacity to exercise sovereignty is diminished. Since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, this approach has become particularly visible across several distinct arenas. Military operations, territorial incursions and restrictions on political and economic autonomy suggest a conception of security dependent on keeping others vulnerable. The consequences extend beyond individual confrontations. When states cannot control their territory, rebuild institutions or protect their populations, the regional conditions necessary for durable security begin to erode. The argument is not that Israel created every conflict in the Middle East. Authoritarian rule, sectarian violence, armed groups and competing regional interventions have all contributed to the region’s

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  Source: Hamas leadership delegation arrives in Cairo for electoral alliance talks

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  A senior Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo to continue talks on forming a broad electoral alliance ahead of Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for November 28, informed Palestinian sources told Quds Press on Wednesday. The sources said discussions are currently focused on the technical details of a proposed electoral list, including its composition, the allocation of seats and representation among participating parties, as well as potential candidates and the final format of the list. Contacts are also underway with several Palestinian factions, political groups and figures over potentially expanding the alliance to include additional parties, the sources said. Discussions are continuing over the form of participation in the elections and the structure of the electoral list. READ: Source: Fatah invites Hamas

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  Hassan Salameh’s fiancée fears he may have been assaulted after Ben-Gvir’s death threat

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Ghufran Zamel, a released Palestinian prisoner and the fiancée of prisoner Hassan Salameh, said she fears he may have been assaulted after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was filmed threatening him with death inside his prison cell. Speaking exclusively to Quds Press, Zamel described seeing Salameh confronted by Ben-Gvir as “deeply painful” and expressed concern about what may have happened to him after the cameras stopped recording. “It was emotionally agonizing to see Hassan in that situation, facing a reckless minister who was trying to threaten him,” she said. Zamel said Salameh is subjected to abuse, torture and deprivation of food in prison, explaining that his physical appearance in the footage reflected the conditions in which he is being

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  Bodies of recovered victims laid to rest in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  WACTH: Palestinian families bury 50 recovered bodies from beneath the rubbles

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Larry Johnson: Why Do American Liberation Projects End in Disaster?

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Phyllis Bennis: Netanyahu Addresses a Deserted UNGA but a Pact Congress

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  Israeli circus in the UN General Assembly

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  The Israeli occupation leadership has long been accustomed to staging bizarre spectacles on some of the world’s most prominent international platforms, but what Benjamin Netanyahu did during his latest appearance on 25th September 2026 surpassed all expectations. The leading suspect wanted by the International Criminal Court took to the podium to deliver his annual speech at the 81st session of the General Assembly carrying a Starlink satellite dish. He went so far as to display a piece of technological explosive equipment in full view of the world, appearing in the form of a handheld communications device. This is not entirely new. Year after year, Netanyahu has become accustomed to performing his theatrical tricks on the platform of the United Nations

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  Sudan extends Adre border crossing with Chad for humanitarian aid for 3 months

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Sudan has extended the opening of the Adre border crossing with Chad for humanitarian aid for three months until 31 December 2026. In a statement, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said the government had decided to extend the opening of the crossing to humanitarian aid provided by international relief organisations and agencies for an additional three months, from 1 October to 31 December 2026. It said the extension was part of the government’s efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians affected across Sudan. The ministry said the government was committed to providing the necessary conditions and facilities for humanitarian organisations to operate, in coordination with UN agencies and international, regional and national organisations, in line with national laws

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  Benkirane declines meeting with newly designated PM Mansouri

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Morocco’s PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane has declined to meet newly designated Prime Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri at her PAM party headquarters, offering instead to receive her at his home. The position opens the door to discussion about the nature of political consultations over the formation of Morocco’s next government and the limits of party customs and protocol. In a video posted on his official Facebook page shortly before, Benkirane said his refusal to meet at PAM headquarters did not mean he was rejecting dialogue with Mansouri. He stressed that he had no objection to receiving her at his home if she wished to meet him, keeping the meeting away from formal or protocol considerations. Benkirane recalled his political experience

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  UNICEF: 1,317 children killed or injured in Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  261 children have been killed and 1,056 injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the escalation began in March, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday, warning of the impact of the worsening crisis on the future of children and young people. In a report titled An Enduring Nightmare, UNICEF said about 436 schools had been damaged or destroyed, putting nearly 100,000 children at risk of dropping out of education. It added that 86 teachers had been killed or injured. UNICEF said the economic and humanitarian crisis was pushing more families into being unable to meet basic needs, with four in five families in Lebanon struggling to provide them. READ: Israeli army sets fire to government hospital in southern

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  Tehran receives US response to Hormuz reopening proposal, but differences remain over implementation

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  Tehran said on Wednesday it had received a US response to its proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, days after US President Donald Trump said he had rejected the plan. Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the US response to President Masoud Pezeshkian during a cabinet meeting. Iran submitted the proposal last week, calling for reciprocal steps to be taken within seven days. These included the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports in return for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Trump said on Sunday that he had rejected the Iranian proposal, but Araghchi said at the time that Tehran had not received an official response.

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  US provides Tunisia with $1m in security equipment to support counter-terrorism efforts

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  The United States on Wednesday provided Tunisia with security equipment worth about $1 million as part of a counter-terrorism assistance programme. The equipment was handed over by US Ambassador to Tunisia Bill Bazzi, according to a statement from the US embassy. The embassy said: “On behalf of the United States, Ambassador Bazzi formally transferred nearly $1M in U.S.-funded security equipment to Tunisia’s Ministry of Interior Directorate General of Intervention Units and Directorate General of the National Guard, strengthening Tunisia’s crisis-response and security capabilities as well as our enduring partnership on shared security priorities.”  READ: Tunisia’s UGTT reaffirms plans for general strike amid dispute with authorities The equipment will support Tunisia’s ability to train and certify law enforcement officers in crisis response

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  How Gaza’s genocide is reshaping US domestic politics

  by Mehdi Editor on October 1, 2026

  To claim that Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza has fundamentally changed the internal politics of the United States and the wider world might be an overstatement. But what cannot be overstated is a simple fact: Israel and its policies no longer enjoy the virtually unlimited approval and support in the US that they once taken for granted. At both the local and national levels, support for Israel has weakened significantly, while across Europe, too, political attitudes toward Israel have changed in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just three years ago. To see that change in Europe just consider the new position taken by the United Kingdom toward Israel, particularly over the occupied West Bank. In earlier September,

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  While Gaza dominates the UN, these are the people keeping it alive

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  When I first saw footage of Gaza doctor Munir al-Bursh and his family kneeling beside the white-shrouded body of his son, surrounded by mourners, I thought it was an old video. It was not. My conclusion, however, was understandable. In December 2023, only months after the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, the al-Bursh family was targeted in an Israeli attack. Dr. Munir, director-general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, was wounded. So were other members of his family. His daughter, Jinan, only 13, was killed. That same day, Gaza’s beloved doctor was back at work, joining the many doctors across the Strip trying to save lives as Israel’s killing machine claimed them by the thousands. Alas, the latest footage

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  US has ‘virtually total control’ of Strait of Hormuz: Trump

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the US has “virtually total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, while claiming that oil shipments through the strategically important waterway have surged to historic levels in recent days, Anadolu reports. “We have virtually total control of the Hormuz Strait,” Trump said during a Hispanic heritage month celebration. “In fact, in the last three days, more oil has come out of the Hormuz Strait than at any time in the history of the Hormuz.” The president reiterated that Iran’s military had been “totally wiped out,” and said the war would soon be won. “We’re going to have that war won very quickly, one way or the other,” he said. In February, the US and

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  Direct talks with Israel only way to regain Lebanese territory: Foreign minister

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Wednesday that direct negotiations with Israel under US auspices are the only way to regain Lebanese territory and allow residents to return to their villages, Anadolu reports. Rajji made the remarks during a discussion organized by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, according to a Lebanese Foreign Ministry statement. The discussion, chaired by former US diplomat Elliott Abrams, was attended by council members, journalists and representatives of research centers, the ministry said. It addressed the situation in Lebanon, reasons for delays in implementing the framework agreement, Hezbollah’s weapons, the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and relations with Syria’s new government, the statement said. Rajji said Lebanon’s priority is to ensure

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  263 Palestinian journalists killed since start of Israel’s war on Gaza: Media office

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  The number of Palestinian journalists killed since the start of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip has risen to 263, Gaza’s government media office said Wednesday. The latest death toll came after Palestinian journalist Muhammad Abdel Aziz al-Najjar was killed Wednesday in an Israeli drone strike, the office said. In a statement, the media office “strongly condemned the Israeli occupation’s targeting, killing and systematic assassination of Palestinian journalists.” READ: 262 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since Gaza war: Media office It called on the Federation of Journalists, the Federation of Arab Journalists and press organizations worldwide to condemn what it described as crimes against journalists and media workers in Gaza. The office also urged the international community to pursue those crimes

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  Switzerland says violence level ‘cannot be tolerated’ as it condemns recent West Bank occupier attack

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  Switzerland on Wednesday condemned an attack by 100 Israeli occupiers on the Palestinian village of Jalud in the occupied West Bank, saying the “unprecedented level of settler violence cannot be tolerated.” “Switzerland condemns yesterday’s attack on the village of Jalud by around 100 settlers,” the Foreign Ministry said in a post on the US social media platform X. “Israel must protect Palestinian civilians and bring those responsible to justice,” it added. Israeli occupiers attacked three Palestinian villages in the West Bank early Tuesday, forcing a family from its home minutes after it returned under an Israeli court order, torching homes and vehicles and assaulting an elderly woman. In Jalud, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, the Al-Tubasi family

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  Saudi crown prince says ‘Mecca Defense Alliance’ with Turkiye, Pakistan aims to bolster regional stability

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday said that the “Mecca Defense Alliance” with Turkiye and Pakistan aims to bolster regional stability and shield the region from tensions and conflicts, Anadolu reports. He made the remarks while delivering the annual royal address on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz during the opening of the third year of the ninth session of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council. “To strengthen regional stability, shield it from the repercussions of tensions and conflicts, and coordinate efforts, the Mecca Defense Alliance was established between the kingdom, Turkiye and Pakistan,” the crown prince said. He said attacks targeting Gulf Cooperation Council countries demonstrate that Gulf security and stability are “indivisible.” He said Saudi Arabia is working

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  Israel’s Supreme Court to hear appeals against disqualification of Arab candidates

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  Israel’s Supreme Court is set to hold a hearing Thursday on petitions challenging decisions to bar Arab candidates and electoral lists from parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 27, Anadolu reports. Adalah, a Palestinian human rights center based in Israel, said in a statement seen by Anadolu that a nine-judge panel would consider cases involving the disqualifications. “The decisions to disqualify all Arab electoral lists, Knesset member Ofer Cassif and former Knesset member Sami Abu Shehadeh are unfounded and discriminatory,” Adalah said. Last week, Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify the Joint List, the United Arab List, Abu Shehadeh, head of the Balad party, and Cassif, a lawmaker from the Joint List. Palestinians make up about 21% of Israel’s population

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  Greek Education Ministry reportedly urges universities to expand academic cooperation with Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  Greece’s Education Ministry urged universities to pursue academic and research cooperation with Israeli institutions under an Israeli-funded initiative, the EFSYN newspaper reported Wednesday. Interested Greek higher education institutions were invited to establish cooperation with Israeli counterparts in areas including joint research, conferences and workshops, student scholarships, and exchange programs for academic staff and students, according to a ministry letter obtained by EFSYN. The initiative by Israel’s Ministry of Regional Cooperation has a budget of 6.5 million shekels (€2 million, or more than $2.2 million), according to the letter. It said Greece is considered a “partner country” and that promoting research cooperation with Athens, as well as broader cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, is a strategic priority for the Israeli ministry.

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  Trump hails Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as US forces leave

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  President Donald Trump placed Iraqi new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the center of his announcement that the last American forces are leaving the country, portraying the new Iraqi leader as a key figure in the next chapter of US-Iraq relations, Anadolu reports. “This is a Great Day for America and, importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, somebody I supported from the beginning and fully endorsed. “He won an Election that he was not expected to win, and did so, in a landslide!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Earlier Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced that the US and its coalition partners have formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. READ: US, coalition partners

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  Israeli restrictions on 65% of Gaza’s land ‘main obstacle’ to aid, shelter: UN

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  Israeli restrictions in nearly two-thirds of the Gaza Strip represent the primary barrier to humanitarian relief and flood protection efforts, the UN said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “Our humanitarian partners stress that the main obstacle is restrictions on access of 65% of Gaza’s land,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a media briefing. “The remaining 35% is already overcrowded.” The constraints come as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and partner groups assess emergency measures to protect families from winter downpours. Aid teams inspected three potential relocation zones for temporary shelters to assist families choosing to leave flood-prone grounds near structural ruins at risk of collapse. In parallel, humanitarian teams are evaluating more than 450 existing displacement

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  ‘Strong indication’ of Iran’s involvement in suspected plot near RAF base: UK PM

  by Mehdi Editor on September 30, 2026

  There is a “strong indication” that Iran played a role in Sunday’s suspected terror plot near Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base in South West England, the prime minister confirmed Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “There is indeed a strong indication that Iran played a part,” Andy Burnham confirmed in an interview with Sky News. However, he added: “This remains, though, a complex and very serious police investigation. So I can’t say any more at this stage.” Five men from London, age between 23 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism. The incident came after a farmer discovered three vans blocking a road near the RAF base in Gloucestershire at 1.30 am local time (0030GMT). Later, it was