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

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Dr. Murat Aslan: How Will Turkey’s Meteoric Rise Change The Middle East?

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Dr. Djavad Salehi Isfahni: US Plan: Financial Strangulation and Internal Implosion

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  Israeli soldiers accused of gang-raping Palestinian detainee sue state for $6 million

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Three Israeli reservists accused of gang-raping a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison are suing the Israeli state for 18 million shekels, around $6 million, after the army dropped all charges against them earlier this year. The soldiers, from the Israeli military’s “Force 100” reserve unit, which guards Palestinians detained during the Gaza genocide, filed the lawsuit through the right-wing legal aid group, Honenu, against 17 defendants, Israel’s Ynetnews reported. These include the Israeli state, the army, the military police and Israel police, the attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, the former military advocate general, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, and the Channel 12 journalist Guy Peleg, who first broadcast footage of the assault. The men were among five reservists indicted in February

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  The Mecca Pact: Threat to Iran or an opportunity to reshape regional security?

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan on 7 August 2026 has introduced a new element into an already changing regional security environment. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against one signatory will be considered an attack against all three, creating a collective-defence commitment broadly comparable in principle to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. Given Iran’s longstanding rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the involvement of three major regional powers, the agreement has naturally generated speculation about whether it represents the emergence of a new anti-Iran coalition. Yet this interpretation remains premature. The more consequential question for Tehran is whether the agreement will become part of a broader regional security architecture that

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  HRW issues scathing report on the repression of civil society in Tunisia

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  A new report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Tunisian government of systematically cracking down on civil society groups since 2024. The 49-page report, “‘We Are Living on Borrowed Time’: Repression of Civil Society in Tunisia” documents the Tunisian authorities’ escalating repression of local and international civil society groups, workers, members, and affiliates through the weaponization of abusive prosecutions, arbitrary arrests, detention, financial and criminal investigations, mass suspensions, and threats of dissolution. Tunisia is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantee the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression, to not be subject to arbitrary arrest or detention, and to

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  Mercenaries, drone shipments and military technology fuel Sudan war, UN report says

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  A UN fact-finding mission said foreign fighters and military support are strengthening Sudan’s warring parties, helping prolong the conflict and worsen the situation. The independent UN mission said in a report published on Thursday that it had documented cross-border networks operating in several countries have recruited, trained and deployed foreign personnel to support the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while facilitating the transfer of weapons, ammunition and military technology and providing logistical support. The mission said it had documented the deployment of up to 2,000 former Colombian military contractors who were fighting alongside RSF units in Darfur and Kordofan. The report said it believes that private entities, logistical facilitators, and recruiters operating from countries including Colombia and the United Arab Emirates

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  Turkish prosecutors investigate Ahmet Davutoğlu over alleged insult to Erdoğan

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Turkish prosecutors have opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu over statements allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to Turkish media reports. Prosecutors said remarks made by Davutoğlu and subsequently circulated on social media could constitute the offence of insulting the president under Turkish law. In footage cited in connection with the investigation, Davutoğlu was seen speaking to a group of people and accusing Erdoğan’s government of corruption and favouritism. “They piled billions upon their billions, plundered illicit gains and enriched their followers,” Davutoğlu said. He also criticised Erdoğan over the appointment of his son-in-law to a ministerial position and accused the government of favouring a small group of major contractors. The allegations contained in Davutoğlu’s remarks

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  Sudanese official accuses Ethiopia of hosting training camps for RSF fighters

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  A Sudanese local official has accused Ethiopia of hosting training camps for members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and foreign fighters near the Sudanese border, amid continuing fighting between the paramilitary group and the Sudanese army. The allegations come as scrutiny grows over the role of neighbouring countries in Sudan’s conflict and Ethiopia’s relations with the warring parties. Abdel-Ati Mohamed al-Faki, a local official in the Kurmuk area of Sudan’s Blue Nile region, claimed that Ethiopian authorities had established four training camps on Ethiopian territory for RSF personnel and foreign fighters. According to al-Faki, the camps are equipped to provide military training and logistical support. He further alleged that the facilities receive financial and logistical backing from the United

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  British Jewish groups lobby Burnham over ‘perverse consequences’ of settlement trade ban

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Jewish communal organisations have lobbied Prime Minister Andy Burnham over his government’s planned ban on trade with Israeli settlements, warning of the “potentially perverse consequences” of announcing the measures while Israel is in the middle of a general election. In a joint statement published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews following a meeting with Burnham and the Communities Secretary, Angela Rayner, yesterday, the organisations said they had “conveyed significant concerns about the unintended consequences of policies the government is considering in relation to settlements.” Today, Jewish communal and key partner organisations met Prime Minister .@andyburnham and Communities Secretary @AngelaRayner at 10 Downing Street to convey concerns facing the UK Jewish community, and seek the Government’s commitment to addressing

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  US ambassador says Israel-Lebanon peace progress depends on Hezbollah’s removal

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said progress toward peace between Israel and Lebanon could be achieved if Hezbollah ceased to play a role in Lebanon, describing the group as an “Iranian puppet.” Huckabee’s comments came following Israel’s decision to release five Lebanese citizens, a move described as a goodwill gesture amid diplomatic efforts involving Israel and Lebanon. “Progress toward peace between Israel and Lebanon” could occur “the moment the Iranian puppet Hezbollah disappears,” Huckabee said. The ambassador also thanked US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa for his efforts in connection with the latest developments. Huckabee argued that removing Hezbollah from the equation would create greater opportunities for progress in relations between Israel and Lebanon. READ: Smotrich says Israel will

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  Reports: Russia rejects El Al request to launch St. Petersburg route amid aviation dispute

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Russian authorities have rejected a request by Israeli airline El Al to launch direct flights to St. Petersburg as an alternative to Moscow, amid an aviation dispute between Russia and Israel, according to Israeli media reports. El Al suspended flights to Moscow following security concerns linked to drone attacks and disruptions at airports around the Russian capital. The airline subsequently sought permission to operate a Tel Aviv-St. Petersburg route, according to Israel’s Channel 12 and Israel Hayom. Channel 12 reported that Russia rejected the request in response to Israel’s refusal to allow Russian flag carrier Aeroflot to operate flights to Ben Gurion Airport. The report characterized Moscow’s decision as a retaliatory measure, although no official Russian statement confirming that explanation

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  Smotrich says Israel will respond politically and economically to potential UK sanctions

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel is preparing political and economic countermeasures in response to potential sanctions or restrictions imposed by Britain and other countries over Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. According to Israeli media reports, Smotrich said the government was developing measures across several sectors to respond to actions that could affect Israeli companies or the broader economy. He said the government would provide a “safety net” for Israeli businesses harmed by potential sanctions while seeking to expand commercial ties with alternative markets. “One market may close, but others will open,” Smotrich said. His comments come as the British government prepares a package of measures in response to Israeli settlement policies in the West Bank,

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  Kamal Adwan Hospital suspends operations as Israeli forces advance in northern Gaza

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip temporarily suspended operations and evacuated staff on Thursday after Israeli military vehicles advanced toward the facility, according to the hospital administration and Palestinian media reports. The hospital said it would suspend operations for one day to protect medical staff, patients and visitors amid the movement of Israeli forces near its perimeter. According to the Quds News Network, hospital staff were instructed to evacuate as Israeli military vehicles approached the area and gunfire was reported near the facility. Elsewhere in northern Gaza, two Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed and several others wounded during an Israeli military incursion into Beit Lahia. Palestinian medical sources identified those killed as Hisham Hani Subh and

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  UN says Israeli attacks kill 24 Palestinians in Gaza in five days

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  The UN said on Thursday that 24 Palestinians, including four children and a woman, were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza over five days, warning that civilians remain unsafe nearly a year after a ceasefire was announced. The statement was issued by the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amid continued Israeli violations of a ceasefire that has been in effect since 10 October 2025. “There is no safe place, nor safe person, in Gaza,” the office said, despite the passage of nearly a year since the ceasefire was announced. It said “24 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks between 28 Aug and 1 Sept, including four children and a woman, with 21 of whom were killed

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  Tunisia’s top court upholds prison terms of up to 45 years in ‘conspiracy’ case

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Tunisia’s Court of Cassation on Thursday rejected all appeals against sentences handed down in the “Conspiracy against State Security 1” case, making prison terms of up to 45 years final. Lawyer Mounia Bouali, a member of the defence team, told Anadolu that the court had “rejected the appeals”, upholding the sentences issued by the Court of Appeal last November. Bouali said the defendants who are in prison would remain in custody and continue to serve the sentences imposed by the appeals court. Meanwhile, the Tunisian news agency quoted a judicial source as saying the Court of Cassation had considered 46 appeals on Thursday, rejecting 44 on their merits and two on procedural grounds. On 28 November 2025, the specialised criminal

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  China urges US to lift Iran-related sanctions on Chinese firms, citizens

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  China on Thursday urged the United States to lift sanctions imposed on Chinese companies and citizens over alleged links to Iran. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokeswoman Huang Ling said at a press conference in Beijing that China rejects unilateral US sanctions, saying they have no basis in international law and were not authorised by the UN Security Council. She said Washington had continued, despite China’s objections, to impose sanctions on Chinese companies and citizens over alleged links to Iran, adding that such measures interfere with normal economic and trade relations between countries and affect global energy security and supply stability. Huang called on the United States to withdraw and lift the sanctions, stressing that China would continue to protect the legitimate

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  Italy offers to mediate between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile waters

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Italy has offered to help facilitate dialogue between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile waters, stressing the importance of reaching a fair and sustainable negotiated solution to the water dispute in line with international law. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty after talks in the Egyptian city of El Alamein on Thursday. Tajani said Italy stressed the importance of reaching a negotiated solution over Nile waters, emphasising that this must be done in accordance with international law. He said Rome was ready, if Egypt and Ethiopia wished, to mediate and help facilitate dialogue between the two sides. He said Italy understands the importance of the water issue to

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  Ghalibaf tells US Treasury chief oil prices and bond yields have put him ‘on the brink’

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf addressed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that falling oil inventories, surging prices and rising bond yields had put him “on the brink”. Ghalibaf urged Bessent to monitor Oman crude futures prices, US government bond yields and the level of strategic oil reserves. “Hero, use all your strength to intervene further in oil futures prices, or keep releasing oil from the reserves,” Ghalibaf said, addressing the US Treasury chief. The remarks came after Bessent announced in August that the United States was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 entities linked to Iran, including several entities connected to the Iranian economy, as part of Washington’s efforts to “tighten the economic noose” around Tehran and threaten countries that continue to

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  Trump calls US ammunition shortage reports ‘treasonous’ amid Iran war

  by Marwa A on September 3, 2026

  US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused people and media outlets questioning US ammunition supplies of being “treasonous” as he defended the country’s ongoing military action against Iran, Anadolu reports. “The people and Media Outlets that keep harping on the fact that we have no ammunition … are actually treasonous,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. He accused critics of wanting to see the US lose a war that he said the country was “easily WINNING,” rather than see him succeed. In a second post, Trump insisted that the US has “virtually unlimited amounts” of ammunition. He said the US has more mid- to high-grade ammunition than it could use in the current operation or any

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  Palestinian elections confront an intractable reality

  by Marwa A on September 3, 2026

  Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are preparing for legislative elections on 28 November, nearly two decades after the last such elections. The Central Elections Commission is preparing for the electoral process on the basis that the Palestinian territories constitute a single electoral constituency, with voting to take place simultaneously across all three areas, despite the political and practical challenges to holding the elections in Jerusalem and Gaza, and the Israeli restrictions on movement and mobility in the West Bank. These elections raise a question that goes beyond whether they can be held on schedule, or successfully conducted across all three areas. It also concerns the extent to which their outcome, should the elections succeed, can

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  Israeli army kills 3 Palestinians, wounds others in Gaza Strip despite ceasefire

  by Marwa A on September 3, 2026

  The Israeli army killed three Palestinians and wounded others in separate attacks on Gaza Strip on Thursday despite an ongoing ceasefire, a medical source told Anadolu, Anadolu reports. One Palestinian was killed and two others were injured in a drone strike targeting a group of civilians in central Gaza City, according to a medical source. A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital told Anadolu that the body of the deceased victim arrived at the facility heavily disfigured. The strike on Al-Thawra Street also injured two other Palestinians, according to preliminary medical reports. An Anadolu correspondent on the ground confirmed that the Israeli drone targeted a gathering of civilians in the area. In an earlier attack, a medical source said Israeli army

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  Tel Aviv threatens Iran with strikes on energy facilities if it attacks Israel

  by Marwa A on September 3, 2026

  Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday threatened to target Iran’s infrastructure and energy facilities if Tehran launches an attack on Israel, warning that Israel would return Iran to “the Stone Age and darkness,” Anadolu reports. Speaking at a Defense Ministry ceremony ahead of the Jewish New Year, which begins Sept. 11, Katz claimed there are indications that Iran’s severe economic pressures and fears of an uprising and the collapse of its government could push it to take “desperate measures.” “Any Iranian attack on Israel will free us from all limitations. We will strike all infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, and return Iran to the Stone Age and darkness,” he said. Katz also claimed that Israel is “fully prepared, both defensively

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  Syria announces 1st chemical materials destruction since fall of Assad regime

  by Marwa A on September 3, 2026

  Syria announced Thursday the start of the destruction of chemical materials found in the country under the supervision of experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Anadolu reports. Addressing the UN Security Council, Syria’s Permanent Representative Ibrahim Olabi described the operation as a historic milestone and the first such destruction effort since the fall of the former regime. “I would like to announce before you today a historic moment, namely the commencement of the process of destroying some of the chemical materials found in Syria under the inspection work of the OPCW colleagues,” Olabi said. “It’s also the first of its kind to destroy chemical materials on Syrian territories for over a decade,” he added, saying

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  Israel’s plan for forced transfer with international complicity remains on the table

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the military would not withdraw from the territory it occupied in Gaza, Defence Minister Israel Katz asserted that the plan for forced displacement was merely frozen. Speaking at a conference hosted by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronot themed “Decision Time: Democracy and Society”, Katz spoke of forced transfer under the euphemism of emigration as the only solution for Gaza. However, he said, the plan required US support which is currently not forthcoming. According to Katz, Arab countries pressured the US to halt the forced transfer plan in return for agreeing with disarming Hamas. Egypt, Katz said, is refusing to cooperate in the plan.  According to Katz, although no sources were reported, 80 per

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  Sovereignty without consent: Afghanistan’s Taliban and the limits of control

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Five years after storming back to power, Afghanistan’s Taliban government wants the world to see a settled fact: a state that has outlasted predictions of collapse, kept its currency stronger than most of the region’s, and sat across the table, however unhappily, from neighbors who once swore they’d never deal with it. But sovereignty isn’t just the absence of civil war. It’s the ability to govern your own population, run an economy, and command the loyalty of your own clergy and security forces. Judged by that standard, the anniversary looks a lot less settled than Kabul would like anyone to believe. A Health System Collapsing by Decree The starkest failure here isn’t military — it’s medical. In December 2024, the

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  A proposal seeks to exploit Americans’ debt to force them into wars against Israel’s enemies

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  The debt of Americans should be exploited to force them to fight in wars against Israel’s enemies, a Jerusalem Post commentator has argued, proposing that indebted young Americans be offered full debt forgiveness in exchange for military service.  Writing in the Israeli newspape, security analyst AJ Jaff said a “federally administered debt-forgiveness enlistment program” that discharges Americans’ student loan, credit card and other debts after 24 or 36 months of service “would produce voluntary enlistment at scale”. Jaff, described by the paper as “a senior strategic security strategist and analyst with 20 years of experience across corporate security, military, and geopolitical intelligence”, wrote that “the war with Iran will not be won through airstrikes” and that a ground invasion would

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  Slander and impunity: The World Central Kitchen killings in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  In September 2025, nine countries launched the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel.  Australia explained its important if dark inspiration in pursuing it: the slaying of Zomi Francken, along with six of her colleagues from the World Central Kitchen charity on April 1, 2024 by Israeli forces in Gaza.  All perished to an attack consisting of three missiles fired from a Hermes 450 drone in a stated “deconflicted” zone, despite clear logo markings on the convoy vehicles and extensive coordination regarding their movements with the Israeli authorities. The declaration, while lacking teeth, is at least a concession that individuals dedicated to protecting and preserving the vulnerable in conflict deserve a heftier shield of protection in international humanitarian law.  It

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  Israel seeks Trump’s backing to ethnically cleanse Palestinians

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Israel is seeking backing from President Donald Trump to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza, as Israeli ministers speak openly about expelling the indigenous, non-Jewish communities from the territories occupied by the apartheid state. Defence Minister Israel Katz said yesterday that the “migration” of more than two million Palestinians out of the territory remains Israel’s preferred outcome. Katz made the comments at a conference hosted by the Israeli news site Ynet and the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. At the conference, Katz insisted, “There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration,” and said Israel was “organised and prepared to get them out – by sea, by air, by every way possible.” He argued that Washington’s backing was essential,

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  Egypt rights group condemn new wave of arrest, call for emptying of prisons

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  The Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (FEDA) has strongly condemned the latest wave of raids and arrests carried out by the security forces across various Egyptian governorates. A press statement by the group said the raids which were conducted in recent days have targeted hundreds of men, women, and young people without any clear or understandable reasons. FEDA said the arrests included members of Generation Z, relatives of opposition figures, influencers, as well as a number of writers and intellectuals. The campaign also targeted relatives of currently detained individuals including those serving judicial sentences and those held under pretrial detention orders. FEDA further confirmed that it had information regarding the inhumane treatment of families during home raids. “In some cases,

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  When the left speaks the language of Empire against Iran

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Amid a war of aggression waged by the United States and ‘Israel’ against Iran, a group of intellectuals identified with the left published in the British newspaper The Guardian a letter addressed to those it described as Iranian political prisoners. Its signatories include respected figures such as Angela Davis, Judith Butler, Michael Löwy, Rashid Khalidi and Walden Bello. Their prestige, however, cannot place the document beyond criticism. The letter portrays the Iranian people as trapped between ‘two blades of a pair of scissors’: the Islamic Republic on one side and the United States and ‘Israel’ on the other. This metaphor manufactures a false equivalence between the country under attack and the powers bombing it. It equates a state defending its

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  MEMO in Conversation with Prof Avi Shlaim

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  In this episode of Conversation with MEMO, Professor Avi Shlaim discusses the Britain Owes Palestine campaign and its legal case demanding that the UK acknowledge its historic responsibility for Palestine. He examines Britain’s role during the Mandate, the repression of Palestinians, the road to the Nakba and what meaningful accountability and reparation could look like today. MORE >>> MEMO in Conversation With

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  Israeli forces raid West Bank, Jerusalem as settlers cut water supply to Tubas community

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  The Israeli army raided several areas of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on Wednesday, while Israeli settlers destroyed water pipes supplying a Palestinian community in Tubas governorate. The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that an Israeli army force raided the town of al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, and the town of Anata, north-east of the city. No injuries or arrests were reported. An Israeli army force also raided the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank and patrolled several of its streets and neighbourhoods, according to local sources cited by Anadolu. In the northern West Bank’s Tubas governorate, Israeli settlers attacked water pipes supplying residents of the northern Yarza community, north-east of Tubas city, cutting off the water

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  Blair asked Palestinian Authority to remove ‘Palestine’ from schoolbooks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Former British envoy Jeremy Greenstock has revealed that former prime minister Tony Blair asked the Palestinian Authority to remove the name “Palestine” from school textbooks and use Samaria instead, the biblical name for the occupied West Bank. In an interview published by Middle East Eye on Wednesday, Greenstock questioned Blair’s ability to act as a neutral mediator, saying he was facing “difficulties” in his role overseeing post-war Gaza. Greenstock, who served as Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1998 to 2003, said: “He recently, I understand, was asked by the Board of Peace to go to Ramallah and ask to remove from the Palestinian curriculum any mention of the word Palestine if they were to be treated by the

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  Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chief inspects army’s readiness in Blue Nile State amid escalating clashes with RSF

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  The chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, inspected the readiness of the army on Wednesday in Blue Nile state in southeastern Sudan, Anadolu Agency reported. The visit comes amid escalating clashes in the state between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). In a statement, the army’s 4th infantry division said that Burhan, who also commands the Sudanese army, visited the city of Damazin, the state capital and the headquarters of the division. It added that Burhan inspected the division’s forces and assessed their combat readiness and preparedness to carry out their assigned missions. He was also briefed on the security and operational situation in the region, according

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  Egypt and China reaffirm support for Palestinian state, reject displacement

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Egypt and China on Wednesday described the Palestinian issue as central to peace and stability in the Middle East and reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, according to a joint statement following talks between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders discussed regional developments and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing the need for what they described as a just and lasting settlement based on the two-state solution. The joint statement backed the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the 4th June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. READ: Katz says Gaza solution requires mass ‘emigration’, accuses Egypt of blocking departures Egypt and China also rejected any

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  The China paradox: A giant built on cracked foundations

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  For three decades, the West told itself a comforting story about China. Admit it into the global trading system, the theory went, and market forces would do the rest: prosperity would breed a middle class, and a middle class would eventually demand a political voice. Beijing joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 on that assumption. Twenty-five years later, the assumption looks like one of the great strategic misreadings of the post-Cold War era. China gained unrestricted access to Western markets. It never opened its own on comparable terms, and it never loosened the Communist Party’s grip on the economy or the state.  None of this means China’s rise is a mirage. It is not. China builds infrastructure at a

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  Pro Palestine groups call SNP’s failure on Israel boycott vote “a shameful chapter in Scottish history”

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  A year on from the unanimous vote in the Scottish Parliament where MSPs voted for a full boycott of the state of Israel and companies complicit in genocide, pro Palestine groups, the Scottish Palestinian Society and Scotland for Palestinian say there’s little evidence of the Scottish government taking the necessary steps needed to end Scotland’s complicity in the ongoing Palestinian genocide, calling its failure to act a “shameful chapter in Scottish history.” The boycott and sanctions measures available to the Scottish government under devolved powers include procurement contracts for the NHS worth millions of pounds and similar to the steps it took against Russia, exercising a trade, cultural, and sporting boycott of Israel. The SNP has also been accused of

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  Freedom Flotilla announces new mission to Gaza in October

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Organisers of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced on Wednesday plans for a new maritime mission seeking to reach the Gaza Strip in October. According to the organisers, participating vessels will make stops in Spain, Portugal and Italy before continuing toward Gaza. The coalition said the mission was intended to challenge Israel’s restrictions on maritime access to Gaza and build international pressure for changes in Israeli policy toward the enclave. Previous coalition voyages have included the Handala II, which sailed through Scandinavia in June and July and stopped at ports in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Another vessel, the Kite, departed Bristol in the United Kingdom and made stops in Ireland, Germany and France as part of the coalition’s campaigning activities. READ: France

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  Katz says Gaza solution requires mass ‘emigration’, accuses Egypt of blocking departures

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said there could be no lasting solution for the Gaza Strip without what he described as the “genuine emigration” of Palestinians from the territory, while accusing Egypt of preventing such departures. Speaking at the “Time for Decision” conference, organized by Yediot Aharonot and the Israel Democracy Institute, Katz said: “There is no real solution without a genuine emigration from there.” Katz claimed that 80 percent of Gaza’s population wants to leave, but did not provide evidence for the figure. “Everything is ready for emigration by air, sea and land, but Egypt is not prepared for it,” Katz said. He added that departures were currently being delayed because potential receiving countries were unwilling to accept Palestinians

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  Netanyahu says Israel will not withdraw from Gaza’s “Yellow Line,” plans to expand control

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip that the military would not withdraw from the area it currently controls and indicated that Israel intends to expand its territorial control. Netanyahu made the remarks while touring an Israeli military position along the “Yellow Line,” accompanied by military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the head of the Southern Command. “We control this area, and we will not withdraw. We will remain at this line,” Netanyahu said, referring to territory that he said amounts to approximately 60 percent of the Gaza Strip. He added that Israeli control would expand further. The “Yellow Line” delineates areas of Israeli military deployment under the ceasefire arrangement

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  Imprisoned Palestinian doctor reports continued assaults and threats in Israeli detention

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Dr Hussam Abu Safieh, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital who has been held by Israel since December 2024, has said that Israeli prison guards continue to physically assault him, deprive him of sleep and threaten him against speaking about his detention conditions, according to testimony relayed through his lawyer. Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI) said Abu Safieh provided the account during a meeting with his lawyer on Sunday, August 30. According to a written statement submitted by the lawyer, Abu Safieh said guards had beaten him on different parts of his body, including sensitive areas, using their hands, feet and batons. He also reported that prison staff deliberately disrupted his sleep by making noise and using loudspeakers during the night.

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  Organisations pursue prosecution of Turkish citizens serving in Israeli army

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry said organisations have launched a campaign to track Israeli soldiers who hold Turkish citizenship, searching for them through social media and family networks and identifying their military units in an effort to bring them to criminal trial. According to the report, a network of organisations is behind the campaign, including the World Organization of Law and Academic Society (WOLAS) and the Freedom Watch Platform.  The groups collect publicly available information about settlers and conduct campaigns to prosecute Israeli soldiers. READ: Report: Turkish warships force Israeli naval vessels to alter course in Mediterranean The report said the network also includes organisations such as Al-Haq and the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), which Israel classifies as terrorist organisations, as

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  Egypt, Turkey agree to cooperate on defence industries

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production Salah Soliman Gembalat and Turkey’s deputy defence minister witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday between Egyptian and Turkish companies to cooperate in the defence industries sector. The MoU was signed by Egypt’s Heliopolis Chemical Industries Company (Military Factory 81) and Helwan Company for Engineering Industries (Military Factory 99), both affiliated with the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production, and Turkey’s Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE). The signing took place on the sidelines of the First Balkan Shield Industrial Expo and Summit 2026, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first international defence industry exhibition. According to a statement by the Egyptian ministry, the MoU was signed “as part of the Ministry of

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  A homeland on canvas: Sliman Mansour and the rise of revolutionary Palestinian art

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  The death of Palestinian artist Sliman Anis Mansour stirred powerful memories. He passed away at Al-Makassed Hospital in occupied East Jerusalem on August 24, at the age of 79, bringing to a close a legacy that cannot truly be described, but only experienced. His life almost exactly spanned the age of the Palestinian Nakba. He was born mere months before the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from their homeland. Yet his death in an occupied city tells us that the story of Mansour, his art and the Palestinian struggle for freedom is far from over. Oddly, for years, I knew Mansour through a single painting: Jamal al-Mahamel (The Camel Carrier of Hardships). The title itself requires a pause. The

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Dr. Djavad Salehi Isfahni: US Plan: Financial Strangulation and Internal Implosion

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Ray McGovern: Trump is Back With Bombs and Threats of Destruction

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  Syria excludes Kurdish women fighters from army, considers integration into interior ministry

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  A senior commander in the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), Nowruz Ahmed, said the unit’s fighters were told during a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus last week that there was “no place for them in the army”. Ahmed told Reuters that “talks have shifted towards finding an alternative path within the Interior Ministry”. She said the YPJ had sought to join the army because its fighters had military experience and capabilities, allowing them to serve within an organised force capable of defending itself. She added that contacts were under way with the Interior Ministry to agree on a formula that would ensure the force remained within an institutional framework while retaining an organised combat formation suited to

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  Palestinian churches call for international action to save Christian schools in Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  The Palestinian Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs on Wednesday called on churches around the world to take “immediate action” to save Christian schools in Jerusalem after Israel prevented teachers and staff from the occupied West Bank from reaching them. In a statement, the committee said Israeli authorities had refused to issue or renew entry permits for a number of teachers and staff from the West Bank, preventing them from reaching their schools. It said: “The measures have forced Christian educational institutions to declare an open-ended strike, placing the 2026–2027 academic year at risk and preventing students from returning to their classrooms.”    READ: All Christian schools in Jerusalem suspend classes as Israel denies permits to over 70 teachers, staff The committee

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  Oslo at 33: Anatomy of an ongoing Palestinian disaster

  by Mehdi Editor on September 3, 2026

  According to the popular narrative surrounding the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), some of sort of fully functioning, internationally recognized Palestinian state should have been established over two decades ago. The Declaration of Principles signed in 1993 explicitly mandated a transitional “interim period” not to exceed five years, setting May 1999 as the strict deadline for a permanent-status agreement covering Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, and borders. Yet a meticulous examination of the text reveals a structural paradox at the very heart of Oslo: while the diplomatic marketing and global expectations framed the process as a march toward eventual Palestinian statehood, the word “state” does not appear once in the agreements—substituting sovereign independence with vague language

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  Can Syria turn foreign power into national power?

  by Mehdi Editor on September 2, 2026

  For most countries, electricity is an economic input. For Syria, it is something more fundamental: a test of whether the state can again provide basic services, reconnect its regions and translate political transition into material improvement. Factories cannot reopen, hospitals cannot function reliably and displaced families cannot be expected to return where power remains intermittent. Syria’s first peace dividend, therefore, must be electricity. Yet the central question is not simply how many megawatts Syria can add. It is whether Damascus can transform foreign fuel, finance and technology into durable national capacity. If it succeeds, energy diplomacy could become an instrument of reconstruction and sovereignty. If it fails, Syria may merely exchange one form of external dependence for another. A new

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  66 Palestinian villages forcibly expelled by Israel from West Bank since October 2023: Rights group

  by Mehdi Editor on September 2, 2026

  Israel has forcibly displaced residents of Khirbet al-Taban in the southern occupied West Bank, making it the 66th Palestinian village to be completely emptied of its residents since October 2023, Israeli rights group B’Tselem said Wednesday. The group said in a statement that Israeli forces raided the village, south of Hebron, Wednesday morning and demolished the homes of all its residents within hours. Khirbet al-Taban is home to 12 families totaling about 70 people, including 28 children, it said. “The forces did not leave a single home standing,” B’Tselem said. Israeli forces also demolished sheep pens, water tanks and storage facilities and destroyed caves in the area, according to the group. B’Tselem said Khirbet al-Taban was the “66th Palestinian village

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  Trump touts US control of Strait of Hormuz after striking Iranian boats

  by Mehdi Editor on September 2, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, crediting last year’s US strikes with halting Tehran’s atomic program just before completion, and claiming: “We now control the Strait of Hormuz,” Anadolu reports. Speaking in a phone interview published Wednesday, Trump said: “If we didn’t do it, Iran would have … a nuclear weapon.” “If we didn’t send in the B-2 bombers a year ago to blow up their nuclear capacity, you know … they were two weeks away from having a nuclear weapon,” he said. Warning of catastrophic consequences, Trump argued that if Iran had “a nuclear weapon, Israel would be gone. The Middle East would be gone, and they would be