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

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  Over 1.25 million in Lebanon at risk of food insecurity, UN report warns

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  More than 1.25 million people in Lebanon could face crisis-level or worse food insecurity by August, according to a joint United Nations and Lebanese government report released on Wednesday.  The report published by Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the latest war in the country has reversed previous humanitarian gains and pushed Lebanon back into crisis, amid growing economic and living pressures.  WFP representative in Lebanon Allison Oman Lawi said the fragility previously flagged “has now proven to be real”. She added that “Families who were just managing to cope are now being pushed back into crisis as conflict, displacement and rising costs collide, making food increasingly unaffordable.”       

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  Trump renews pressure on Israel’s Herzog to pardon Netanyahu: Report

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  US President Donald Trump has renewed his “pressure campaign” on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told Axios on Wednesday that Netanyahu had raised his corruption trial when they spoke Tuesday night and told him he’d be back in court on Wednesday, instead of focusing on Iran. “In the middle of a war? Give me a break,” Trump said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a court session in his corruption trial on Wednesday to hold security consultations related to an aid flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip. Before the trial session began in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu asked to shorten Wednesday’s hearing to three hours, but judges rejected the request. He then asked

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  ‘Apartheid without borders,’ says UN special rapporteur on Israel’s interception of Gaza-bound aid flotilla

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  The UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Thursday described Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla as “Apartheid without borders,”Anadolu reports. “ALARM! How on earth is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe? Besides what you can think of Apartheid Israel and its genocidal leaders, this should send shock waves across Europe,” said Francesca Albanese on the US social media platform X. The Israeli navy intercepted vessels from the flotilla late Wednesday as they headed toward Gaza to break a longstanding blockade on the enclave. The group said Israeli forces surrounded the convoy in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, jammed communications, and seized 21

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  America as a war economy: Eisenhower’s warning that still runs Washington

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  One of the strangest things about U.S. politics is this: many countries look for reasons first, then go to war. Washington often does the opposite. It decides on war first, then changes the justification as pressure rises and as it needs to “sell” the decision at home and abroad. We saw this in Iraq, and we see it again in other files today: one reason, then another, then a third “explanation”; while the core decision stays the same for years. So why does the United States keep the weapon always on the table, and turn politics into a permanent stage for threats and escalation? A big part of the answer was named by a U.S. president from inside the system

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  Qatar denies claims of backing ICC prosecutor over Netanyahu case

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Doha said on Wednesday it rejects Israeli claims that it supported International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan in return for pursuing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the court. Qatar described the allegations as “an attempt to evade international accountability”. In a statement, the country’s International Media Office said the claims were based on false media reports concerning the ICC prosecutor. On Tuesday, the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported allegations that Qatar had promised to support Khan following sexual assault accusations against him, in exchange for taking action against Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the war in Gaza. Qatar’s International Media Office said that “recent attempts to implicate Qatar

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  Israeli navy intercepts Gaza aid flotilla amid reported interference near Greece

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Hebrew media reported on Wednesday evening that the Israeli Navy has begun seizing ships from the “break the siege” flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip, before they could approach the coast. In contrast, the Global Sumud Flotilla said its ships were experiencing signal interference near Greek waters, with unidentified warships approaching them. Israel’s Channel 14 reported that naval forces had started taking control of the maritime fleet heading to Gaza, far from the coast. The boats, part of the “Spring 2026 mission” organised by the Global Sumud Flotilla, set sail on Sunday from the Italian island of Sicily in an effort to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to its residents. The flotilla had originally departed from

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  UN experts warn Gaza reconstruction cannot succeed without ending occupation

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  UN experts said Wednesday that reconstruction in the Gaza Strip cannot succeed without ending Israel’s occupation and ensuring rebuilding efforts are rooted in human rights and Palestinian self-determination, Anadolu reports. “The occupation must end, and the dispossession and discrimination against Palestinians must stop if rebuilding is to have any real chance of success,” the experts said in a statement. Citing the Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, they said more than 371,000 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, 1.9 million people displaced, and over 60% of the population remains homeless, with reconstruction needs estimated at more than $71 billion. “The data confirms a pattern of structural discrimination that reconstruction efforts must urgently correct rather than reproduce,” they said, warning

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  The pendulum swings: The slow death of Europe’s pro-Israel consensus

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The European Union is the “chief of all cowards,” Amnesty International declared in a searing statement issued on April 21. The condemnation was a direct response to the European bloc’s systemic failure to sever ties with Israel during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. Despite months of legal warnings, the EU once again prioritized procedural safety over the urgency of human life. The efforts to press the EU to finally take a moral position were led by a coalition of Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, later joined by Belgium. They argued that the EU-Israel Association Agreement—the legal framework governing their trade relationship—is predicated on the “respect for human rights.”  To maintain this agreement while the extreme violations in occupied Palestine

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  European natural gas prices surge more than 8% amid Hormuz closure tensions

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  European natural gas prices rose sharply Wednesday as tensions between the US and Iran persisted and markets saw no concrete progress toward fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. May-dated natural gas futures at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), Europe’s benchmark gas trading hub, climbed more than 8% to €47.2 ($55.1) per megawatt-hour as of 1735GMT. Markets were supported by the lack of clear progress in reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran, as well as uncertainty about when energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz could return to normal. US media reports said Washington is considering increasing pressure on Iran, with a focus on limiting oil exports and restricting maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports. The approach is

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  Iran does not stand alone – China and Russia create restraint

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  China, and Russia do not stand aside; they hold the war in deliberate abeyance add solidarity and deterrence. What appears as support is, more precisely, structured pre-emption against reckless US escalation. The United States is compelled to calculate against a dispersed but formidable alignment of power. The ongoing war is not sustained war, but a multipolar, multi-cornered balance that restrains dominance. This is no longer a theatre of dominance, but a multipolar, multi-cornered contest of endurance. The most consequential actors in the Iran conflict are not only those deploying force on the battlefield, but those who have embedded themselves within the conflict’s underlying architecture. Russia and China have not declared war, yet to characterise them as peripheral or neutral is

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  UN raises alarms over ‘intolerable’ situation in occupied West Bank

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The UN on Wednesday voiced concern over escalating tensions and violence in the occupied West Bank, describing the situation as “intolerable,” Anadolu reports. “I also want to tell you that we continue to monitor the latest developments in the West Bank very closely, be they Israeli settler attacks or Israeli security operations,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. “The situation in the West Bank is not only concerning, it is intolerable,” Dujarric added. He stressed that such activities run counter to Israel’s obligations under international law, particularly regarding its “unlawful continued presence” in the occupied Palestinian territory. “They also undermine the Palestinian Authority,” he added. His remarks came after Israel approved on Wednesday the construction of 126 illegal settlement units in Jenin

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  Trump rejects Iranian proposal to open Strait of Hormuz until nuclear concerns met

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  US President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, opting instead to maintain a naval blockade to pressure Tehran on its nuclear program, Axios reported Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking,” Trump told the news outlet. “It is going to be worse for” Iran. He claimed Iran is seeking an agreement to lift the US blockade on thr strategically important waterway. The president dismissed the Iranian offer to unblock the vital waterway and postpone nuclear discussions, insisting that his primary goal remains preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump claimed that the inability to export oil has left Iranian infrastructure “close to exploding.” While

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  German foreign minister: Merz comment on US ‘humiliation’ was warning to Iran

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s comment that Iran is “humiliating” the US was meant as a warning to Iran to negotiate seriously, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “This was a clear warning to Tehran not to misunderstand the whole situation,” Wadephul told German broadcaster DW, adding that the current ceasefire should prompt Iran to reach an agreement rather than stall negotiations. He warned that the US has deployed significant military capabilities in the region, and that the failure of talks could lead to another escalation. “What we currently see is that Tehran is playing for time and not really negotiating in a way which is necessary and which is needed,” Wadephul said. “It’s a bad behavior what Iran

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  Bab el-Mandeb cannot become a gateway for recognition politics

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has always carried an ominous name — the ‘Gate of Tears’. Today, it feels painfully literal. This narrow maritime corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden carries not only more than 10 per cent of global seaborne trade, but also the accumulated tensions of the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and an increasingly fractured international order. What happens in Gaza no longer stays in Gaza. What is decided in Tel Aviv reverberates in Mogadishu. And what appears, at first glance, to be a diplomatic gesture — Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December 2025 — risks becoming a strategic accelerant across one of the world’s most fragile regions. Israel became the first country

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  Turkish president urges unity, faith amid suffering in Muslim world

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Muslims are going through a “difficult and painful period,” pointing to ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises across multiple regions, Anadolu reports. Speaking at the International Quran Recitation Competition Awards Ceremony, Erdogan said: “From Palestine to Lebanon, from the Gulf to Sudan, from Somalia to Yemen, wherever we turn our heads, we are unfortunately met with tears.” “In these days of trial, when the so-called civilized world turns a blind eye, infants in cradles and defenseless civilians are being brutally massacred,” he added. He also criticized those who, he said, have long spoken “arrogantly” about justice, equality, and human rights. READ: Israeli defense minister threatens Lebanon with ‘fire that will burn entire country’ “Today,

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  Israeli foreign minister acknowledges differences with Trump over Iran

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar acknowledged differences on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump over Iran, while stressing what he described as long-term strategic alignment, Anadolu reports. Saar also ruled out moving forward with annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, saying it would conflict with Trump’s position. Speaking during a closed meeting with members of the “American Friends of Likud” group on Tuesday night, Saar said contrary to Trump’s statements, the Iranian regime has not resumed uranium enrichment since the US-Israeli war in June 2025, the Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing a recording of the session. Israel and the US launched a 12-day war on Iran on June 13, targeting military, nuclear and civilian sites and killing military leaders

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  Iran’s missile, drone stockpiles ‘sufficient for years of war,’ lawmaker says

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Iran’s missile and drone stockpiles are “sufficient to sustain years of war,” a senior Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday, in an interview with the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, deputy head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Tehran has yet to reveal its full capabilities. “We have not yet shown our new cards,” he said in comments carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Boroujerdi dismissed what he described as a “naval blockade,” calling it ineffective, and claimed that around 120 vessels are currently waiting near the Strait of Hormuz for transit. He added that many Iranian vessels are continuing to operate without intervention from US forces. Referring to regional dynamics, he said the Bab

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  Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier, brother in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  A Lebanese soldier and his brother were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the military said, amid Israeli violations of a temporary ceasefire, Anadolu reports. In a statement on the US social media company X, the army said the pair were killed in the strike that targeted them while they were traveling on a motorcycle in the town of Khirbet Selm in the Bint Jbeil district. The soldier was on his way from his place of duty to his home in the town of Souaneh when the attack hit them, the army said. US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on April 17, before saying Thursday it would be extended by

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  Israel approves 126 illegal settlement units in northern West Bank

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israel approved on Wednesday the construction of 126 illegal settlement units in Jenin in the northern West Bank, Israeli media reported. “Twenty years after its evacuation, a plan has been approved to build 126 permanent homes in Sanur settlement,” Channel 12 said. The move marks a renewed push to expand illegal settlement activity in the area, which had previously been evacuated as part of Israel’s 2005 disengagement plan. Under former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel evacuated its settlements in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005, including Sanur, under a unilateral plan known as the “disengagement plan.” Yossi Dagan, head of regional council representing settlements in the northern West Bank, said Sanur “will be rebuilt.” “It

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  US spent $25B on Iran war as Pentagon seeks $1.5T budget

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The US has spent approximately $25 billion on the war against Iran, according to a senior Pentagon official who testified before a House committee on Wednesday, Anadolu reports. The department’s acting Chief Financial Officer Jules W. Hurst III said most of the cost stemmed from munitions spending. Hurst said operations and maintenance costs, and equipment replacement also counted in the total spending. He added that the agency will soon submit a formal supplemental budget request to Congress via the White House once “we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict.” OPINION: How St. Petersburg became Tehran’s last strategic lifeline Pentagon seeks $1.5 trillion budget Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the requested $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027

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  78 years on: what went wrong with Israel’s founding project? | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  In this episode, we assess Israel 78 years after its founding, examining whether the Zionist project has reached a point of crisis. We explore competing interpretations of what “went wrong,” from claims of ideological failure to arguments that the current reality reflects the logical outcome of a settler-colonial project. Drawing on historical evidence and contemporary developments, the discussion addresses Israel’s genocide on Gaza, the erasure of Palestinian, ongoing patterns of dispossession and looting, and the wider regional and international dynamics shaping the conflict today.   WATCH: Gaza six months since ceasefire: the next stage of genocide | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

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  EU considers sanctions on Israel over stolen Ukrainian wheat

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israel has been slammed as not being a “normal country” for importing wheat stolen from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, prompting the European Union to consider sanctions against Israeli individuals and entities linked to the trade. The criticism came from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said: “In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability.” He added that a vessel carrying looted grain had arrived in Israel and was preparing to unload, stressing that such activity “cannot be legitimate business” and warning that Israeli authorities could not plausibly be unaware of the cargo entering their ports. In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen

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  How St. Petersburg became Tehran’s last strategic lifeline

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  In the shifting geometry of global power, wars are no longer merely fought on battlefields, they are negotiated in silence, traded across continents, and priced in barrels of oil and bytes of intelligence. The Iran crisis of 2026 has become precisely that kind of conflict: a high-stakes geopolitical marketplace where sovereignty is collateral, alliances are transactional, and survival depends less on ideology than on access to patrons with leverage. What unfolded in St. Petersburg was not diplomacy in the classical sense, but a strategic reckoning, one that may well redefine the limits of autonomy for middle powers in an increasingly unforgiving world order. The meeting at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library on April 27, 2026, marked an unusual, and deeply

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  UN: Ship traffic through Strait of Hormuz drops 95 %

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The United Nations says ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen by 95.3 per cent since the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily press briefing on Tuesday that data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows vessel movements through the strait have dropped by 95.3 per cent since the war began on 28 February. Dujarric added that restrictions on the waterway have pushed up basic food prices by 6 per cent, while crude oil prices for Europe have risen by 53 per cent. READ: Trump tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran: Report On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that disruptions in

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  Britain’s ambassador to Washington concedes the ‘special relationship’ belongs to Israel, not the UK

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The most senior British diplomat in Washington has admitted that the much-vaunted “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States does not exist and that the only country to which America is meaningfully bound is Israel. The remarks, made in February at a private event with visiting British students, were first reported by the Financial Times yesterday and have since been confirmed by multiple outlets. They appeared in print hours before King Charles and Queen Camilla were received at the White House by President Donald Trump. “I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States,” Sir Christian Turner can be heard saying on the leaked audio, “and that is probably Israel.”

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  Netanyahu orders ‘special project’ to counter Hezbollah drones

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he had ordered a “special project” to eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah drones, adding that it “will take time”. It is the second time in the past 24 hours that Netanyahu has addressed the threat of Hezbollah drones, which have been repeatedly targeting Israeli army forces in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military is facing a growing challenge in the area from fibre-optic-guided drones, described as “stealthy” due to their low visibility and difficulty to detect. According to the military correspondent of the Hebrew website Walla, Amir Bohbot, these fibre-optic drones, also known as “wired” drones, operate through a physical connection using a thin fibre-optic cable that unspools gradually from a reel

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  Trump’s Hormuz illusion: Why American oil will not protect US households

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Donald Trump has leaned on a simple argument throughout the Iran war: the United States produces so much oil that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer America’s problem. It is an appealing line because it sounds like strength and independence at once. It is also deeply misleading. The real question is not whether the US still imports as much Gulf oil as it once did. It does not. The real question is whether Americans live inside a global energy system whose prices are still shaped by what happens in Hormuz. They do. And that means a serious shock in the strait would still hit the United States hard, not through dependence in the old import sense, but through exposure

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  Trump faces intense pressure to end “costly” Iran war as unilateral victory plan considered

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  US President Donald Trump is facing mounting political pressure to end the ongoing war with Iran, which has become a heavy burden on the White House, Reuters reported, citing US officials familiar with the matter. According to a report published on Tuesday, US intelligence agencies are studying how Iran would respond if Trump were to declare a unilateral victory in the two-month-old war that has killed thousands and become a political liability for the administration. At the request of senior officials, intelligence bodies are analysing these scenarios to assess the implications of a potential US withdrawal from the conflict. Advisers have warned that continuing the war could lead to major Republican losses in the midterm elections scheduled for November. Sources

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  The cards they cannot play: Iran, America and the trap of unusable leverage

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The strangest feature of the Iran war is not that both sides have leverage. It is that neither side can fully use the leverage it has. That is the defining reality of the conflict as it moves through its uneasy post-ceasefire phase. Washington has the naval power to sustain pressure on Iran’s ports and shipping. Tehran has the geography to keep the Strait of Hormuz from returning to normal. Both instruments are real. Both hurt. Yet neither can be pushed to its logical end without creating costs that escape the control of the side using it. The war has, therefore, entered a more dangerous stage than the familiar language of ceasefire suggests. The question is no longer simply whether Iran

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  Former US official accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, says Washington is complicit

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Former US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and said the United States is complicit in the outcome. In an interview with Bloomberg, Sherman said policies pursued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have led to genocide in Gaza and contributed to broader instability in the Middle East. She added that US policy is closely tied to its relationship with Israel and argued that this relationship requires reassessment. READ: Arizona lawmakers back move to replace “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in official use Sherman’s remarks carry weight given her role in previous US administrations and come amid growing criticism of Washington’s military and political support for Israel, particularly in light

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  Doctors Without Borders: Israel deprives Gaza of life-saving water

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The medical organisation Doctors Without Borders has warned that Israel is deliberately depriving people in the Gaza Strip of life-saving water and condemned what it said was Israel’ s policy of collective punishment. In a report titled “Water as a Weapon”, MSF said the widespread destruction of Gaza’s civilian water infrastructure, combined with restrictions on access, forms part of a broader pattern of harm against the population. The report, based on testimonies and data collected between 2024 and 2025, said water scarcity is unfolding alongside the killing of civilians, the destruction of health facilities and the demolition of homes, creating what it described as devastating and inhumane living conditions. MSF’s emergency director, Claire San Filippo, said in a statement: “The

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  The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza — A cry at sea to the world’s dormant conscience

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  While the world’s attention has been hijacked by the new American, made-for-Israel war against Iran, a quieter act of resistance is gathering on the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. An act of defiance determined to remind the international community that there is no pause in Gaza’s genocide, and there will be none for those fighting to end it. The Global Sumud Flotilla, (sumud means “steadfast” in Arabic), is now on its 2026 spring mission. International activists boarding close to 100 boats, with Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise providing technical and operational support, are sailing to Gaza under the slogan: We sail until Palestine is free. The goal is clear, and against all odds, to establish a direct maritime corridor to

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  Arizona lawmakers back move to replace “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in official use

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Lawmakers in the US state of Arizona have approved a resolution calling on state institutions to use the term “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank” in official documents, in a move that has drawn political attention. According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the measure was recently passed by the Arizona Senate after earlier approval by the state’s House of Representatives, with broad backing in both chambers. The report said the initiative followed lobbying efforts led by Yossi Dagan, in coordination with the council’s foreign relations unit. The legislation was introduced by David Livingston, who promoted the measure after visiting settlements in the occupied West Bank as a guest of Dagan. During legislative discussions, Livingston cited what he described

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  Report: Hezbollah drone tactics expose Israeli gaps despite advanced systems

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The Israeli newspaper Maariv has reported that Israel’s advanced military capabilities, including the Arrow missile defence system and F-35 Lightning II aircraft, have not prevented operational challenges posed by Hezbollah’s evolving drone tactics in southern Lebanon. According to the report, Israeli military bodies—particularly the Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) and the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (MAFAT)—were unprepared for what it described as a “micro-tactical” threat posed by small, low-cost drones. The newspaper said these drones have been effective in causing casualties among Israeli forces and disrupting operations on the ground. It noted that such threats are not new, with two primary categories identified in military use: drones operated via wireless communication and those controlled through fibre-optic links. READ: Israeli defense

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  Report: 52 Iranian ships breach US blockade within 72 hours

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Fifty two Iranian vessels have crossed a US-imposed blockade of Iranian waters within a 72-hour period, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported. According to the report, which cited satellite tracking data covering the three days leading up to 10:00 pm local time on Monday, the vessels included 31 oil tankers and 21 cargo ships. The development follows the announcement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on 2nd March that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to maritime traffic, after the outbreak of war between Iran, the United States and Israel on 28th February. The conflict saw exchanges of attacks between Iran and its adversaries, including strikes on Israeli territory and what Tehran described as US-linked sites across the region. A

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  Zelensky warns of sanctions over Israeli purchases of grain taken from Ukraine

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Kyiv may impose sanctions over the purchase of grain taken by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories and shipped to Israel. In a statement posted on platform X, Zelensky said a vessel carrying such grain had arrived at a port in Israel and was preparing to unload its cargo, stressing that the shipment “cannot be considered legitimate”. The warning follows an investigation by Haaretz, which reported that a ship carrying grain from Ukrainian territories docked in Haifa Port and waited to unload. According to the report, a Russian cargo ship identified as “Avinsk” had arrived in Haifa about two weeks earlier carrying wheat that Ukrainian authorities say was taken from occupied areas and is

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  Washington studying partial deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The United States is considering a partial agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report published on Tuesday. A Pakistani official familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that Iran has asked Washington to lift the blockade imposed on its ports in exchange for reopening the strategic waterway to maritime traffic. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, did not clarify whether Tehran would continue to require coordination for ship transit or impose fees on vessels. READ: Iran ties lifting of blockade to reopening Hormuz Strait as US reviews proposal The newspaper said Iran is linking the lifting of the blockade on its ports to reopening the Strait of

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  Israel: Haredi protests escalate with storming of military police chief’s home

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Haredi protesters stormed the home of the head of Israel’s Military Police in the south of the country on Tuesday evening, in protest against the arrest of draft evaders, in what a Hebrew newspaper described as a “dangerous escalation”. The incident came as part of demonstrations organised by Haredi groups in central and southern Israel. Israeli Army Radio said: “Haredi protesters recently broke into the yard of the home of the head of the Military Police, Brigadier General Yuval Yamin, in Ashkelon, protesting the military police’s arrest of Haredim who had evaded conscription in recent days.” According to Israeli police, around 200 protesters took part in the demonstration outside Yamin’s home. READ: Israel detains 1,800 Palestinian children since Gaza war began

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  Iran ties lifting of blockade to reopening Hormuz Strait as US reviews proposal

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  International mediators are increasing pressure on both Iran and the United States to reach an agreement, with the coming days seen as decisive. This follows a new proposal put forward by Tehran through Pakistan, aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to break the current deadlock in negotiations. Under the Iranian proposal, which Islamabad has conveyed to Washington, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, the naval blockade lifted, and military operations halted, while the nuclear issue would be postponed to a later stage. The move is seen as an attempt to separate urgent matters from more complex and disputed issues, allowing for interim progress that could ease tensions. READ: Report reveals scale of

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  Trump tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran: Report

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  US President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Citing US officials, the report said that in recent meetings, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. He assessed that his other options—resume bombing or walk away from the conflict—carried more risk than maintaining the blockade, officials added, the report said. The US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes on what it described as US interests across the region, many of them in Gulf countries. READ: Trump meets national security team to discuss Iran’s proposal: White House A

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  Gulf leaders reject any fees on ships transiting Hormuz, call for free navigation

  by Marwa A on April 28, 2026

  Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have rejected any fees on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, and called for a secure and free navigation in the waterway, the bloc’s secretary-general said on Tuesday, Anadolu reports. In a consultative meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the Gulf leaders rejected Iran’s closure of strait, describing the move as “illegal,” Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said. The leaders also ordered swift steps for building a joint oil and gas pipeline, along with an early warning system to counter ballistic missiles, Albudaiwi added. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passing through it daily prior to the start of the

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  Viral videos believed to show Syria’s Saydnaya prison expose more details of infamous jail

  by Marwa A on April 28, 2026

  Viral video footage believed to show Syria’s infamous Saydnaya prison, one of the worst torture centers used by the ousted regime, have revealed further details from inside the notorious facility, Anadolu reports. The videos, posted by unknown individuals and believed to be from surveillance cameras, show various sections of the prison during the period of the Assad regime, which was deposed in December 2024. The recordings include areas believed to be a waiting room and a camera monitoring center. The images show more than 20 people sitting crouched on the ground with their heads bowed inside an enclosed space described as a waiting room. Another image shows a room with multiple screens, believed to have been used as a control

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  China urges Palestinian issue not to be ‘pushed to the margins’

  by Marwa A on April 28, 2026

  China on Tuesday urged that the Palestinian issue must not be “pushed to the margins under any circumstances,” Anadolu reports. Chinese UN envoy Fu Cong told a UN Security Council meeting that the Palestinian question “is, and always will be, the core of the Middle East issue.” Addressing developments in the Middle East, he said the situation has escalated “dramatically” in recent months, with widespread consequences severely disrupting regional stability and affecting the global economy and energy security. China urged all parties to “seize the window of peace,” exercise maximum restraint, show sincerity and remain committed to a political settlement to avoid reversing progress in ceasefire negotiations and restore stability in the Middle East and Gulf region. He said the

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  Israeli lawmaker from Netanyahu’s party incites against Egyptian army over Sinai drills

  by Marwa A on April 28, 2026

  A Knesset member from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has issued inflammatory remarks against the Egyptian army over military drills in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Anadolu reports. “The exercises and live-fire drills that the Egyptian army announced it will conduct on our border, just 100 meters from communities near the frontier, are nothing but a display of a broader and more alarming picture,” Amit Halevi said in a recorded statement on Monday. He alleged that Egypt is “systematically” violating its decades-old peace treaty with Israel, claiming that Cairo is “building combat infrastructure in Sinai and constructing a large, modern army.” “The paper the agreement was signed on will not protect (Israel) from danger and will not protect residents,” he

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  Ryanair CEO warns if jet fuel prices stay high, European airlines may fail

  by Marwa A on April 28, 2026

  Ryanair’s CEO said Tuesday that some European airlines could fail if jet fuel prices remain elevated through the summer, as the aviation sector faces mounting cost pressure from the Middle East war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. Michael O’Leary told CNBC that budget carrier Ryanair is relatively protected because it hedged 80% of its fuel requirements, but warned that rivals with weaker hedging positions could face “real financial difficulties.” “Jet A-1 was about $80 a barrel in March. It’s now $150,” said O’Leary, adding that if prices remain at that level into July, August, and September, “you’ll see European airlines fail.” The average price of jet fuel rose to $179 per barrel in the week ending

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  Ideas of expulsion: Trump, NATO and Spain

  by MI on April 28, 2026

  Intellectual giants are in painfully short supply in the Trump administration, but if there was anyone who might lay claim to cerebral weight of any sort, Elbridge Colby might be one of them.  Self-styled as a China hawk, the US Under Secretary of War for Policy must privately be bemused by the changeling that has become US foreign policy, one now latched onto, yet again, the issues of the Middle East and the shaking tail that is Israel.  President Donald Trump, the man who promised to end wars and terminate the state of permanent conflict the US has found itself in for decades, is sticking to bad habits. These bad habits have not been appreciated by various allies, notably members

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  Israeli court extends detention of Gaza hospital director Abu Safiya ‘without charges’

  by MI on April 28, 2026

  An Israeli court extended Tuesday the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, without filing charges against him, amid harsh conditions and denial of medical care, a rights group said, Anadolu reports. Abu Safiya, a pediatric consultant, was detained on Dec. 27, 2024, when Israeli forces raided the hospital in the northern city of Beit Lahia, detaining him at gunpoint after the facility was destroyed and put out of service. “The Beersheba District Court approved Tuesday morning the extension of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s detention under the Unlawful Combatants Law without filing any charges, and rejected the defense’s request for his immediate release,” Israel’s Physicians for Human Rights said in a statement.

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  1st Japanese crude tanker crosses Hormuz since start of Mideast conflict

  by MI on April 28, 2026

  A Japanese crude tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the first such transit since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, Anadolu reports. The very large crude carrier (VLCC), owned by Japanese refiner Idemitsu, successfully transited the strait after departing Ras Tanura Anchorage of Saudi Arabia on April 17, according to MarineTraffic data. The vessel had been in Saudi Arabia since late February. The Panama-flagged ship is carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil. The first Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker had transited the strait earlier this month. Japan procures about 90% of its energy supplies from the Gulf and was among the first countries to release oil from its strategic reserves. The Strait of Hormuz

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  Trump, the creator of national heroes and global icons

  by MI on April 28, 2026

  There is a delicious irony at the heart of Donald Trump’s presidency. In his relentless pursuit of dominance, he has done something no opposition movement, no editorial board, and no diplomatic summit could have engineered on its own. He has minted heroes. Not reluctant ones, not accidental ones, but leaders of genuine moral stature who rose precisely because the moment demanded it. Trump created the vacuum, and courageous leaders rushed to fill it.  Two figures stand out above the rest: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Different in style, different in circumstance, yet united by the same refusal to perform submission while calling it diplomacy. Trump set the stage. They chose not to exit quietly

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  UAE to withdraw from OPEC, OPEC+

  by MI on April 28, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates announced its decision to withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and OPEC+. The decision will be effective as of May 1, 2026, according to the state-run Emirati News Agency (WAM) on Tuesday. The report said the decision is in line with the country’s long-term strategic and economic vision and the development of its energy sector. The decision also reinforces the UAE’s commitment to its role as a responsible and reliable producer that looks to the future of global energy markets, it added. The UAE has joint OPEC in 1967. READ: Report: Israel deployed Iron Dome in UAE during war with Iran