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

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  Saudi Arabia is pulling Europe toward a “Gulf Helsinki” deal with Iran — because Washington failed

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  When military power fails to impose “deterrence,” oil becomes politics. And the Strait of Hormuz is now writing Gulf security rules instead of the Pentagon. With Hormuz still closed and the emergency oil stock releases used to calm markets running down, prices are moving _ no matter how much some people deny it _ toward a new surge. The real problem is not the price as a number. It is the chain reaction: gasoline and diesel, shipping and insurance, raw materials, and then inflation that travels from Asia to the United States. And even if the strait opened tomorrow, the damage would not vanish. Supply chains do not reset overnight, and parts of the oil and petrochemicals flow would take

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  International Criminal Court issues secret arrest warrants for 5 Israeli officials: Report

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued secret arrest warrants against five Israeli officials, including three politicians and two military personnel, Israeli newspaper Haaretz said on Sunday. The report came as The Hague-based court already issued arrest warrants in November 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. There has been no immediate statement from the ICC regarding the report. If confirmed, this would bring to seven the number of Israeli officials facing arrests by the court. The Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 172,000 in a two-year war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The army

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  Qatari, Saudi Arabia discuss efforts to ease tension in Middle East

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the situation in the Middle East, including those related to the US-Iran war, Anadolu reports. In a Sunday statement on US social media company X, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said the discussions over the phone call also addressed efforts to ease tensions and promote stability and security across the region. Sheikh Mohammed stressed the “importance of all parties responding positively to the ongoing mediation efforts, which would pave the way for addressing the root causes of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, leading to a sustainable agreement that prevents renewed escalation,” the ministry said. READ: US officials pushing UAE

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  UN special rapporteur says Israel tortures Palestinian detainees in its detention centers

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese said on Saturday that Israel uses torture against Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centers and against the wider Palestinian population in the occupied territories, Anadolu reports. Her remarks came after a New York Times investigation by Nicholas Kristof said that torture and sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners had become systematic in Israeli custody. Albanese shared her report Torture and Genocide, which was prepared for the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council. The report examined the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967 and focuses on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023. According to the report, torture has long been a central part of Israel’s dispossession of

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  US officials pushing UAE to seize Iranian island: Report

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  US officials are encouraging the United Arab Emirates to “get more heavily involved in the Iran war and seize one of Tehran’s Gulf islands,” The Telegraph reported Saturday. A former senior US security official told the newspaper that some people within US President Donald Trump’s circle have proposed that the UAE seize Lavan Island, which was reportedly targeted in covert Emirati military strikes in early April. “Go take ’em!” the official was quoted as saying by the newspaper, adding: “It would be UAE boots on the ground instead of US.” READ: Israeli premier made secret trip to UAE to meet President bin Zayed Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. In response.

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  Israeli army captain killed in drone attack in southern Lebanon

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  An Israeli military officer was killed on Saturday when an explosive-laden drone detonated in southern Lebanon, Anadolu reports. The Israeli army said in a statement that “24-year-old Captain Maoz Israel Recanati, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion, was killed in clashes in southern Lebanon.” “Recanati was killed by a drone strike. He is the 20th Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon since the start of the war with Iran on February 28 and the 7th since the ceasefire began on April 16,” according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. This is the second officer whose death Israel has announced in the past 24 hours in the fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s drone attacks on Israeli forces operating

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  Jerusalem Governorate warns of Israeli plan to seize properties near Al-Aqsa Mosque

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate warned on Saturday of an Israeli plan to seize approximately 20 properties near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing it as a “new colonial escalation,” Anadolu reports. In a statement, the governorate said that “Israeli authorities are preparing to approve on Sunday a plan aimed at seizing Palestinian properties in the Bab al-Silsila neighborhood adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque, displacing residents and evicting Palestinian commercial shops to make way for settlement expansion.” “The targeted area includes between 15 and 20 Palestinian properties, including buildings and Islamic endowments dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods,” it added. It explained that “the Bab al-Silsila neighborhood is one of the most important entrances leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and targeting

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  How Washington profits from Iran’s pain

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  There is a strange ritual in Washington whenever Iran is discussed. The language begins with democracy, women’s rights, non-proliferation and regional stability. It then somehow ends with sanctions, threats, aircraft carriers, television panels and, eventually, bombs. Since Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement, coercion has been sold as concern. In May 2026, even as a U.S. peace proposal circulated, Trump was still threatening renewed attacks and demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The gap between vocabulary and policy is no longer hidden inside power. It is power. This is the ethical collapse at the heart of America’s Iran policy. The ordinary Iranian is invoked as the object of compassion, then made to live under policies designed to

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  Hormuz Strait should be reopened without tolls or restrictions, stresses Italian premier

  by MI on May 17, 2026

  The Hormuz Strait should be reopened without any tolls or restrictions, said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking at the Europe-Gulf Forum at Greece’s southern resort of Costa Navarino, Meloni said Italy is convinced that a sustainable solution to the ongoing crisis in the strait should be based on some essential points. “The first is the reopening of the Hormuz Strait, without tolls or discriminatory restrictions, because the prosperity of not only the Mediterranean and the Gulf but of the entire world depends on freedom of navigation,” she said. Meloni added: “Italy is ready to do its part to contribute, as soon as the conditions are right, to the safety of navigation, building on what

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  US officials suspect Iranian hackers breached tank readers at US gas stations: Report

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  US officials believe Iranian hackers may be responsible for a series of breaches involving systems that track fuel levels in storage tanks at gas stations across several US states, CNN reported Saturday, Anadolu reports. The hackers reportedly took advantage of automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that were connected to the internet without password protection. This access allowed them, in some instances, to alter the displayed tank readings, though not the actual fuel quantities, the report said. While the cyberattacks are not believed to have caused any physical damage or injuries, they have sparked safety concerns. According to US officials and private cybersecurity experts, unauthorized access to an ATG system could theoretically enable a hacker to conceal a gas leak. Sources

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  Nakba Day march in London

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  A large crowd of demonstrators marched through the British capital of London on Saturday, May 16, to express solidarity with Palestine, Anadolu reports. The participants carried Palestinian flags, banners, and placards while chanting slogans to demand an immediate end to the… pic.twitter.com/Gk0OzxpBKT — Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) May 16, 2026 A large crowd of demonstrators marched through the British capital of London on Saturday, May 16, to express solidarity with Palestine, Anadolu reports. The participants carried Palestinian flags, banners, and placards while chanting slogans to demand an immediate end to the conflict. The rally joins a series of global demonstrations calling for international intervention and the protection of civilian lives in the region. Demonstration marks the 78th anniversary of the

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  Israeli authorities, occupiers use military infrastructure to expand illegal settlements in West Bank: Report

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Israeli authorities and occupiers are using military infrastructure and seizure orders to expand illegal settlement activity and alter the topography of the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official report said Saturday, Anadolu reports. The report, prepared by the National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said Israeli occupiers, backed by the Israeli army and official Israeli institutions, “have over recent years changed the topographical map of the West Bank.” According to the report, this activity was done through “the use of military infrastructure and military seizure orders to open new roads and connect settlement outposts to larger settlements.” The report said the policy includes “modifying the boundaries of military firing zones for settlement

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  Nakba is not a memory; it is a system still in motion

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Every year on 15 May, Palestinians mark the Nakba — the catastrophe of 1948. Yet to describe the Nakba as history is to misunderstand its enduring architecture. It was never a single event sealed in black-and-white photographs of frightened families clutching iron keys to homes they would never see again. It was, and remains, a political system: one of removal, replacement, legal erasure, and economic dispossession. The tragedy is not only that the world watched it begin, but that much of the world continues to watch it unfold in real time. In 1947, Palestinians privately owned roughly 94 per cent of the land in Mandate Palestine, while Jewish settlers held around 5–6 per cent, according to British surveys. Yet the

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  Energy diplomacy in the age of Artificial intelligence: Will algorithms replace OPEC?

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  The end of traditional energy politics For decades, energy diplomacy in the Middle East revolved around a familiar triangle: Oil, geopolitics and security. Oil-producing states shaped global markets through production capacity, strategic waterways and political alliances, while organisations such as OPEC stood at the centre of energy governance. Recent global developments suggest that the international energy order is entering a fundamentally different era — one in which data, algorithms and artificial intelligence are becoming as strategically important as oil wells themselves. The recent conflicts in the Middle East, disruptions in maritime routes, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the growing volatility of energy markets have demonstrated that oil politics is no longer managed solely through pipelines and tankers. Increasingly, it is

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  6 detained after Palestinian flag unfurled on Eiffel Tower during Nakba anniversary protest

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Six people have been detained after activists unfurled a large Palestinian flag at the Eiffel Tower in Paris during a demonstration marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, which is described as the “Great Catastrophe” of 1948, Anadolu reports. According to Le Parisien newspaper, members of the environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion displayed the flag on the monument’s first floor on Friday. A police official, quoted anonymously, said the individuals were arrested on suspicion of entering a protected area without authorization and endangering the safety of others. Prosecutors are expected to receive a formal complaint, though it was not immediately clear who would file it. The incident prompted political reaction in France and beyond. Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of

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  Israel claims it killed commander of Hamas’ military wing

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that it killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a commander of the Palestinian group Hamas’ military wing, Anadolu reports. Al-Haddad was killed in an attack on Gaza City, the army said in a statement. The statement comes as the Israeli army continues its daily violations of the truce in the Gaza Strip that took effect in October 2025. The ceasefire came after Tel Aviv’s two-year genocidal war that killed over 72,000 people and wounded more than 172,000 others. There was no official statement from Hamas on the matter as yet. READ: UN marks Nakba anniversary amid warnings over Gaza crisis

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  UAE says it needs no protection from outside, vows to defend sovereignty

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates said Friday that it does not seek protection from any party and is capable of deterring aggression, while reaffirming its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Anadolu reports. The remarks were made by Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during a meeting of BRICS bloc foreign ministers in New Delhi, according to state news agency WAM. Al Marar rejected Iranian accusations and criticism directed at the UAE and dismissed attempts to justify attacks targeting the country and others in the region, saying such actions violate the UN Charter, international law, and principles of good neighbourliness. Both the UAE and Iran are BRICS members, and both attended the India summit. Al Marar also rejected

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  Hezbollah reports 33 attacks on Israeli forces in south Lebanon

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Hezbollah said Friday that it had carried out 33 attacks targeting Israeli forces, military positions, and vehicles in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours, Anadolu reports. The group said the attacks were carried out in response to continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and attacks on civilians and areas in southern Lebanon. In separate statements, Hezbollah said the attacks targeted Israeli troop and vehicle gatherings in the towns of Rashaf, Qouzah, and Hadatha. It said military bulldozers and troop gatherings in Rashaf were targeted with attack drones, rocket barrages, and artillery shelling. Hezbollah also said Liman barracks and Kiryat Shmona barracks were targeted with drone attacks, while rocket barrages and artillery shelling targeted Israeli positions in Qouzah and

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  South Korea opposes Iran’s reported plan to charge Hormuz transit fees

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  South Korea’s oceans minister is opposed to Iran’s reported move to impose fees on ships passing through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, calling the action a violation of international law, media reports said Friday, Anadolu reports. Speaking at a news conference in the southeastern port city of Busan, Hwang Jong-woo said the waterway is an international shipping route where free navigation must be guaranteed, according to Yonhap News. “Charging shipping tolls in the strait is practically equivalent to blocking the waterway,” said Hwang, adding that, unlike the man-made Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz consists of international waters protected under international agreements. On Wednesday, Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission head Ebrahim Azizi said a strategic proposal

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  Iran ‘remains committed to diplomacy,’ president tells pope

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Iran “remains committed to diplomacy and peaceful solutions,” the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a message to Pope Leo XIV, Iranian state media reported on Saturday, Anadolu reports. Pezeshkian also expressed Tehran’s appreciation for the Catholic leader’s “moral and logical stance on the recent military aggressions against Iran,” according to the IRNA news agency. Iran targeted the goals of the US and Israel “within the framework of legitimate defense,” the president said, calling on the international community to “act responsibly against America’s illegal actions.” Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the

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  Israel says it will sue New York Times over Nicholas Kristof article

  by Marwa A on May 16, 2026

  Israeli Foreign Ministry said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar instructed the launch of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times following the publication of an article by columnist Nicholas Kristof, Anadolu reports. In a statement shared on US social media company X by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli officials described the article as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.” The ministry also accused the newspaper of backing the article and said legal action would be initiated against The New York Times. The announcement came after Kristof published an opinion piece titled The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians, alleging that Palestinian

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  Ben Gurion and I: A personal feud

  by MI on May 16, 2026

  On this day, 15 May 2026, I became a refugee for 28,489 days.  I never forgot it for a moment. I shall never cease to try to return home by any means. I was born in al Ma’in, my family’s home for over 200 years. Al Ma’in is located in Beer Sheba district, about 30km southeast of Gaza city. In April 1948, the Haganah, the Jewish militia committed many massacres, notably Deir Yassin. At the age of ten, I was at the boarding school in Beer Sheba. As Jewish attacks continued, we were told to go home for safety. I walked home in a hazardous journey.  I looked back and saw the lovely Ottoman building of my school in Beer

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Mark Pfeifle: Trump Goes to China as Dealmaker or Supplicant?

  by MI on May 16, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: Trump-Xi Summit, Will it be at Iran’s Expense?

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  US says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by 45 days after Washington talks

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The United States announced Friday that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days following what Washington described as “highly productive” talks between the two sides, Anadolu reports. “The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on the US social media platform X. The announcement came despite continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the US-mediated ceasefire took effect. Pigott said the State Department will reconvene the political negotiations track June 2-3. He also announced that a separate “security track” involving military delegations from both countries will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29. READ: Israeli minister announces illegal settlement plans in Lebanon,

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  UN marks Nakba anniversary amid warnings over Gaza crisis

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The UN commemorated the anniversary of the Nakba on Friday, with senior officials warning that the suffering and displacement experienced by Palestinians since 1948 continue amid the Gaza conflict, Anadolu reports. The event, convened by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, was held at UN headquarters to highlight the enduring impact of the Nakba — the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948. Addressing the gathering, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock described the Nakba as a lasting historical “pain” that continues across generations. “They were removed from their homes, their houses destroyed, their lives and livelihoods upended. In a moment, entire people scattered,”

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  Israel claims it targeted Hamas military chief in Gaza City strike

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israel on Friday claimed it targeted the head of Hamas’ military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in an airstrike on Gaza City, according to Israeli media reports. Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli military carried out the strike targeting al-Haddad. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas regarding the Israeli claim. READ: Netanyahu says Israel controls 60% of Gaza, exceeding ceasefire boundaries

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  Eurovision boycott: Sanchez says ‘silence is not an option’ in face of ‘illegal war, genocide’

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The Spanish prime minister on Friday defended his country’s decision not to participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, saying Spain could not remain silent over Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, Anadolu reports. Pedro Sanchez, in a video message shared on the US social media platform X, said Spain’s absence from the competition reflects its commitment to human rights and international law. “This year will be different,” Sanchez said, recalling Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE’s decision to not participate, describing it as “both consistent and necessary: to stand up against injustice.” “That is why Spain is not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, because our commitment to human rights and international law is also expressed through culture,” he said. The

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  Javier Bardem says Nakba ‘never ended,’ calls Gaza ‘genocide’ in UN message

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Spanish actor Javier Bardem said the Nakba “never ended,” describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and its policies in the occupied West Bank as “ethnic cleansing and apartheid” in a message marking the anniversary of the 1948 mass displacement of Palestinians, Anadolu reports. The US social media company X account of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations on Friday shared Bardem’s recorded remarks during a screening for UN representatives of the Palestinian-themed film All That’s Left Of You. In his message, Bardem stressed that the Palestinian people have long struggled against what he described as Israel’s policies of genocide and ethnic cleansing. “We understand that the Nakba never ended. It is playing out today in

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  UN relief chief says over 15 million Syrians need aid this year

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  More than 15 million people in Syria will require humanitarian assistance this year, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. “Humanitarian needs remain significant,” Tom Fletcher said at a Security Council meeting. “About two thirds of the population, over 15 million people, most of them women, girls, and children, require help this year,” he said. Fletcher stressed that women and children remain particularly vulnerable after years of conflict, displacement, and economic collapse. “We prioritize women, girls, and children in all our humanitarian action because they are so often on the front line of these crises,” he added. READ: EU agrees to lift sanctions on Syria’s interior, defense ministers

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  India, UAE sign pacts to boost ties, including in defence, as Modi begins multi-nation tour

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  India and the UAE on Friday signed several pacts, including in the fields of defence and energy, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a multi-nation tour, with his first stop in Abu Dhabi. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted Modi for talks in Abu Dhabi, according to the official Emirati news agency WAM. The two leaders reviewed cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and India, according to the official Emirates News Agency. They also highlighted progress in bilateral ties across sectors, including economy, investment, energy, space, food security, technology, and artificial intelligence. They also exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and

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  The rise of Reform UK and Islamophobia

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Reform UK’s recent electoral success should not be dismissed as a simple protest vote against the political establishment. It reflects a deeper shift in British politics: the growing ability of right-wing populism to transform public frustration over immigration, economic insecurity and declining trust in mainstream parties into a politics of resentment. The danger lies not only in Reform UK’s electoral gains but also in how its rise may further normalise anti-Muslim sentiment in Britain. The party’s performance in the 7 May 2026 local elections was significant. Reform UK won 1,454 council seats and took control of 14 councils in England. It also made gains in devolved politics, securing 34 seats in the Senedd and 17 in the Scottish Parliament. These

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  Amnesty chief calls Finland-Israel arms industry meeting ‘utterly shameful’

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, on Friday sharply criticized Finland for inviting Israeli arms industry companies to Helsinki for talks on defense cooperation, Anadolu Agency reports. In remarks following reports about the planned meeting, Callamard described the move as “utterly shameful” and reminded Finland of its obligations. “This got to stop. Finland’s international obligations and credibility are at stake,” she said in a post on the US social media company X. Callamard also questioned Finland’s decision to pursue cooperation with Israeli defense companies amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. “Surely, and sadly, Israel is not the only country capable of providing Finland with the weapons it believes it requires to defend itself,” she said. “So why go for

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  Poll shows Israeli opposition could win 61 seats, majority want Netanyahu to quit politics

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  A public opinion poll showed Friday that Israel’s opposition could secure the 61 seats needed to form a government if elections were held today, while 55% of Israelis prefer that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retire from politics, according to the Israeli Maariv newspaper. The poll was conducted by the private Lazar Institute among a random sample of 502 Israelis, with a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. “Asked what they want Netanyahu to do in the next election — run for Likud leadership or retire from political life — 55% said they prefer that he retire, while 38% said they want him to run for Likud leadership, and 7% said they do not know,” the newspaper said. According to

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  Palestinian group says Israel has arrested more than 23,000 in West Bank since Gaza war began

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  The Israeli army has arrested more than 23,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, along with thousands from Gaza, since the war in the enclave began in October 2023, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Friday. The group said the Palestinian prisoners’ movement is enduring its “bloodiest and harshest period since 1967.” Israeli authorities have detained nearly 23,000 Palestinians from the West Bank since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza, including women, children, wounded people and former prisoners, according to the society. The figure excludes thousands of arrests from Gaza, where the group said Israel continues to forcibly disappear hundreds of detainees. “Detention has formed and continues to form one of the main pillars of the Israeli colonial project,

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  Netanyahu says Israel controls 60% of Gaza, exceeding ceasefire boundaries

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel now controls around 60% of the Gaza Strip, exceeding the territory outlined under the ceasefire agreement reached last year, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported Friday. “Today we control 60% of the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu reportedly said during an event marking the anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem. The newspaper said the figure exceeds the area envisioned under the US-mediated ceasefire agreement that entered into force in October 2025, under which Israeli-controlled territory was estimated at around 53% of the enclave. According to Palestinian officials and rights groups, Israeli forces have gradually expanded beyond the original demarcation line established under the agreement into additional areas deeper inside Gaza, referred to in recent reports

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  Israeli minister announces illegal settlement plans in Lebanon, displacements in Gaza, West Bank

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Thursday that the government plans to establish illegal settlements in Lebanon and displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The remarks came during Ben-Gvir’s participation in an event in Jerusalem marking the anniversary of Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem according to the Hebrew calendar, Israel’s Channel 7 reported. “We have more plans to encourage migration from Gaza, encourage migration from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and settlement in Lebanon, and we will not fear eliminating everyone who rises up to kill us,” Ben-Gvir said. Israel continues daily violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, in effect since October 2025, where at least 857 people have been killed and

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  FBI offers $200,000 reward for former Air Force operative who defected to Iran

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for former Air Force operative Monica Witt, whom authorities believe defected to Iran in 2013, Anadolu reports. In a statement on Thursday, the agency said that she is believed to “likely still be involved in supporting Iran’s illicit activities.” “The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, FBI’s top counterintelligence official in Washington. “The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice,” it said. Witt, a former counterintelligence officer with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, worked on assignments in the Middle East from

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  Israeli occupiers burn mosque, vehicles, spray racist graffiti on walls in West Bank village

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  Israeli occupiers set fire to a mosque and several Palestinian-owned vehicles early Friday in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, the official news agency Wafa reported. Local sources told WAFA that occupiers entered the village, burned the mosque and several vehicles, and sprayed racist slogans on the walls of homes. In a separate incident, occupiers attacked Palestinian homes in the town of Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, WAFA reported. READ: ‘Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank’, UNICEF says Security sources told the agency that occupiers attacked homes along the town’s main road and broke down several doors, causing panic among women and children. The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen an escalation in Israeli military

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: Trump-Xi Summit, Will it be at Iran’s Expense?

  by MI on May 15, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Gideon Levi: Israeli Genocide and Palestinian Statehood

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  The twenty-five minute premier: How Trump forced a banker onto Baghdad

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The transition of power in Iraq usually moves with the glacial, agonizing pace of a desert sandstorm, choked by the competing interests of Tehran and Washington. But when the Coordination Framework—the coalition of Iran-aligned Shiite parties—finally settled on Iraq’s next prime minister, the process took exactly twenty-five minutes. The result was Ali al-Zaidi, a 40-year-old banker with no political pedigree and a “blank slate” resume. To some in Baghdad, he is a compromise; to Washington, he is the byproduct of a high-stakes financial and diplomatic squeeze that has redefined American leverage in the post-U.S.-Israeli war landscape. The ascent of al-Zaidi marks a sharp pivot in President Trump’s Middle East strategy, one where the U.S. Treasury is deployed as aggressively as

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  How Israeli propaganda works: Oppose the occupation and you become “Hamas”, “Muslim Brotherhood”, or “Anti-Semitic”!

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  As Palestinians mark the seventy-eighth anniversary of the Nakba, I found myself once again turning over old photographs and fragments of memory from my destroyed village, Majdal Al-Sadiq; a village erased during the creation of Israel, from which my father was expelled as an eight-year-old child. On a day heavy with remembrance, grief, and inherited loss, I was confronted instead with yet another inflammatory article in an Israeli newspaper targeting me and several other activists. Even on a day that symbolises one of the greatest collective traumas in Palestinian history, there was no pause, no restraint, no recognition of human pain, only more incitement, more smears, more attempts to dehumanise those who speak for Palestinian rights. But perhaps expecting sensitivity

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  Palestinian National Popular Action Committee issues statement to mark 78th anniversary of the Nakba

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  On the seventy-eighth anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the Palestinian National Coordinating Body for Popular Action issued a statement affirming that the Nakba is not merely a painful memory, but an ongoing crime and a continuing settler-colonial project. The Committee said the Nakba is renewed today through the genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing, the escalation of settlement expansion, the Judaization of Jerusalem, the targeting of the right of return, and attempts to dismantle UNRWA and eradicate the Palestinian cause in all its national and political dimensions. “What is taking place today is not a new chapter separate from the Nakba, but rather a continuation of the very same settler-colonial project; the methods may change, but the objective remains the same:

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  Palestine between the Nakba of 1948 and the genocide, displacement, and Judaization of 2026

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Every year on May 15, the Palestinian people commemorate the Nakba that befell them in 1948, when Zionist militias and gangs forcibly displaced over 900,000 Palestinians from their cities and villages, completely destroyed approximately 531 villages, and committed more than 70 massacres in which over 15,000 people were killed. Seventy eight years later, the Israeli war machine is reproducing the same scene—but with far deadlier tools, and amidst a shameful international silence and unjustifiable inaction. The 1948 Nakba – Founding Through Genocide and Displacement The 1948 Nakba was not a passing war. It was the culmination of a colonial settler project that began taking shape in the late nineteenth century. Backed by colonial powers, Zionist gangs expelled between 780,000 and

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  Monitoring group says 19.5 million people face severe hunger in Sudan

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Nearly 19.5 million people in Sudan are still suffering from severe hunger, according to a new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report said more than 40 per cent of Sudan’s population is facing acute food insecurity as the country’s prolonged conflict continues to fuel what humanitarian agencies describe as one of the world’s worst hunger crises. According to Reuters, the three-year war has caused mass displacement, widespread famine, economic collapse and the destruction of agricultural systems, with around 14 million people displaced. Although the latest IPC estimate is slightly lower than the previous figure of 21.2 million released in autumn, the report warned that 14 areas in North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan remain

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  Iraqi court sentences former official to death over Anfal campaign crimes

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  The Iraqi High Criminal Court sentenced Ajaj Ahmed Hardan to death by hanging on Thursday for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Kurds during the 1988 Anfal campaign under the rule of Saddam Hussein. According to the Iraqi News Agency, the ruling was issued over Hardan’s role in crimes carried out during the Anfal operations, which targeted Kurdish communities in Iraq. The Iraqi National Security Service announced in August 2025 that Hardan had been arrested following a six-month intelligence operation. Authorities said his family had falsely claimed he was dead in an attempt to mislead security services. Investigators eventually located and detained him in Salah al-Din Governorate after obtaining judicial authorisation. During questioning, Hardan reportedly confessed to multiple crimes

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  Araghchi accuses UAE of being “active partner” in US-Israeli war against Iran

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United Arab Emirates on Thursday of playing an “active” role in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Speaking during the BRICS summit in India, Araghchi said: “The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, there is no doubt about that.” He added that it had become clear to Tehran that the UAE participated in attacks against Iran and “may even have acted directly” against the country. Araghchi also referred to reports issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding an alleged secret meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which Abu Dhabi denied had taken place. “The UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country,” Araghchi

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  Lieberman accuses Netanyahu of possibly using Gaza operation for electoral purposes

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Yisrael Beiteinu party leader and Knesset member, Avigdor Lieberman said he fears Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch a new military operation in the Gaza Strip for electoral purposes following moves to dissolve the Knesset. Speaking during a visit to Kibbutz Be’eri on Thursday, Lieberman called on Israeli military leaders to ensure that any future military action is carried out solely for what he described as decisive security objectives rather than political considerations. According to the Israeli news site Walla!, Lieberman said he hoped the current government would be removed through elections, possibly by September. Lieberman also accused the Israeli government of misleading residents of communities near Gaza, claiming that reconstruction efforts in Gaza are proceeding despite what he

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  Washington cites progress in Iran talks as Tehran maintains hardline conditions

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  On the 76th day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, senior American officials said negotiations with Tehran are continuing despite major disagreements over the nuclear file and the Strait of Hormuz. US Vice President J. D. Vance said discussions with Iranian officials were progressing, noting that he had held consultations with Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and regional partners in the Arab world. “I believe we are making progress,” Vance said, adding that the key issue was whether negotiations had advanced enough to satisfy the “red line” set by US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington hopes to persuade China to play a more active role in pressuring Iran over developments in Gulf waters. Iranian

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  ‘Death to Arabs’: Israeli settlers storm occupied East Jerusalem in annual hate march

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Tens of thousands of Israeli hate marchers and ultranationalists rampaged through the streets of occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday during the so-called “Jerusalem Day” march, chanting “Death to Arabs” and “May your villages burn”, as terrified Palestinian residents barricaded themselves indoors and shuttered their shops in fear of attack. The annual procession, which marks Israel’s illegal capture and subsequent annexation of East Jerusalem during the 1967 war, saw mobs of mostly young Israelis – many draped in Israeli flags – pour through the narrow alleyways of the Old City, pounding on the metal shutters of Palestinian-owned businesses and confronting anyone who stood in their way. The annexation of East Jerusalem, whose residents are overwhelmingly Palestinian, has never been recognised by

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  Fatah unanimously re-elects Mahmoud Abbas as movement leader

  by Marwa A on May 15, 2026

  Members of the Eighth General Conference of Fatah unanimously re-elected Mahmoud Abbas as the movement’s leader on Thursday. Delegates voted to retain Abbas as president and commander-in-chief of the movement, stressing the importance of his leadership during what they described as a critical stage for the Palestinian people. The conference opened in Ramallah, marking the first Fatah general conference in a decade. Held at the Palestinian presidential headquarters, the gathering is expected to oversee elections for the movement’s Fatah Central Committee, the organisation’s highest executive body, amid broader efforts to reshape internal leadership structures. Founded in Kuwait in the late 1950s, Fatah officially launched its armed struggle on 1 January 1965 following its first military operation, known as the Eilaboun