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

• UN calls US sanctions on rapporteur for Palestine a ‘dangerous precedent’

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  The UN on Thursday said the US decision to impose sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese sets a “dangerous precedent”, Anadolu reports. “Our reaction to the sanctions imposed by the US on Francesca Albanese, I can say to you that the imposition of sanctions on Special Rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference. He stressed that Albanese, like all special rapporteurs, is “an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the UN Human Rights Council. “Special Rapporteurs do not report to the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres). He (Guterres) has no authority over them or their work,” Dujarric added. READ: Washington to impose

• Rubio says parties to Gaza ceasefire ‘closer than we’ve been in quite a while’

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism Thursday about ceasefire negotiations concerning the Gaza Strip, saying the parties are “closer than we’ve been in quite a while,” Anadolu reports. “It appears that generally the terms have been agreed to, but obviously now you need to have talks about how you implement those terms,” Rubio told reporters at the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Malaysia. He said Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, have reached an understanding through Qatari and Egyptian mediators on a 60-day ceasefire and that includes humanitarian aid resumption through international agencies. “We’re hopeful that they can move to proximity talks pretty quickly and go from there and have a ceasefire in place in the near

• Israel’s Ben-Gvir forms new police unit composed of illegal settlers in occupied West Bank

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir formed a new police unit composed of illegal armed settlers, a move seen as an effort to deepen Israel’s de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. The extremist minister announced the move during a ceremony held Wednesday at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in the southern West Bank. Dubbed the “First Response Unit,” the new force will operate under the West Bank police division and is comprised of over 100 illegal settlers from Israeli settlements, a police statement said on Thursday. According to the statement, the unit’s mission is to provide “rapid and effective emergency response,” enhance “personal security,” and help combat crime in the area. Police claimed that the

• Killing Palestinians, by genocide and formalities

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Israel used no formality in genocide. The EU, on the other hand, treats Israel with the utmost formality designed to help the settler-colonial entity achieve its genocidal aims.  Following a report on the EU-Israel Association Agreement, details of which show hesitant language: “There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement,” the EU has drawn up another formal delay – a list of punitive measures which member states are unlikely to agree upon, and none of which are effective in stopping the genocide in Gaza. The measures are partial or full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, sanctioning Israeli ministers, military personnel or extremist settlers, restricting trade,

• Gaza’s population drops by 10% amid Israel’s genocidal war

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Gaza’s population has dropped by 10% as Israel continued its destructive war on the Palestinian enclave, official figures showed on Thursday, Anadolu reports. “Palestine, specifically the Gaza Strip, is suffering an unprecedented humanitarian and demographic catastrophe due to the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 2023,” the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said in a statement. The bureau said that more than 57,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children and 12,000 women, were killed in Israeli attacks, which constitutes 2.4% of Gaza’s total population. Figures released by the bureau also showed that nearly 100,000 Palestinians have left the enclave since the start of the Israeli war. Before the outbreak of the Israeli war, Gaza’s population stood at 2,226,544 in 2023, as official figures

• Israel’s “Genocide-Industrial Complex” | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  In this episode of Palestine This Week, we unpack Israel’s latest scheme for Gaza: a so-called “humanitarian city” that critics say is a cover for mass internment and forced transfer. Far from offering safety, the plan is seen as part of Israel’s long-standing effort to remove Palestinians from their land. We examine explosive revelations about the involvement of the Boston Consulting Group and staff linked to the Tony Blair Institute, alongside legal analysis from Professor Eyal Benvenisti, who warns that such population transfers are a grave violation of international law. The discussion turns to a powerful new report from UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese exposing over 60 corporations, including Microsoft, Alphabet and Palantir, profiting from the Gaza genocide. As the

• Limits of economic strength and resilience: Lessons from the Israel-Iran War

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  The 12-day war between Israel and Iran ended with a fragile ceasefire. A review of the war’s economic toll suggests that a prolonged conflict would have been economically unsustainable for both sides. For Iran, this was anticipated given the country’s decades-long exposure to sanctions, but for Israel, the war marked a test of its economic strength and resilience and exposed deeper vulnerabilities. As recently as last year, the Israeli Finance Minister had stated with striking confidence that ‘the Israeli economy is strong by all measures, capable of sustaining all war efforts, on the front line and home front, until, with God’s help, victory is achieved.’   Israel’s direct military costs averaged USD 725 million per day – more than eight

• Israel claims to have intercepted missile launched from Yemen

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  The Israeli army claimed early Thursday to have intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. Army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X that the missile attack had triggered air-raid sirens in some parts of the country. The Yemeni Houthi group confirmed the attack, saying it targeted Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport with a ballistic missile in a “qualitative military operation.” Military spokesman Yahya Saree said that the missile had hit its target, causing air-raid sirens to “sound in more than 300 towns and cities, sending millions of Zionists (Israelis) rushing to shelters, and halting air traffic at the airport.” The Houthis have intensified missile and drone strikes on Israel since the Israeli military resumed attacks on Gaza in March after two

• Washington to impose sanctions on UN special rapporteur for Palestinian territories

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  The United States has announced it will impose sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, based in Geneva. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday X that Albanese had taken “illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court (ICC) action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.”  In a follow-up statement, Rubio condemned Albanese’s repeated criticism of the US and said she had urged the ICC to issue arrest warrants, including against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rubio also accused Albanese of having “spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West,” according to BBC. Rubio also claimed that Albanese

• UN expert says claims of systematic sexual violence on 7 October remain unverified as Israel releases new report

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  A new Israeli report alleging that Hamas used sexual violence as a “weapon of war” during the 7 October attacks is facing renewed scrutiny after a senior United Nations official said there is no independent evidence for the Israeli claim. “It is my understanding that neither the [UN] Commission nor any other independent human rights mechanism established that sexual or gender-based violence was committed against Israelis on or since the 7 October as a systematic tool of war or as a tool of genocide,” said Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, in a statement. Alsalem’s remarks came in response to the publication of “A Quest for Justice,” a new report authored by Israeli legal

• US firm accused of modelling ethnic cleansing in Gaza probed by UK parliamentary committee

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  A US consulting firm accused of helping model plans for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza is now under formal scrutiny by a UK parliamentary committee. Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world’s most powerful management consultancies, has been asked to explain its role in a controversial postwar redevelopment scheme for Gaza that included cost estimates for the mass relocation of Palestinians.  Liam Byrne MP, chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, demanded “clarification and information” about BCG’s activities, including its work with the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a body set up with Israeli and US backing that has come under fire for whitewashing forced displacement. According to a Financial Times investigation, BCG was hired to

• Courtiers in kufiyas: The grotesque spectacle of Arab “scholars” subjugation before Israeli power

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  There is something nauseating, indeed obscene, about watching Arab dignitaries such as Hassen Chalhoumi, the state sponsored Imam in France and others in tailored thobes and expensive drapes extend obsequious courtesies to the very figurehead of a regime that has unleashed genocidal fury on Gaza. To witness the Israeli President, whose government has presided over the calculated immolation of a civilian population, being serenaded by platitudes about “shared humanity” by men who claim to speak for the Arab and Muslim world, is to see political servility masquerading as diplomacy. This is not mere cowardice. It is something far worse. It is the performance of colonized minds and hand-picked scholars, men who, for a few pieces of silver, have so thoroughly

• Spanish PM: Netanyahu doing in Palestine what Putin does in Ukraine

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Israel on Wednesday of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, stating that Europe is not doing enough to stop it. Speaking before the Spanish parliament, Sánchez compared the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.  He said: “No one that tramples on the EU’s founding principles – or that uses hunger and war to annihilate a legitimate state – can be a partner of the European Union,”        Sánchez warned that Netanyahu’s actions would be remembered as “one of the darkest chapters of the 21st century.”    He went on to say that “The harrowing images of children searching for their families under the rubble or dying

• From free to fallen: The mysterious death of a Libyan activist

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Abdelmonem Al-Marimi is dead—and Libya is left grasping for the truth. The 42-year-old activist, father, and outspoken anti-corruption voice died late on 5 July, while in the custody of the Attorney General’s office in Tripoli, shortly after prosecutors said he had been cleared for release. Surveillance footage—silent but detailed—released on 6 July shows him arriving, moving between offices, and then, in a moment both sudden and haunting, jumping from a third-floor stairwell. The video also shows his lifeless body and guards rushing in. He was taken to a nearby private clinic, where he remained unconscious before being pronounced dead. But the footage raises more questions than it answers. The Internal Security Agency (ISA), in a statement fiercely denied that he

• Unprecedented Israeli backlash against Netanyahu: Vietnam-style phase in Gaza, deadly trap and endless losses

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Unprecedented criticism has surfaced within Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as analysts describe the war in Gaza as Israel’s own “Vietnam phase” — a deadly trap marked by heavy losses and an unending drain on resources — with warnings that a full military occupation of the Strip could prove an even “bigger mistake” than the one made by the United States in Vietnam. In a strongly worded opinion published in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli columnist Nadav Eyal questioned the benefit of Netanyahu’s “excellent” meeting with US President Donald Trump, while five more Israeli families were mourning their sons killed in Gaza. Despite repeated assurances from Washington of its “sincere support”, Eyal pointed out that serious doubts remain about Israel’s overall

• Hamas says it killed Israeli soldier during failed capture attempt in Khan Younis

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Wednesday that it killed an Israeli soldier in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, after field conditions prevented his capture. According to Anadolu Agency’s correspondent, Tel Aviv has acknowledged the soldier’s death. This marks the first such incident in 14 months and comes as part of intensified operations by Palestinian factions in response to what they describe as Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. Since Israel resumed its offensive on Gaza on 18 March, 39 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Strip, according to the Hebrew-language daily Israel Hayom. In a statement on Wednesday, Al-Qassam said: “We carried out a raid today on a gathering of enemy soldiers and

• Hamas official: We agreed to release 10 Israeli captives to ensure aid delivery, halt war

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  A senior official in the Hamas movement, Taher Al-Nounou, has confirmed that the group has agreed to release 10 Israeli captives currently held in Gaza in order to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid and bring an end to the ongoing war on the Strip. In remarks made to the press on Wednesday, Al-Nounou said that Hamas is showing a high degree of flexibility during the current negotiations taking place in the Qatari capital, Doha, and is responding positively to mediators.  He noted that this round of talks faces serious challenges, but stressed that the movement remains committed to its core demands, foremost among them the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a comprehensive end to the aggression. He

• Netanyahu says Palestinians should have ‘freedom of choice’ to leave Gaza

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he and US President Donald Trump have a “common goal” on the Gaza Strip, denying reports that they seek the forcible relocation of Palestinians. “I want to inform you something that will shock the various reports that come out. President Trump and I have a common goal,” Netanyahu told reporters at the Capitol Hill, referring to the media reports that said Israel and the US kept alive the idea of relocating Palestinians from the besieged enclave. “I want to achieve the release of our hostages. We want to end Hamas rule in Gaza, make sure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel. In pursuing this common goal, we have a

• The “Economy of Genocide” report: A reckoning beyond rhetoric

  by MI on July 10, 2025

  Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in occupied Palestine, stands as a testament to the notion of speaking truth to power. This “power” is not solely embodied by Israel or even the United States, but by an international community whose collective relevance has tragically failed to stem the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Her latest report, ‘From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide,’ submitted to the UN Human Rights Council on 3 July, marks a seismic intervention. It unflinchingly names and implicates companies that have not only allowed Israel to sustain its war and genocide against Palestinians, but also confronts those who have remained silent in the face of this unfolding horror. Albanese’s

• Morocco reopens its embassy in Syria after 13-year closure

  by Marwa A on July 9, 2025

  Morocco announced on Wednesday the reopening of its embassy in Syria after a 13-year closure, Anadolu reports. The embassy resumed its operations in Damascus last Sunday, the official Moroccan news agency reported. It noted that the embassy was reopened at its previous location temporarily, pending the completion of administrative procedures and preparations to move to a new premise “that better suits the renewed momentum in Moroccan-Syrian relations,” it added. In May, Morocco decided to reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital. Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in Syria

• Israeli court extends detention of 7 soldiers for sexually abusing other servicemembers

  by Marwa A on July 9, 2025

  An Israeli military court extended the detention of seven soldiers Wednesday on suspicion of abuse, threats and sexual offenses against younger soldiers in a unit, according to a media report, Anadolu reports. The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the court extended the detention for six days. Seven soldiers from the Air Force’s Arrow air defense system array were detained Tuesday on suspicion of sexual abuse of comrades. “The offenses were committed over the past six months as part of ‘seniority games’ and lasted for several weeks, allegedly including acts of sodomy,” said the newspaper. The developments come as the Israeli army has killed nearly 57,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has

• Tunisian festival scraps concert by French singer over support for Israel

  by Marwa A on July 9, 2025

  The administration of the International Festival of Carthage in Tunisia cancelled on Wednesday a concert by French singer Helene Segara over her support for Israel, Anadolu reports. Tunisian activists launched a campaign on social media demanding that the concert be cancelled because of Segara’s support for Tel Aviv. The activists called on the festival’s administration to withdraw the concert, describing it as a “national duty” in light of what they considered attempts to promote normalization with Israel under the cover of art. “It has been decided to cancel Helene Segara’s performance as part of the 59th edition of the festival,” the administration said in a statement. The concert was scheduled for July 31 as part of this year’s festival running

• UN ‘firmly against’ any forced displacement in Gaza

  by Marwa A on July 9, 2025

  The UN said Wednesday it “firmly” opposes any forced displacement of Palestinians, following remarks by an Israeli official who proposed the relocation of the population of the Gaza Strip to a so-called “humanitarian city” on the ruins of Rafah, Anadolu reports. “It’s not the first time we’ve heard of such projects. We firmly stand against any forced displacement of people that would only increase risks to themselves,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he instructed the army to prepare a plan to relocate all Palestinians to what he called a “humanitarian city” on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza. Katz said the population will be held in the new zone, and

• “We won’t stop until the genocide ends:” Brazil on the frontlines of global solidarity for Gaza

  by Marwa A on July 9, 2025

  Over the past week, Brazil has witnessed a powerful and multifaceted display of solidarity with the Palestinian people, reflecting the country’s growing role in international humanitarian discourse. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, Brazilian leaders and civil society have responded with an unprecedented wave of political declarations, parliamentary action, and public mobilisation. From the presidential podium at the BRICS summit to the halls of Congress and the streets of São Paulo, Brazilians made their position clear: the genocide in Gaza must end, and Brazil will not remain silent. At the center of the week’s developments was President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s uncompromising condemnation of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Speaking at the BRICS summit in Rio

• Germany’s Merz says he has ‘no doubt’ about legality of Israel’s attacks on Iran

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for Israel’s military strikes against Iran, despite concerns from legal scholars about whether these actions comply with international law. “I have no doubt about the legitimacy and legality under international law of what Israel has done,” Merz told lawmakers during a parliamentary Q&A session, arguing that multiple legal interpretations support Israel’s position. “Stating that it was a preemptive strike against a potentially imminent nuclear attack from Iran is only one of several possible assumptions. One could also conclude that Israel has been attacked almost daily for years and has the right to defend itself militarily,” he said. “And by Oct. 7, 2023, at the latest, it must have been clear to

• Israeli opposition leader slams Netanyahu’s use of ‘Morag Axis’ to block Gaza hostage deal

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for invoking the so-called “Morag Axis” in southern Gaza as an obstacle to reaching a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal with Hamas, Anadolu reports. Lapid’s remarks followed Israeli media reports that Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Morag Corridor – linking the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis – was the sole remaining obstacle to finalizing the agreement. “Netanyahu is placing barriers in front of a deal,” Lapid said in a radio interview cited by the public broadcaster KAN. “Now suddenly, the Morag Axis has become the new cornerstone of our existence?” he added sarcastically. Lapid drew parallels to Netanyahu’s previous claims regarding the strategic

• Israeli army launches ‘special, targeted’ operations in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  The Israeli army said Wednesday that its forces launched “special, targeted” operations into southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement, Anadolu reports. A military statement said that troops from its 91st Division began what it called “special, targeted operations” to dismantle Hezbollah’s fighters and military infrastructure in the region. The army claimed that the operations were launched after identifying Hezbollah weaponry and underground storage sites in several areas along the border. According to the statement, Israeli forces dismantled what the army said was “a compound containing weapons depots and firing positions” belonging to Hezbollah in the area of Jabal Blat mountain in southern Lebanon. READ: Israel claims to have assassinated Hezbollah military official in strike on southern Lebanon The army also claimed

• UN agency warns of critical hunger crisis among mothers, newborns in Gaza

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned Tuesday that tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza are facing severe hunger, with devastating consequences for newborns, Anadolu reports. UNFPA’s Arab States Regional Office said on X that 50,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women “haven’t eaten for days.” “Babies are born too soon, too small,” the agency wrote, noting that malnutrition among mothers is preventing them from breastfeeding, while baby formula is no longer available. “Newborns are at risk of death or lifelong health issues,” UNFPA added. READ: Gaza will not surrender, the resistance will dictate terms, says Hamas official The agency described the situation as preventable and called for immediate humanitarian access. “#OpenUpGaza Let aid in,” the statement concluded. According to

• Former EU foreign policy chief slams Netanyahu for nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  Europe’s former top diplomat on Wednesday slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, calling it a move by an “alleged war criminal” for his “largest arms supplier,” Anadolu reports. “An alleged war criminal wanted by the international justice proposes for the Nobel Peace Prize his largest supplier of weapons, and with which he is causing the greatest ethnic cleansing in the region since the end of World War II,” Josep Borrell, former EU foreign policy chief, wrote on X. Borrell’s comments came shortly after Netanyahu handed Trump a formal letter of nomination during his Tuesday visit to the US, the Israeli premier’s third trip to the country in six

• Israeli group petitions Supreme Court to declare Netanyahu unfit for office

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  An Israeli advocacy group has filed a petition with the Supreme Court demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be declared unfit for office, citing violations of conflict-of-interest obligations and undermining the rule of law, local media said on Wednesday, cited by Anadolu Agency. The petition was submitted by the non-governmental organization “Democratic Fortress.” It accuses Netanyahu of breaching the conflict-of-interest arrangement tied to his role and should be deemed “incapacitated” under the principle of “defensive democracy,” Maariv newspaper said. Critics argue that Netanyahu unlawfully uses his executive power to further his political goals, including attempts to dismiss former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, as well as efforts to push laws limiting the Supreme Court’s authority. READ: Israeli

• Israel claims to have assassinated Hezbollah military official in strike on southern Lebanon

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  The Israeli military claimed Wednesday that it had assassinated a senior Hezbollah military figure in a drone strike in southern Lebanon. A military statement said that it had targeted the town of Babliyeh in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, “eliminating the Head of Firepower of the Zahrani sector in Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, Hussein Ali Muzhir.” The army claimed that Muzhir “had been involved in coordinating rocket fire toward Israeli territory and had recently worked to rebuild Hezbollah’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.” Hezbollah has not yet commented on the Israeli claim. Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed that one person was killed in the Babliyeh drone strike on Tuesday. READ: Lebanon, US discuss linking Hezbollah’s disarmament to Israeli withdrawal Cross-border warfare between Israel and

• More civilian deaths in Gaza city as Israel continues its attack

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  READ: More killed while waiting for aid today

• Israeli committing ‘manifest war crime’ says legal scholar who defended Tel Aviv at ICJ genocide case

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  A leading member of Israel’s legal team in the genocide case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has publicly condemned the Israeli military’s latest operation in Gaza as a “manifest war crime”. Professor Eyal Benvenisti, a prominent international law expert and director of the Lauterpacht Centre at Cambridge University, co-authored a scathing legal opinion warning that Israel’s policy of forcibly “concentrating and moving” Gaza’s population amounts to a grave breach of international law. Published on 8 July in Haaretz, the opinion, co-written with legal philosopher Professor Chaim Gans, denounces the IDF’s current campaign, dubbed Operation “Gideon’s Chariots”, as a clear case of forcible population transfer, a crime prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention and classified

• A high price without victory: The whole world wants the war to end – except Israel

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  Retired Israeli General and former head of the Israeli National Security Council, Giora Eiland, said that “occupying a civilian area gives a false impression of success and drags the army into a costly quagmire”. In an article titled “A high price without victory”: “the whole world wants the war to end – except the Israeli government,” Eiland, who was known for drafting the so-called “generals’ plan” to transfer residents from northern Gaza during the Israeli war on the Strip, said:  “Five soldiers were killed and 14 others injured, some seriously, in an incident in Beit Hanoun. This incident, like the one in which seven combat engineers were killed in a Puma vehicle, shows again and again how absurd the war

• Spain opens war crimes probe against Netanyahu over Madleen aid ship attack

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  The Spanish judiciary has opened a criminal investigation against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and several senior military officials over their alleged involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the attack on the Madleen humanitarian aid ship last June. European Parliament member and lawyer Jaume Asens announced on Tuesday, via the X platform, that he had filed a legal complaint with Spain’s National Court on behalf of Spanish activist Sergio Toribio and the “Committee for Solidarity with the Arab Cause”. Asens confirmed that the National Court has launched proceedings against Netanyahu, Sa’ar, and senior Israeli military officials in connection with the assault on the Madleen, which was carrying humanitarian aid to the blockaded

• Tunisian court sentences Ghannouchi and opposition figures to 12-35 years in prison

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  Tunis’s primary court on Tuesday issued new prison sentences in the so-called “Conspiracy Case 2”, with rulings ranging between 12 and 35 years. The harshest penalties were handed down in absentia to individuals currently outside Tunisia. The court also dismissed charges against one defendant. The court sentenced Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda Movement, to 14 years in prison. Ghannouchi refused to attend the trial, maintaining his boycott of all court proceedings and investigations since his arrest. Ghannouchi has been held in prison since April 2023. Several rulings have been issued against him in cases described by international human rights organisations as “of a political nature.”      In the same case, the court sentenced Mahrez Zouari, Abdelkarim Obeidi, Ennahda leader Habib

• Houthis pledge support for red sea navigation freedom, excluding Israel and supporters

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  The Houthis have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea for all parties “except Israel and those who support it,” just hours after the United States reported casualties among the crew of a vessel attacked by the group. In a statement released on Tuesday evening by the Saba news agency, Houthi political leader Mahdi Al-Mashat said, “We are committed to the freedom of navigation for everyone, except the Zionist entity and those who support it in its aggression against our people in Gaza.” He stressed that the group has no intention of targeting any vessel not linked to Israel or its allies. “We have no desire to target anyone who is not associated with

• Saudi Arabia blocked Gaza displacement plan backed by Trump

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  Saudi Arabia played a key role in stopping a US plan to relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, according to a report by the Hebrew-language news site Walla. Citing Israeli sources, the report said that US President Donald Trump abandoned the plan after his visit to Riyadh, where he signed strategic agreements with the Saudi leadership. In February, Trump publicly promoted what he called a “voluntary migration plan” for Gaza. He proposed turning the territory into a “Riviera of the Middle East” by relocating its Palestinian population. However, the plan was widely condemned in the Arab world and by humanitarian organisations, which saw it as a cover for forced mass displacement. According to Walla, Israel observed

• The Peace Prize farce: When tyrants nominate a tyrant

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  There are moments in world affairs so brazen, so jaw-droppingly cynical, that satire simply gives up and goes home. One such moment has arrived: the unlikeliest of duos—Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Pakistan’s General Asim Munir—have found common cause in nominating Donald J. Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. That’s right. A warmonger-in-chief being heralded by a military autocrat and a genocidal demagogue as the global symbol of peace. George Orwell, meet your latest footnote. But let’s not be misled by the absurdity. This is not a comedy of errors. It’s a political ritual of allegiance, where power is flattered, imperialism is decorated, and peace is contorted into a mockery of itself. That Netanyahu and Munir are Trump’s cheerleaders for

• Gaza will not surrender, the resistance will dictate terms, says Hamas official

  by MI on July 9, 2025

  Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said on Tuesday that Gaza will not surrender, and it is the resistance that will set the terms, not Israel. In a statement on his Telegram account, al-Rishq described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent remarks — about securing the release of all hostages and the surrender of Hamas — as a reflection of “psychological defeat and delusion, not battlefield realities.” He added that “after the enemy’s leaders have admitted their total failure in recovering their captives through military operations, it has become clear that the only way to secure their release is through a serious deal with the resistance.” Al-Rishq stressed that the Palestinian resistance has already imposed new dynamics and conditions on the

• Crackdown on Free Speech: How Pro-Palestinian Voices Are Being Criminalised: MEMO in conversation with Fahad Ansari

  by MI on July 8, 2025

    In this episode of Conversation with MEMO, we sit down with solicitor Fahad Ansari to unpack the intensifying crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism across Western democracies. Against the backdrop of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, the discussion dives deep into the erosion of free speech, the use of counter-terror laws to silence dissent, and the alarming shift from democratic to authoritarian tendencies in dealing with pro-Palestinian voices. Fahad, whose firm recently launched a legal challenge against the UK’s proscription of Hamas, shares insight into the chilling legal and political environment confronting activists today, raising urgent questions about the double standards embedded in the West’s commitment to freedom of expression. The conversation also explores the unprecedented attempt to label Palestine Action a

• US pours $1.5 billion into building secretive sprawling Israeli military bases

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  The US is overseeing a sprawling military construction initiative in Israel, with projects valued at more than $1.5 billion, funded entirely through American aid, Haaretz has revealed citing newly surfaced documents from the US Army Corps of Engineers. The massive infrastructure programme includes the construction of airbase runways, helicopter hangars, ammunition storage, command centres, and a new headquarters for Israel’s elite naval commando unit, Shayetet 13. The project is being financed through military assistance provided under the terms of the $3.8 billion annual aid package agreed in 2016 by former US President Barack Obama. Haaretz, which first reported the story, notes that the US military aid is also covering upgrades to accommodate Israel’s new fleet of CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters and

• The UN’s colonial fabrication of human rights

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  The UN has repeatedly and uselessly declared itself against the forced transfer of the Palestinian people. Yet under its watch, the Zionist paramilitaries, precursors to the Israeli military, carried out the first large scale ethnic cleansing in 1948. Israel continued to expel Palestinians from their homes and villages, leading to the current genocide. While Israel continues to gain ground in obliterating the Palestinian people, the UN exhibits its warped logic repeatedly – proclaiming itself against forced transfer while legitimising Israel, because forced transfer is against international law and colonialism is not, apparently.  If one looks at UN reasoning, or the lack of it, the UN is only concerned with protecting the illusion of international law at the expense of the

• Tony Blair Institute took part in ‘Gaza Riviera’ ethnic cleansing project

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) has been implicated in what many believe to be a blueprint for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, following revelations that the institution founded by the former UK Prime Minister participated in a controversial postwar planning project proposing the mass displacement of Palestinians.  Details of TBI’s involvement was uncovered in a Financial Times investigation. It revealed that the scheme, developed by Israeli businessmen and modelled by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), included economic incentives to forcibly “relocate” up to half a million Palestinians and transform the besieged enclave into a luxury investment zone dubbed the “Gaza Riviera”. BCG developed financial models estimating the costs of displacing up to 500,000 Palestinians from Gaza as part of a project

• The Beit Hanoun operation: A blow to the colony’s alleged “legitimacy”

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  On 7 July 2025, the Palestinian resistance carried out a series of operations against the occupying army in Beit Hanoun —in the North of the Gaza Strip, an area the colony declared to be under its control— killing 5 enemy soldiers and wounding dozens. This qualitative operation is not only a heroic act, but also a blow to the heart of the occupying colony, both as a state and as a “society.” Any authority needs to establish its legitimacy in the eyes of those it claims to represent, i.e., give them sufficient reasons to accept its existence as an authority. Imposing decisions on society while maintaining its cohesion is a delicate task for all states, but it is particularly so

• Trump meets with Netanyahu at White House

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, Anadolu reports. Trump is hosting Netanyahu for dinner, where they will discuss developments in the Middle East, including a Gaza ceasefire deal. In his third visit to the US within six months, Netanyahu earlier met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Blair House, the president’s official guest house in Washington, DC. He also met with Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that there are “many important” matters in the region. “As you know, the utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in

• Lebanon, US discuss linking Hezbollah’s disarmament to Israeli withdrawal

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Monday that ideas were discussed with US envoy Tom Barrack for a synchronized process that would link Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory to the disarmament of the Hezbollah group. Speaking at a press conference following his meeting with Barrack, who is in Beirut to receive Lebanon’s official response to a US proposal to disarm Hezbollah, Salam confirmed that “limiting weapons to the state and extending state authority” has been a Lebanese consensus since the 1989 Taif Agreement, which ended the country’s 15-year civil war. “Hezbollah is an inseparable part of the Lebanese state. Its members of parliament voted in favor of the government’s policy statement,” he added, referring to the current Cabinet’s program of

• Brotherhood detainees excluded from presidential pardon decisions

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  Muslim Brotherhood detainees are being excluded from all presidential pardon lists, according to Tarek El-Khouly, a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee established by the Egyptian authorities. El-Khouly, who also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives and a member of the Coordination Committee of Party Youth Leaders and Politicians, said: “These individuals pose a threat to Egypt, even if some of them have not been involved in violence. They are still likely to commit acts of violence and might threaten the security of Egyptians.  His comments, made during statements to several local news outlets including Al-Gomhuria, Rosa El-Youssef, Al-Watan, and Sada El-Balad, have sparked criticism by some observers and human rights activists.

• Israeli soldiers file petition questioning legality of ‘Operation Gideon Chariots’ in Gaza

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  Three Israeli reserve soldiers have filed a legal petition with the Supreme Court, arguing that the army’s “Operation Gideon Chariots” in Gaza may breach international law, as it appears to aim at the forced transfer and expulsion of the population of the Gaza Strip. According to Haaretz on Monday, Supreme Court Judge Khaled Kabub has urged the Israeli army to provide a response to the petitioners in hopes of sparing the court from needing to deliberate the matter further. In a letter sent to the soldiers by an officer from the office of the Israeli Chief of Staff, the military claimed it was “operating broadly throughout the Gaza Strip against terror targets through fire and ground incursions.” He stated that

• Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

  by MI on July 8, 2025

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he has nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, praising his efforts to promote peace in several regions. The announcement came at the start of a joint dinner at the White House, where Netanyahu presented Trump with a copy of the letter he had sent to the Nobel Committee. Speaking on camera, Netanyahu said: “This is your nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. It is fully deserved and you should receive it.” He described Trump as a leader who is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other.” Trump responded: “Thank you very much. Coming from you especially, that means a lot