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

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  Purgatorial Ethics: Sudan, the UAE and Australia’s Arms Trade

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Reprehensible as it is, the arms trade is an exercise of purgatorial ethics pursued by all states keen on having a market for the merchants of death: from the perspective of countries and those who represent them, it’s a matter of cold business and hot transactions.  The principles (how the arms will be used, how many innocents will be butchered) can go and sod themselves.  No other figure in modern times has been as candid about this fact than US President Donald Trump.  When confronted with the unsettling claims that his admired Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had directed the carving up of a dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, he thought little of

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  Israel threatens UK officials with expulsion in ‘payback’ over settlements

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Israel is considering expelling British officials from the US-led headquarters overseeing the Gaza ceasefire in retaliation for mounting UK criticism of the country’s illegal settlement expansion and policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, according to the Financial Times. The move could also target representatives from Germany and Italy and would deepen an increasingly bitter diplomatic rift between Israel and some of its traditional European allies. Israel has already expelled Spanish and Dutch officials from the International Gaza Support Center (IGSC) over their governments’ positions towards Israel. The IGSC, formerly known as the Civil-Military Coordination Center, operates from Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. Led by US military officers, it brings together Israeli forces with military and diplomatic representatives from around 50

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  Israel caught funding fake think tank to game AI and push propaganda

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Israel has funded a fake US think tank and a network of apparently independent websites designed to game artificial intelligence systems and push pro-Israel narratives into chatbot responses, according to an investigation by the Guardian. The operation is part of a multimillion-dollar Israeli campaign to manipulate the online information environment as the occupation state struggles to reverse an unprecedented collapse in international support following its genocide in Gaza and expanding regional wars. Israeli officials have already conceded that the massive propaganda drive is failing, despite hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into hasbara. The revelations come just days after a senior Israeli communications figure openly admitted to fabricating false information in Israel’s propaganda war. Eli Hazan, a longstanding Likud

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  Bombing Iran toward the bomb

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  The most grotesque possibility in the war to prevent an Iranian bomb is that the war itself may manufacture the bomb. Washington has spent years declaring that Iran must never conclude nuclear weapons are necessary for survival. It has now furnished Tehran with the most persuasive argument for exactly that conclusion: remain non-nuclear, remain inspected, remain inside the Non-Proliferation Treaty — and get bombed anyway There is still no verified evidence that Iran has made the political decision to build a nuclear weapon. That fact matters. The distinction between having the technical capacity to approach weaponisation and deciding to produce a bomb is not diplomatic hair-splitting. It is the entire distinction between threshold capability and proliferation. But strategy is not

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  Israeli soldiers refuse to carry out ‘urgent’ mission in Gaza

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Israeli media reported that a number of Israeli soldiers refused to carry out an “urgent” military mission inside the Gaza Strip that involved travelling in an armoured personnel carrier with a female soldier. According to The Jerusalem Post, the incident comes as the Israeli military prepares to launch pilot programmes allowing women to take on combat roles. The Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that the soldiers, who serve in the Givati Brigade, are part of the Hesder yeshivas programme, which combines religious studies with military service. It said the mission required them to travel in a Namer armoured personnel carrier inside Gaza, but they refused because a female medic had been added to the unit. The Israeli military said the

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  Israel says Turkish presence at Syrian airbase thwarted as Erdoğan warns against attempts to “stop Turkey”

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Israeli officials assess that Turkey’s reported efforts to establish a presence around the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northern Syria have been halted following an Israeli strike on the facility and subsequent diplomatic contacts, according to Israel’s Channel 12. The assessment represents a shift from concerns expressed by Israeli officials last week over the possibility of an expanded Turkish military presence at the airbase in Idlib province. Amid the tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan posted a message on social media warning: “Those who think they can stop Turkey with provocations and conspiracies will be disappointed.” Channel 12 reported that contacts between Israeli, Turkish and Syrian officials contributed to a reduction in tensions. It also pointed to recent talks involving

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  Haaretz: Israeli army opposes return of residents to Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  The Israeli military has told the Supreme Court that residents displaced from the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps will not be permitted to return at this stage, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The newspaper said the army intends to maintain a military presence in the northern West Bank camps in order to preserve what it describes as operational and security control, and has not provided a timetable for residents to return. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from the three camps since the start of large-scale Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank. Palestinian residents and aid organisations have described the evacuations as abrupt and highly disruptive, leaving many families dependent

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  Rights group says Saudi prosecutors sought death penalty for preacher Abdul Aziz al-Tarifi

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Saudi prosecutors have sought the death penalty for prominent preacher and hadith scholar Abdul Aziz al-Tarifi, who has been detained for more than a decade, according to the Saudi human rights organization ALQST. ALQST expressed concern over al-Tarifi’s case on Wednesday, saying the 50-year-old cleric remains imprisoned at al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh and is currently being held in solitary confinement. The organization said, however, that it lacks sufficient information about the latest judicial proceedings and could not confirm whether prosecutors are still actively seeking his execution. Saudi authorities have not publicly confirmed or denied ALQST’s account regarding the prosecution’s request for the death penalty. Al-Tarifi was arrested in April 2016. According to ALQST, his detention followed social media posts criticizing

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  Former Mossad deputy chief warns of Egyptian military expansion, urges preparedness

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Former Mossad deputy chief and current Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak has warned of growing anti-Israel calls in Egypt, stressing the need to prepare for all scenarios despite the peace treaty between the two countries, Israeli radio station 103FM reported. The former Israeli security official said preparations should be made for any scenario amid Egypt’s military expansion and growing tensions along the southern border, which he said were raising concerns within Israel’s security establishment. The Maariv-affiliated radio station said Ben-Barak told presenters Ben Caspit and Ariel Kahana in an interview that, despite the peace treaty with Egypt, there were “very worrying” developments that required Israel to remain prepared. He expressed concern that the expansion of the Egyptian military was being directed

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  Saudi Arabia reaffirms no normalisation with Israel without Palestinian state

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Saudi Arabia has reiterated that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the creation of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, amid reports that US President Donald Trump is seeking to link a civil nuclear agreement with Riyadh to Saudi normalisation with Israel. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump has referred the US-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress for review but has stipulated that it will not take effect unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords. “The president’s position has not changed, and the agreement will not move forward unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords,” the newspaper quoted a US administration source as saying.

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  Haaretz investigation: Israel-backed Palestinian militias operate alongside army in Gaza

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Five Palestinian armed groups operating in the Gaza Strip receive Israeli financial and military support and carry out operations on behalf of the Israeli military and intelligence services, according to an investigation published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday. The investigation, based on accounts from Israeli soldiers and officers, Palestinian sources, UN data and satellite imagery, said the groups operate in several parts of Gaza under Israeli military protection and coordination. According to Haaretz, their activities extend beyond confronting Hamas and include intelligence gathering, pursuing Hamas members and carrying out operational tasks in areas controlled by the Israeli army. The investigation also reported that members of the groups have expelled Palestinian residents, looted property, burned homes and opened fire

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  ICC responds to US sanctions: ‘We will not give up’

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane has said the court will not back down even if the United States expands its sanctions to target the institution itself. Speaking remotely from The Hague at a news conference in Tokyo, Akane said the sanctions imposed on her had so far prevented her from using her credit card. Akane also expressed hope that Japan would play a greater role in supporting the court, particularly in the face of pressure that could push some member states to withdraw. She said the sanctions had strengthened her determination to continue the ICC’s work. Her comments came in response to US sanctions imposed on her and the ICC’s senior lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye, over the court’s actions

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  Israel Is Its Own Worst Enemy | Palestine This Week

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  In this episode of Palestine This Week, we examine Israel’s admission that its forces fired on the car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab, the expansion of the E1 settlement project and the increasingly explicit rejection of Palestinian statehood by leading Israeli politicians. We also discuss the campaign to free Marwan Barghouti, emerging Palestinian electoral coalitions, Israel’s strikes on Syria and the shifting regional security order. Plus, we assess Washington’s escalation of sanctions on Iran. WATCH: ‘The Board of Peace’ Or ‘Broker of Deceit’ | Palestine This Week

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  Qusra is just a warning: Israel’s blueprint for the West Bank

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  If you want to understand the bleak future awaiting the occupied West Bank, do not look away. Just pay attention to the events unfolding in the small Palestinian town of Qusra, south of Nablus. The story of the future of the West Bank begins here. While much of the media is treating reports emerging from the area as simply another episode of “settler violence,” it is not. Qusra represents something far more consequential: a glimpse into the new Plan Dalet that Israel has in store for Palestinians. Plan Dalet was the military blueprint through which Zionist forces conquered much of historic Palestine, village by village, during the Nakba. The plan did not suddenly emerge in 1948. It built on military

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  Israeli court acquits settler in attack on French nun citing mental illness

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  An Israeli court on Wednesday acquitted a settler who was filmed attacking a French nun in Jerusalem, after accepting a medical report that said he was in a psychotic state at the time of the incident and was not criminally responsible for his actions. Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court acquitted Yona Schreiber after accepting the opinion of a psychiatrist who said he was in a “psychotic state at the time of the attack”. The court ordered Schreiber to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment after finding that he had committed the acts listed in the indictment, but ruled that he was not criminally responsible for them because of his mental state at the

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  Israeli settlement leaders tour Gaza, call for starvation of Palestinians

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Heads of local and settlement councils in the so-called Gaza border area toured the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, meeting Israeli military officers and soldiers and making inflammatory statements calling for tighter restrictions on the enclave and continued military operations. The settlement leaders were accompanied by Israeli Southern Command chief Major General Yaniv Asor and Gaza Division commander Brigadier General Liron Bitito. Israeli media quoted Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi as saying after the tour: “The solution here is to keep striking Hamas all the time, and we must consider the yellow line as a starting point for the attack.” Davidi explicitly called for the use of starvation as a weapon against Palestinians in Gaza, saying: “We must attack those launching drones

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  Netanyahu in closed talks: Likud will lose election unless situation changes

  by Marwa A on August 27, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in closed-door talks that his Likud party will lose the next Knesset (parliament) election unless the situation changes. He acknowledged that the party had lost 10 seats and said he did not know how to regain them, according to Hebrew-language media. The Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday that Netanyahu made the remarks during recent closed-door talks, ahead of the general election scheduled for 27 October. Kan quoted Netanyahu as saying: “We have lost 10 seats, and I don’t know how to get them back.” Netanyahu has also been unable to determine what kind of election campaign he should run, and believes that “Likud will lose the next election unless something changes”,

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  Gaza’s famine one year on: Did the world learn anything?

  by Mehdi Editor on August 27, 2026

  On 22nd August last year, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) officially confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate, including Gaza City, after determining that famine conditions had already existed by mid-August 2025. More than half a million people were facing starvation, destitution and death. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, speaking to international media and later to the Security Council, called it “the Gaza Famine.” He warned that it could have been prevented, pointing to the restrictions on humanitarian access and the devastating consequences of Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023—it is a manmade famine and it is “openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war” Fletcher emphasised . By the time famine conditions had somewhat

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  Yemen orders closure of ports operating outside government law amid efforts to cut Houthi arms supplies

  by Marwa A on August 26, 2026

  Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Wednesday ordered the closure of any port or border crossing operating outside government law as part of measures to combat smuggling and disrupt arms and financing networks supporting the Houthis, according to Yemen’s official Saba news agency, Anadolu reports. Al-Alimi issued the order while chairing a meeting of the Supreme Committee for Combating Smuggling, headed by Prime Minister Shaia al-Zindani, in the Saudi capital. “The era of leniency toward smuggling is over,” said al-Alimi, vowing to protect legitimate trade and the private sector, and take action against smuggling networks that drain state resources, finance adversaries or threaten national security. He said the measures form part of broader efforts to secure sovereign ports

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  Hamas agrees to surrender arms, relinquish governance, Peace Board says

  by Marwa A on August 26, 2026

  Hamas and other armed factions in Gaza have agreed — for the first time — to surrender their weapons and transfer full civilian and security authority to a UN-recognized transitional administration, Nikolay Mladenov, the Gaza Peace Board’s high representative, said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. Mladenov made the remarks at a UN Security Council briefing on implementation of the US-backed Gaza peace plan, according to statements made by the board on US social-media company X. “For the first time, Hamas and the armed factions in Gaza have agreed to hand over their weapons and to transfer full governing authority — civilian and security — to a transitional administration recognized by the United Nations,” Mladenov said. He claimed the move could “dramatically improve

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  US sanctions UK-based Palestine Action group

  by Marwa A on August 26, 2026

  The US Treasury Department on Wednesday designated the British group Palestine Action as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), Anadolu reports. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the agency responsible for administering US economic sanctions, added the group to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN). The designation was made pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended by Executive Order 13886. Originally signed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the legal authority targets US-designated terrorists and those providing financial, material or technological support to them. It allows for secondary sanctions against those providing support to the organization. The US accused the group of supporting “numerous acts of terrorism since” its establishment. Palestine Action co-founder

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  Israeli authorities detain Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs near Al-Aqsa

  by Marwa A on August 26, 2026

  Israeli authorities on Wednesday detained Ashraf al-Aawar, the Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs, while he was attending a family gathering near Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the Jerusalem Governorate, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the governorate said al-Aawar had been attending a mourning gathering for his family in the Silwan neighborhood when he was arrested. It did not provide additional details. The reported arrest comes a week after al-Aawar was temporarily detained by Israeli authorities from his home in Silwan. After being held for several hours, he was released without being given a reason for his detention. Last year, Israeli authorities banned al-Aawar from entering the occupied West Bank for six months, a period that was later extended. READ: Israel

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  Bahrain re-arrests human rights defender Naji Fateel two years after royal pardon

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Bahraini authorities have re-arrested prominent human rights defender Naji Fateel more than two years after he was freed under a royal pardon following over 11 years in prison, according to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR).  Plainclothes police officers raided Fateel’s flat at around 5:45am on 18 August while he and his family were asleep, the rights group reported. Fateel later told a colleague from detention that officers did not present an arrest warrant or explain why they were taking him into custody. Bahraini authorities have re-arrested prominent human rights defender Naji Fateel more than two years after he was freed under a royal pardon following over 11 years in prison, according to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights

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  Russian, Syrian presidents discuss plans to reorganize Hmeimim, Tartus military bases

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday highlighted the importance of a memorandum of understanding on reorganizing Moscow’s military presence at the Hmeimim and Tartus bases during a phone call, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Kremlin said the two presidents discussed the current state and prospects for further developing Moscow-Damascus ties and expressed their commitment to deepening political dialogue and cooperation in trade, economic, humanitarian and other areas. The statement said that during an exchange of views on the situation in Syria, Putin reaffirmed his “principled position in support of the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty” of the country, as well as the “creation of conditions for long-term normalization and post-conflict reconstruction.” “Both sides noted

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  Syrian Kurds offer the region a lesson in nationhood

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  When I look back at my university years—sharing a dorm room with a Kurdish colleague—I am reminded of a country that once understood unity not as a slogan but as a lived experience. Iraq, despite its flaws, carried an instinctive sense of cohesion before its maps began to fracture. That memory returned to me this week as I watched Mazloum Abdi announce the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and their full integration into the institutions of the Syrian state. It was a reminder that belonging can be larger than geography, and that identity, when protected rather than weaponized, becomes a bridge rather than a trench. I have never harbored negative feelings toward the Kurds. Not because memory is

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  Israel exports 6 times more arms per capita than US, 19 times more than Russia

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Israeli arms exports per capita in 2025 were roughly six times greater than the United States and 19 times greater than Russia, a new study has found, revealing the extraordinary scale of Israel’s weapons industry relative to its population. The latest study by Palestinian-American author Susan Abulhawa found that Israel exported arms at a rate equivalent to roughly $263 per citizen in 2025, compared with $41 per person in the US and $14 in Russia. Calculated against Israel’s Jewish population alone, the figure rises to $340 per person, around eight times the US rate and 25 times Russia’s.   The findings are based primarily on figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), whose Arms Transfers Database tracks major conventional

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  Turkiye, Syria discuss $10B trade target in Damascus

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat arrived in Damascus with a business delegation on Wednesday for the 63rd Damascus International Fair, meeting with Nidal al-Shaar, the Syrian economy and industry minister, to discuss steps to reach a $10 billion bilateral trade volume target, Anadolu reports. The officials evaluated cooperation to ease trade, particularly regarding transportation and customs gates, alongside the potential role of the Turkish private sector in the reconstruction of Syria, Bolat said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal on Wednesday. Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the agreements reached during the Turkiye-Syria Joint Economic and Trade Commission meeting in April. READ: Arab countries welcome Syria’s removal from US terrorism list Bolat later met with Ahmad Rawad Ramadan, the newly appointed

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  Israeli army arrests 7 Palestinians, assaults 2 in occupied West Bank raids

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  The Israeli army arrested seven Palestinians and assaulted two others Wednesday during raids across the occupied West Bank, while installing a gate on the only road leading to three Palestinian homes under siege by Israeli forces and occupiers in Qusra, according to Palestinian sources, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Prisoner Society, a non-governmental organization, said in a statement that Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians in Jenin province, including a woman and a man with a disability resulting from a previous Israeli gunshot wound, after raiding and searching their homes. In Qalqilya province, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian from the town of Azzun after raiding the town and searching his home. Israeli forces also arrested a young Palestinian man from the Dheisheh refugee

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  Remains of 20 Palestinians recovered from rubble in Gaza City

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Gaza Civil Defense teams recovered the remains of 20 Palestinians from beneath rubble in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood Wednesday, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Anadolu reports. The victims, from the Selmi and Al-Haddad families, were killed in an earlier Israeli bombardment during the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, Wafa reported. The recovery came as Civil Defense teams continued efforts across the enclave to retrieve the remains of Palestinians trapped beneath the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli attacks. Thousands of Palestinians remain missing and are believed to be buried beneath the rubble following Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip. READ: Gaza aid group says nutritional supplies destroyed in Israeli strike

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  Israel bolsters forces at seized UNRWA training center in occupied Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Israel reinforced its forces Wednesday at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees’ (UNRWA) Qalandia Vocational Training Center in occupied East Jerusalem, a day after seizing the facility, according to the Jerusalem Governorate, Anadolu reports. The governorate said in a statement that Israeli forces continued their takeover and deployment inside the institute, rotating soldiers and reinforcing the forces stationed there overnight and early Wednesday. It added that the Israeli Jerusalem municipality sent technical crews into the institute Wednesday and began “maintenance and renovation” work in preparation for receiving students as part of plans to establish a municipal educational complex at the site. The developments came a day after Israeli forces evacuated staff from the UNRWA facility, seized the compound and raised the

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  Qatari Prime Minister set to visit Tehran in bid to reduce regional tensions

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, is expected to visit Tehran, very likely tomorrow (Thursday), Iran Nuances learned. The anticipated trip falls within the framework of ongoing efforts to reduce tensions and strengthen regional security and stability, alongside discussions on bilateral relations between Doha and Tehran. Yesterday, the Qatari Premier held separate phone consultations with the Foreign Ministers of both Iran and Oman, discussing the latest and laying the groundwork for the trip. Al Thani’s expected arrival marks the latest in a succession of high-stakes mediation efforts by regional actors scrambling to avert a regional escalation. Over the past few days, Tehran has hosted a flurry of top-tier diplomatic envoys, including Oman’s Foreign

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  US cannot achieve its goals through economic pressure: Iranian president

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  The US cannot achieve its objectives through economic pressure on Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday, days after Washington launched a sweeping new sanctions campaign against Iran, Anadolu reports. Pezeshkian made the remarks during a three-hour meeting at the Central Bank of Iran in Tehran with Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati and a group of economists, according to the Iranian presidency. The meeting reviewed Iran’s monetary, foreign exchange and financial indicators amid what Pezeshkian described as conditions created by war, an economic blockade and external pressure. He stressed the need to maintain economic stability and contain inflation expectations. Pezeshkian said managing key markets, particularly currency and monetary markets, required close coordination between the government, Central Bank

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  ‘Possible future war’ with US could spread across region, target energy infrastructure: Iranian army

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  “A possible future war” with the US could spread across the region and bring energy and communications infrastructure into the conflict, an Iranian army spokesman warned Wednesday, Anadolu reports. Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia told the semi-official Mehr News Agency that Iran had previously warned that any “miscalculation” by its adversaries would draw an immediate response and could expand the geographical scope of the conflict. “A possible future war could encompass new arenas,” Akraminia said. He pointed to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and a US base in Syria, saying both had become part of the conflict despite previously being outside its geographical scope. “Today, threats exist across the entire region, and we have the capabilities to confront and deal with them,” he

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  UN committee raises racial discrimination concerns over Israeli threats of Gaza-level destruction in Lebanon

  by Marwa A on August 26, 2026

  The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on Wednesday expressed alarm over statements by Israeli officials threatening to impose on Lebanon the “same level of destruction” as inflicted in Gaza and called for an end to rhetoric that dehumanizes the Lebanese population, Anadolu reports. Acting under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure, CERD stressed that the prohibition of racial discrimination cannot be suspended during armed conflict. CERD said it was alarmed by civilian deaths, mass displacement, and widespread destruction resulting from Israeli military operations in Lebanon, including airstrikes, shelling, and the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas. The committee also cited a statement by the Israeli defense minister characterizing “the Shia inhabitants of 24

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  The Ottoman World of Sports: Refashioning Bodies, Men, and Communities in Late Imperial Istanbul

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  A black and white still featuring a shirtless muscular man appeared in an Ottoman magazine in 1910. The man, who is well chiseled, is demonstrating his own physical excellence that was achieved through a regime of exercise and gymnasiums. However, Selim Sirri is not merely showing off the fruits of his efforts, he is part of a reformist movement that sees physical education, disciplining the human body and exercise as being at the heart of a modernising empire. Newspapers and magazines were using Sirri to underscore the idea that physical education, ‘carried a symbolic meaning-the Ottoman Empire had joined a global community of physical education.’ Elsewhere, a letter dated to 1906, complaining about the referee in Galatasaray’s football match as

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  Axios: Rubio rules out new strikes on Iran for now

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told several counterparts from allied countries that the United States does not currently plan to launch new military strikes against Iran, in a sign that President Donald Trump’s administration is shifting its focus towards tighter economic pressure and sanctions, according to US officials familiar with the matter. Rubio said in calls with several allied foreign ministers that Washington is currently focusing on “other means of pressure”, primarily sanctions announced by the Trump administration this week, as well as the naval blockade imposed on Iran, Axios reported. READ: Iran responds to US threats, says it is ready for any scenario The shift comes as Washington says the naval blockade and the removal of mines from

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  Ben-Gvir says Israel is “making history” by expelling UNRWA

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Tuesday that Israel was “making history” by removing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from its facilities, following an Israeli operation at the agency’s Qalandia training centre. In a video posted on X from inside the facility, Ben-Gvir accused UNRWA of supporting “terrorism” and declared that the agency would not be allowed to return to the site. “The director of the UNRWA institute used to sit here, and now I am sitting in his place,” Ben-Gvir said. “Under my watch, there is no UNRWA and no director. They will not return here.” He said Israeli police, the military, the prison service and other security agencies had participated

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  Report: US offers Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  The United States has reportedly offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks by Tehran-aligned groups in the region, according to a Saudi media report. A senior source cited by Al Arabiya said Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, conveyed the US proposal to Iranian officials during talks in Tehran. According to the report, the proposal calls for Iran to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and halt attacks by allied armed groups in exchange for Washington ending its latest economic campaign and lifting sanctions against Tehran. The reported offer comes as the United States intensifies economic pressure on Iran. The US Treasury Department recently announced sanctions targeting approximately 60 individuals,

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  Damascus decries Israeli defence chief’s visit to occupied buffer zone

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the illegal entry of Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz into Syrian territory, calling it a “clear provocation”, Anadolu agency reported.  The ministry’s assertion came in a statement issued after Katz visited a buffer zone in Syrian territory that Israeli forces occupied last year. Katz’s visit comes two days after a meeting in Jordan — ostensibly aimed at reducing tensions — between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Israeli intelligence chief Roman Gofman. In its statement, the ministry condemned the “illegal entry of the Israeli defense minister … in flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The move, it added, constitutes a “clear provocation, a violation of international law and the UN

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  Gaza aid group says nutritional supplies destroyed in Israeli strike

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Warehouses belonging to the Palestinian Land of Man Association in Deir al-Balah were almost completely destroyed following an Israeli strike on an adjacent residential building, burying nutritional supplements intended for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women beneath the rubble, the organization said on Tuesday. The warehouses, locally known as the Fayyad Barracks, are located on 17th Street in Deir al-Balah, near Rashid Street. According to the association, a residential building immediately southeast of the facility was struck on Monday night, with the blast and collapsing debris causing extensive damage to the warehouses. The association said it was notified of the strike by the property owner late Monday but was unable to send personnel to the site immediately because of security

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  Hamas condemns Israeli raid on UNRWA training centre near Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Hamas condemned an Israeli raid on a UNRWA vocational training centre north of Jerusalem on Tuesday, describing the operation as an escalation of Israeli measures against the UN agency and a challenge to the international community. In a statement, Hamas said Israeli forces accompanied by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Qalandia Vocational Training Institute, detained and questioned staff members and raised an Israeli flag inside the compound. The movement said the raid came one day after representatives of 28 diplomatic missions visited the facility to examine the pressures and threats facing it. Hamas argued that the timing demonstrated disregard for international opposition to Israeli measures targeting UNRWA. READ: UNRWA urges international community to protect training center after Israeli raid

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  Iran responds to US threats, says it is ready for any scenario

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran has ways to respond to any US scenario, including confrontation, escalation and sanctions. Gharibabadi, according to Iranian media reports, said implementing US commitments was not complicated and that Washington should be the one to begin fulfilling its obligations. He said Iran would begin fulfilling its commitments if the United States first implemented its own obligations, adding that the process could take no more than a day. He also said this was the first time that security issues and preventing threats in the Strait of Hormuz had been raised as part of understandings with Oman. Gharibabadi stressed that the United States should understand that Iran would harm US interests if Iranian interests were

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  US delegation rebukes senior Israeli official over ‘escalating and serious’ settler violence in West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  An American delegation visiting Tel Aviv on Tuesday strongly reprimanded a senior Israeli official during a meeting on settler violence in the occupied West Bank, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. The delegation includes members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, advisers to senior US officials and professional teams, the channel said. The delegation members told a senior official in Israel’s security establishment, whom they did not name: “We are defending you in every way and under difficult conditions, when the entire world is against you,” but stressed that “your response cannot be acts of violence, looting, and attempts to harm the Palestinians.” READ: Attacks on West Bank Palestinians by Israeli occupiers surge in 2026: Commission During the meeting, which focused

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  Schadenfreude: From hidden gas chambers to Israel’s viewing gallows

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  What’s the difference between Auschwitz-Birkenau complex and the Israeli Zionist gallows? Auschwitz-Birkenau did not come with a special “viewing chamber.” That is not a metaphor. It is what Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced on camera on 19th August. He waved his hand and heralded to his Instagram followers the gallows Israel plans to use to execute Palestinian prisoners. Like a serial killer, a diabolical smirk on his face, he gloated as he described his 21st-century damnatio ad bestias.  Israeli culture didn’t need a climate-controlled stage to derive pleasure from watching Palestinian pain. For years, they did it at “Sderot Cinema.” Residents of Jewish-only colonies along the Gaza boundary have hauled lawn chairs and snacks and huddled on

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  Israel expels Dutch officials from Gaza coordination centre over settlement boycott

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday ordered the immediate expulsion of Dutch representatives from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following a recommendation by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move came in response to what Israel described as a series of anti-Israel measures by the Dutch government, the latest being a law banning trade in Israeli products from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The law is due to take effect next month. Sa’ar said: “Our message is clear: Those who act against Israel will have no foothold in the region. Israel will not allow measures to be taken against it without a response.”  READ: Israel blocks 2 Swedish European parliamentarians from entering country The

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Scott Uehlinger: A Snap of The ME: Sanctions, Alliances, and Rising Tensions

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Dr. Paolo von Schirach: Why is the US-Europe relationship deteriorating?

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  Syria: After SDF dissolution, al-Sharaa discusses integration steps with Mazloum Abdi

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed steps for integrating the dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state institutions with its commander, Mazloum Abdi, on Tuesday, after Abdi announced the group’s dissolution and its “full” integration into state institutions. The talks took place during a meeting between al-Sharaa and Abdi at the People’s Palace in the capital Damascus, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency. The presidency said al-Sharaa received Abdi and his accompanying delegation at the People’s Palace, in the presence of Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Deir Ezzor Governor Ziad al-Ayesh. The meeting covered “a number of issues related to integration into Syrian state institutions and steps for the next phase, in a way that strengthens the state’s presence

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  Qatar, Iran discuss proposal for temporary shipping corridor through Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on August 26, 2026

  Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday a proposal to establish a joint temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, along with a project to clear mines from the strait. The two officials discussed the latest regional developments during a phone call, according to a statement from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. The statement said the talks covered ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran on a proposed interim framework that includes establishing a “joint temporary shipping corridor” through the Strait of Hormuz and agreeing to implement a joint project to clear mines from the strait. READ: Trump says Strait of Hormuz cleared of mines, warns Iran of ‘zero

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  US lawmakers demand release of American student held in Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on August 25, 2026

  A group of 40 US lawmakers, including six senators, demanded the immediate release of a 20-year-old American on Tuesday who is being held in an Israeli military prison, Anadolu reports. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the legislators demanded the release of Sama Safi, citing her “severe chronic health condition.” Safi, a student at Birzeit University, was reportedly taken from her family’s home in the occupied West Bank during late-night military raids June 2. “You have a duty to secure the safety and security of US citizens abroad,” the lawmakers wrote, urging the State Department to prevent “further irreparable harm.” They emphasized that it is Washington’s responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans overseas, asserting that

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  Another 6 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes across beleaguered Gaza Strip

  by Mehdi Editor on August 25, 2026

  Six Palestinians were killed Tuesday by Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip, a local medical source said, as Israel continues to violate a ceasefire that ostensibly went into effect last October, Anadolu reports. The latest casualties included two people who succumbed to injuries sustained in earlier Israeli strikes. A medical source at the Al-Shifa Hospital told Anadolu that the bodies of three Palestinians had been brought to the hospital following an Israeli strike on a home in Beit Lahia. Local eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the targeted home was located near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Beit Lahia Project area. The strike killed three Palestinians and injured a number of others. What kind of munitions were used in the strike