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

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  Israeli national security minister storms Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron with hundreds of occupiers

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in the southern West Bank on Tuesday along with hundreds of occupiers, Anadolu reports. Ben-Gvir’s incursion came a day after he forced his way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem during the Jewish Sukkot holiday, which began Sunday and runs through Saturday. Israel’s Channel 14 broadcast footage showing Ben-Gvir during the intrusion into the Ibrahimi Mosque. “When I arrive at the Ibrahimi Mosque, I draw energy that makes me want to sing and rejoice,” Ben-Gvir, who has lived as an occupier in Hebron for years, told the channel during the visit. Hundreds of occupiers could be seen behind him during the interview. Israeli authorities

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  Iran parliament speaker warns no one in region will sell oil if Tehran cannot

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned Tuesday that no country in the region would be able to sell oil if Iran were prevented from doing so, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. “The US and other countries should know, as we have said, that in a region where we cannot sell oil, no one will sell oil,” Qalibaf said. His warning comes as Iran faces severe restrictions on its oil exports amid the ongoing conflict with Washington and US sanctions. Iran’s Central Bank governor said in August that the country’s oil exports had fallen to zero, saying Tehran was no longer exporting crude because of the war and sanctions. The US military, meanwhile, said on Sept. 19 that

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  Gaza authorities report over 5,100 Israeli ceasefire violations, warn of ‘imminent catastrophe’ as winter approaches

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Israel has committed 5,147 violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, killing 1,421 Palestinians, the Government Media Office said Tuesday, warning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe and as winter approaches, Anadolu reports. “Humanitarian and relief conditions in the Gaza Strip had become dangerous and catastrophic, exposing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to deadly consequences,” the office said in a statement. It dismissed Israeli claims that ample supplies had been allowed into Gaza as “misleading.” “Israel permitted only 35% of the agreed number of trucks carrying humanitarian and relief aid and reconstruction materials to enter the enclave,” the office said. “Only 72,826 trucks were allowed to enter out of 210,600 humanitarian and relief trucks and

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  Syria: Gas pipeline fire in Deir ez-Zor blamed on sabotage

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  A fire broke out on a gas pipeline between Al-Shoula and Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria on Monday, which authorities said was caused by an act of sabotage. The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted Hisham al-Saleh, head of the gas sector at the Syrian Petroleum Company, as saying the fire had halted gas supplies from the Al-Jbessa gas plant to power stations. READ: Israeli forces shell outskirts of Beit Jinn, launch incursion into southern Syria with 9 military vehicles Al-Saleh said firefighting teams immediately isolated the area on both sides of the blaze and were continuing efforts to put out the fire as gas pressure in the area fell, SANA reported. The area between Al-Shoula and Deir ez-Zor contains

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  Netanyahu rejects AP report, says UAE talks focused on regional issues

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said early on Tuesday that his visit to the United Arab Emirates focused on strengthening ties between the two countries and addressing regional challenges. In a statement, the office said the visit included Netanyahu’s wife, the head of the National Security Council, the head of the Mossad, a military secretary, and a political adviser. Netanyahu’s office also rejected an earlier report by the Associated Press (AP), describing it as “fake news” and saying the visit focused exclusively on strengthening bilateral ties and discussing regional issues. READ: Netanyahu asks UAE president to deny report on Oct. 7 warning during secret visit: Report AP had quoted a person familiar with the matter as saying the visit focused

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  Yemen’s latest escalation shows why the country needs a political settlement, not another military cycle

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Yemen is once again confronting a dangerous escalation in a war that has repeatedly demonstrated the limits of military solutions. The latest fighting, particularly along the country’s western coast and in the vicinity of the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, is a reminder that Yemen’s conflict has never been simply a contest between two military forces. It is a complex political crisis involving competing national projects, regional interests, economic grievances and unresolved questions about the future structure of the Yemeni state. In September, the United Nations warned that fighting had intensified along Yemen’s west coast as Houthi forces advanced towards the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, while government forces launched a counteroffensive on several fronts. The UN also described the situation around the strait

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  Iraqi Hezbollah brigades threaten to bring down al-Zaidi government

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Iraqi Hezbollah brigades threatened on Monday evening to “bring down” the government of Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi if it failed to work in the interests of the people, and warned that border crossings with countries involved in the air blockade of Iran could be closed. Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, the group’s security official, said in a social media post: “We warn Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi and those behind him that any government that does not work in the interests of the people will be brought down by all means.” He added that “the Iraqi people will celebrate on the 30th of this month the expulsion of US occupation forces and NATO from Iraq”. READ: Iraq prime minister rejects extension

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  Israeli reports: Netanyahu held secret UAE meetings with Saudi, Arab representatives

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  The UAE and Israel officially confirmed on Monday evening that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi and met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Israeli reports said the visit also included a secret meeting with representatives of several regional countries, including Saudi Arabia and states without diplomatic ties with Israel, to discuss Iran, the Houthis and air defence cooperation. Netanyahu’s office said in a brief statement that the prime minister and his wife visited the UAE on Sunday “at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed”. The visit focused on “strengthening relations between the two countries and regional challenges”. Netanyahu was accompanied by the head of the National Security Council, the head of the Mossad, the military

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  Ben-Gvir’s threat to Palestinian shackled prisoner sparks calls to act on detainees

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s appearance inside the cell of Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh, where he threatened him with death and execution, has sparked widespread reactions on social media and calls to move beyond condemning abuses to seeking practical ways to secure prisoners’ release.  Activist Khaled Al-Juhani said Salameh was “the owner of the land and the owner of the right”, describing him as the “engineer of revenge operations” for Yahya Ayyash. In a post on X, Al-Juhani said Ben-Gvir’s appearance while threatening Salameh with death came as he confronted a prisoner “who knows he will die”, but who, according to Al-Juhani, believes he lived and worked for a cause he considered worth sacrificing for. READ: Ben-Gvir’s visit to Palestinian

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  Cairo denies Ethiopian army chief’s accusations of supporting opposition armed groups

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Cairo has rejected accusations by Ethiopia’s army chief that Egypt supports armed groups fighting government forces, reaffirming its commitment to respecting state sovereignty and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. Nader Zaki, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman, said in a post on his official account that Egypt’s foreign policy “is based on firm principles, foremost among them respect for the sovereignty of states and their unity and territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries”. “Therefore, any claims that cast doubt on Egypt’s commitment to these established principles are null and void,” Zaki added. The statement came after remarks by Ethiopian army chief Marshal Berhanu Jula, who accused Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of supporting armed groups

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Mark Pfeifeil: Who is Winning The War of Narration, Trump or Iran?

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Richard Boyd Barrett: Trump: We have reached a pivotal turning point. Is war coming? 

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  Former Shin Bet chief says he will sue Netanyahu over 7th October accusations

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said on Monday that he plans to file a defamation lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, escalating a public dispute over responsibility for the security failures surrounding the Hamas-led 7th October 2023 attack. Bar’s announcement followed accusations by Netanyahu that the former head of Israel’s domestic security agency had been aware of warning signs on the night before the attack but failed to inform the prime minister or take sufficient action. Bar rejected the allegations and accused Netanyahu of conducting a campaign aimed at shifting responsibility onto security officials. Bar said his lawyers would seek disclosure of documents concerning information provided to Netanyahu before the attack, including the prime minister’s schedule of meetings

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  Israel summons Spanish diplomat over minister’s ‘From the River to the Sea’ remarks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Israel summoned Spain’s chargé d’affaires on Monday after Spanish Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego expressed support for a “free Palestine from the river to the sea,” prompting a new diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Rego made the remarks on 24th September at an event in Madrid introducing the Palestinian ambassador to Spain, Fadi Elhusseini. She said Spanish society’s position was clear in supporting “a free Palestine from the river to the sea.” The minister also defended Spain’s policies toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the country had not “chosen the wrong side” by supporting Palestinian rights. She cited Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state and other measures adopted by the government. Rego has separately called for stronger measures against

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  Former Israeli diplomat warns country could face apartheid-era South Africa-style isolation

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Former Israeli ambassador Avi Pazner has warned that Israel could face unprecedented international sanctions and political isolation if the government’s current policies continue, comparing the potential trajectory to the pressure placed on apartheid-era South Africa. Pazner, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to France and Italy and as a media adviser to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, made the remarks in an internal exchange among former Israeli Foreign Ministry officials, according to a report published Monday by Ynet. “Most of us witnessed the process South Africa went through when economic and political sanctions were imposed on it in the mid-1980s, leading to the collapse of the apartheid regime in the early 1990s,” Pazner wrote. He said that sanctions targeting Israel

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  UN lists 214 companies involved in Israeli settlement-related business activities

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  The UN Human Rights Office has identified 214 companies from 11 countries as involved in specified business activities linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to an updated database released on Monday. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it added 61 companies to the database and removed five after determining that they had ceased the activities covered by its mandate. The database, first published in 2020 under a mandate from the UN Human Rights Council, examines corporate involvement in a defined set of activities connected to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. Companies included in the latest update operate across sectors including agriculture, transportation and storage, waste management, energy, food

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  Source: Fatah invites Hamas to open-agenda Palestinian dialogue in Cairo

  by Mehdi Editor on September 29, 2026

  Fatah has formally invited Hamas to participate in a comprehensive Palestinian national dialogue in Cairo with an open agenda covering political, institutional and organisational issues, an informed Palestinian source told Quds Press on Monday. According to the source, the invitation was conveyed by Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah’s Central Committee, who expressed the movement’s readiness to discuss a broad range of issues without limiting the talks to a single dispute or political file. The proposed discussions would include internal Palestinian political issues, relations involving the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), mechanisms for broader national participation and proposals for rebuilding Palestinian political institutions, the source said. The source said Fatah’s proposed delegation would be headed by Rajoub and include

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  Iraq’s national airline resumes flights between Najaf, Iranian airports

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Iraqi Airways resumed its flights between the country’s Najaf International Airport and Iranian airports on Monday, according to Iraqi state media. The resumption came after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s “intensive efforts,” state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. The move came after Iraqi Ambassador to Iran Yasser Abdul Zahra Al-Hajjaj said earlier Monday that Najaf International Airport would resume receiving Iranian flights, the INA said. Earlier, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates suspended flights to and from Iran following new US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector. READ: Iran files complaint with UN aviation agency over US flight restrictions

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  Former German vice chancellor accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Former German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza, media reports said Monday. “I think there is plenty of evidence that war crimes were committed in Gaza,” Habeck told public broadcaster ARD. While “every form of antisemitism must be named and fought, this should not lead to a ban on speaking out or to an unspoken rule that one must not criticize Israel and the Netanyahu government,” he added. Habeck, who was Germany’s vice chancellor from 2021 until 2025, linked the rise in antisemitism to Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. “The reason antisemitism is so prevalent on the left right now is because of Israel’s actions and the war crimes it has committed in Gaza!” READ: UN

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  Sudan says ‘foreign interference must end,’ RSF must be disarmed

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Sudan on Monday called for an end to foreign interference and urged the disarmament of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Anadolu reports. “Foreign interference must end, and the terrorist militia (RSF) must be dismantled and disarmed to achieve stability in the country,” Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem said in a speech at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was scheduled to address the assembly on Monday, but the US “prevented this by not issuing him an entry visa,” Salem said, calling for an investigation into Washington’s refusal to allow al-Burhan to participate in the UN General Assembly. Sudan has been engulfed in a war between the army

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  UN warns Israeli restrictions, funding gaps hamper Gaza winter preparations

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  The UN said Monday that continued Israeli restrictions and funding shortfalls are severely limiting preparations for Gaza’s winter season, with available tents and shelter materials enough for only 50,000 households, Anadolu reports. “The Israeli authorities need to approve critical items, and they need to do so quickly,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a news briefing. “Our humanitarian colleagues warn that funding shortfalls, as well as continued Israeli restrictions, are severely limiting preparations for the rainy season,” he said. Dujarric said that in the first three weeks of September, humanitarian partners established community heating points at 88 displacement sites, which together host 10% of Gaza’s population, by setting up 170 reinforced tents. “However, many more tents are needed, along

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  Trump willing to offer Iran sanctions relief for nuclear progress: Reports

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  US President Donald Trump is willing to offer economic sanctions relief and release frozen funds to Iran in exchange for concrete progress related to its nuclear program, a US official told American news outlets Axios and CNN on Monday. Washington is engaging in “positive and constructive” talks via mediators, CNN quoted a US official as saying, emphasizing that negotiators would not finalize an agreement unless nuclear-related concerns received full resolution. The White House did not immediately respond to a request by Anadolu for comment on the remarks. The prospective diplomatic opening comes after Trump on Saturday rejected an Iranian proposal aimed at easing tensions and reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, calling Tehran’s conditions “unacceptable” amid the seven-month Iran war.

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  At UN, Algeria says Israel seeks to divide Somalia, violates Gaza ceasefire

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf on Monday said Israel is seeking to divide Somalia, attacking Syria and Lebanon, and failing to uphold the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Anadolu reports. Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Attaf said Israel continued to kill Palestinian civilians despite the ceasefire in Gaza, which has been in effect since October 2025. He reaffirmed Algeria’s support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish “an independent, fully sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.” Attaf also condemned Israel’s “continued attacks” in Syria and Lebanon and its “efforts to divide Somalia.” READ: UK foreign minister denounces Netanyahu government, vows tougher action over Gaza Turning to wider international affairs, Attaf warned of mounting crises and

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  Netanyahu asks UAE president to deny report on Oct. 7 warning during secret visit: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed during a secret meeting Sunday to deny a report that he had warned Netanyahu of an imminent Hamas attack before Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Monday. Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny reports about their phone conversation and details surrounding the events before Oct. 7 that “could embarrass him,” Haaretz said, citing unspecified sources. The Israeli premier also asked the Emirati president for what one source described as “moral support,” the newspaper reported. Netanyahu held an hour-long meeting with bin Zayed, according to two people briefed on the trip. Israeli and Emirati authorities had not officially confirmed the reported visit. READ: Israeli columnist warns of wider boycotts if

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  Settler Violence in the West Bank and the UK Settlement Import Ban

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank are being driven from their land by armed settlers, in what the Foreign Secretary himself has called ethnic cleansing. Homes are torched, livestock killed and entire Bedouin villages emptied, while the perpetrators act with near-total impunity. On 8 September, Britain finally moved: a ban on all goods from illegal Israeli settlements and on UK firms financing, building or advertising for them. But the ban won’t take effect for six to nine months, and it leaves investment untouched. Is this real accountability, or another exercise in looking busy while the occupation’s economy keeps running? MEMO’s Nasim Ahmed hosts a panel of leading legal and political experts to confront the violence, name who is responsible

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  Indonesia was right to walk out at the UNGA. One Palestine, not two states, is what should come next

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  On September 24, Indonesian diplomats walked out of the UN General Assembly hall in New York. They left their seats just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rose to speak. They were not alone. Diplomats from several other countries left too, crowding the exit doors. Netanyahu mocked them, telling anyone still planning to leave that they should do it now, before he began. The next day, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry explained why. The walkout, it said, was solidarity with the Palestinian people. It was also a protest against what Jakarta called crimes against humanity and violations of international law in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. That walkout deserves respect. Most diplomatic protest happens quietly, in written statements or closed meetings.

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  Israeli columnist warns of wider boycotts if Netanyahu remains in power

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  A prominent Israeli columnist warned Monday that Israel could become increasingly isolated internationally if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power, saying the consequences could soon affect Israelis’ finances, banks and air travel as calls for a boycott grow. Writing in Yedioth Ahronoth, Nahum Barnea said European governments were holding sanctions in reserve until after Israel’s election, scheduled for Oct. 27. He suggested that measures related to settlements in the occupied West Bank could extend to businesses, visas, sports, culture and research amid growing pressure across Europe to isolate Israel. Barnea said public pressure in Europe to boycott Israel was increasing. “Our problem, unfortunately, is with democratic countries. With dictatorships, for the moment, we are getting along rather well,” he

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  Iran files complaint with UN aviation agency over US flight restrictions

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Iran has filed a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over US restrictions affecting its aviation sector, the head of the country’s Civil Aviation Organization said Monday, Anadolu reports. Abuzar Shiroudi told Iran’s official IRNA news agency that Tehran had submitted documents supporting its complaint and was pursuing legal and diplomatic efforts to lift the restrictions and restore previously operated routes. Direct flights to European countries face restrictions, he said, adding that travelers were using connections through regional hubs, particularly Istanbul, as an alternative. Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have recently suspended flights to and from Iran following new US sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector. Iran and Iraq also held talks on operating flights

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  Yemen casualties rising by around 100 per day amid escalating conflict: WHO

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Casualties from the latest escalation in Yemen are continuing to rise at a rate of roughly 100 per day, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Anadolu reports. A WHO report issued Sunday said Yemen’s Health Emergency Operations Center, or HEOC, recorded 809 new casualties between Sept. 19 and 26, including 645 injuries and 164 deaths. The new figures brought the cumulative total since Aug. 6 to 4,481 casualties, including 838 deaths. Lahj remains heaviest front The WHO said Lahj remains the heaviest front in terms of casualties. Al-Madharibah wa Ras Al-Arah and the Bab el-Mandeb coast accounted for the largest daily casualty burden on both days for which detailed field reports were available, it said. READ: Yemen’s army says 13

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  Iranian foreign minister to meet mediators in New York over Hormuz proposal: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet mediators in New York on Monday to discuss proposals concerning the Strait of Hormuz and talks with the US, Iranian news agency ISNA reported. No US representative will attend the meeting, it said. Araghchi and the Iranian delegation are due to review the latest proposals and views on the current situation with the mediators, according to ISNA. At the start of his New York visit, Araghchi said Iran had proposed reopening the strait as part of an agreement to end the war, in exchange for the release of Iranian funds and assets that Tehran says have been unlawfully frozen. ISNA said the proposal was conveyed to the US side through mediators

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  Ben-Gvir, over 1,200 Israeli occupiers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque as Palestinian shops forced to close for ‘Jewish prayers’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and over 1,200 occupiers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, as Israeli authorities forced Palestinian businesses in the Old City to close to allow Jewish prayers during the Sukkot holiday, Anadolu reports. The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said in a brief statement that 1,222 Israeli occupiers had entered the mosque since Monday morning. Videos posted by occupiers on social media showed scores of occupiers storming the flashpoint site and performing Talmudic rituals, prayers and singing. The rituals were concentrated in the eastern part of the mosque compound. Ben-Gvir stormed the mosque under heavy police protection without prior announcement, as he has done repeatedly since taking office in late 2022,

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  US military rejects Iranian claims of controlling Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  The US military on Monday rejected an Iranian commander’s claim that Tehran maintains operational control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf, Anadolu reports. “Iran has no navy because American forces sank it,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on US social media company X. The command maintained that Tehran exercises no authority over the vital chokepoint, saying thousands of commercial vessels had passed through and more than 1 billion barrels of crude had transited in recent months. The statement came after Iranian state media cited Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying that naval forces under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exercise full control over the waterway and the Gulf.

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  UK foreign minister denounces Netanyahu government, vows tougher action over Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  UK Foreign Minister Ed Miliband on Monday called the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank “a stain on the conscience of the world,” Anadolu reports. Delivering a sharp criticism at Labour’s annual conference, Miliband said the threats Israel faces “cannot justify” the actions that have followed. He received a large round of applause from the conference hall as he condemned the suffering of Palestinians and set out a tougher approach towards the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. “I want to say to the millions of people in this country, and indeed elsewhere, who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people, we hear you. You were right,” he said. He said Labour had changed its

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  Hamas marks Al-Aqsa Intifada anniversary, urges Arab, Muslim support for Palestinians

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Palestinian group Hamas marked the 26th anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Intifada on Monday and called on Arabs, Muslims and supporters worldwide to back the Palestinian people in regaining their rights, Anadolu reports. “Our compass will remain firmly directed toward liberating the land and holy sites, and we call on our nation and free people around the world to support our people’s struggle and steadfastness until they secure their legitimate rights,” Hamas said in a statement marking the intifada, which erupted on Sept. 28, 2000. It said this year’s anniversary comes amid an “unprecedented escalation” by Israel against the Palestinians and holy sites, including East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. “This was accompanied by Israeli protection for extremist occupiers and efforts to Judaize

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  Ex-Greek MEP files complaint against Israeli spyware firm over alleged Pegasus surveillance

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Greek journalist and former European Parliament member Stelios Kouloglou filed a criminal complaint Monday against officials at Israeli spyware maker NSO Group, alleging that his phone was infected with Pegasus while he served on a parliamentary inquiry into surveillance software, Anadolu reports. The complaint was submitted to the Athens prosecutor’s office, Greek public broadcaster ERT reported. Kouloglou said a forensic examination by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab found that his phone had been infected around Oct. 21, 2022, and again on March 6 and 7, 2023. At the time, he was a substitute member of the European Parliament committee investigating the use of Pegasus, Predator and similar spyware. The complaint said the infections coincided with significant phases of the

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  Lula chooses Palestine; Flávio Bolsonaro chooses Zionism

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  On Sunday, October 4, millions of Brazilians will decide Brazil’s political, economic, and social direction. They will also pit against each other two opposing visions of foreign policy and the country’s very place in the world. On one side, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva represents a sovereign diplomacy committed to multilateralism, international law and the self-determination of peoples. On the other, Flávio Bolsonaro presents himself as the heir to his father’s subservience to the United States and the supremacist regime of “Israel”. Palestine is one of the clearest expressions of this divide. These are irreconcilable projects: sovereignty or submission, solidarity or complicity with oppression and genocide. Lula’s commitment to Palestine did not arise from the present circumstances. As I demonstrate

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  Germany urges Israel to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Germany on Monday called on Israel to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Gaza, Anadolu reports. “Our call and our appeal is to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, which, incidentally, is an obligation of an occupying power,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Josef Hinterseher told reporters in Berlin. “It remains true that, in general, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has improved slightly, but — as has been the case with the implementation of the Gaza Plan — we have not yet reached the stages that address important issues such as reconstruction,” he added. Hinterseher also urged Israel to finally use German army cargo scanners at the Eretz border checkpoint to allow dual-use goods needed for rebuilding housing in Gaza

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  Satellite images reveal vast destruction across Gaza following Israel’s genocide

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Updated satellite imagery on Google Maps on Monday revealed the scale of widespread destruction caused by Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. The aerial images showed entire residential neighborhoods disappeared and vast urban areas reduced to layers of rubble and debris. The updated imagery reveals a dramatic transformation of Gaza’s urban landscape, with destruction extending beyond individual buildings to entire residential blocks, leaving vast empty areas where densely populated neighborhoods once stood. The images provide a broader view of the destruction across neighborhoods and residential blocks, allowing comparisons between Gaza’s current urban landscape and the period before the war and showing the extent of areas that have been destroyed. The images come as the effects of the

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  Netherlands ‘deeply regrets’ Israel’s decision to revoke status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  The Netherlands on Monday described Israel’s decision to revoke the status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah as “unnecessary,” expressing “deep regret” over the move, public broadcaster NOS reported, Anadolu reports. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the government was considering its response after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Dutch diplomats based in Ramallah, occupied West Bank have seven days to leave. Sa’ar argued the decision was taken in response to measures adopted by the Netherlands against Israel. READ: Palestinian foreign ministry condemns Smotrich’s call for Gaza-style war in West Bank The Dutch government introduced a ban last week on imports of goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Berendsen said the measure was “not directed

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  Beyond shared identity: Military cooperation across the Turkic states

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Military cooperation among Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is growing, but it does not yet amount to a unified four-country alliance. The ties are taking shape through different channels: a formal alliance between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, a separate allied-relations treaty between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, and broader exercises that bring Central Asian states together. These arrangements create more opportunities for joint training and coordination, while leaving each country room to pursue its own security policy. That distinction matters. Shared Turkic identity and diplomatic ties help bring the governments together, but practical military cooperation depends on more than political language. Exercises can build familiarity between units and test how forces communicate. They do not, by themselves, establish a joint command, common defense

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  The mirage of “Greater Israel” and the structural mechanics of imperial collapse

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  The expansionist Zionist project has entered its terminal, self-devouring phase. What the global community is witnessing in the aftermath of the devastating campaign in Gaza is not the consolidation of an invincible regional power, but the structural, compounding decay of an aggressive settler-colonial enterprise. Blinded by decades of unchecked ideological hubris, racial supremacy, and Western imperial protection, Tel Aviv’s political and military establishment has pushed the state into an irreversible strategic dead end. In attempting to forcefully realize a biblically inspired territorial maximalism spanning from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and into the broader Levant, the Zionist state has succeeded only in rendering itself a global outcast while systematically destroying its own internal political, economic, and social viability

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  Palestinian foreign ministry condemns Smotrich’s call for Gaza-style war in West Bank

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call for Israel to wage war in the occupied West Bank and carry out military operations similar to those conducted in Gaza and dismantle the Palestinian Authority. Smotrich told Israel’s Ynet that Israel needed to “go to war in Judea and Samaria,” using the biblical name for the West Bank, and “do there what we did in Gaza.” He also called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority, which he described as a “terror authority.” Smotrich said Israeli forces should eliminate what he described as militant infrastructure in the West Bank, saying there should be “no terrorists, no weapons and no tunnels.” In response, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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  French foreign minister accuses Israeli government of ‘criminal and shameful’ tolerance of settler violence

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Sunday accused the Israeli government of displaying what he called “criminal and shameful” tolerance toward violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Speaking during a joint program broadcast by France Inter and France 2, Barrot pointed to the seizure of Palestinian land and a sharp increase in violence and intimidation by extremist settlers. “Violence perpetrated by Israeli extremists there against Palestinians has risen to unprecedented levels,” Barrot said, adding that there was “a criminal and shameful tolerance on the part of the Israeli government regarding what is happening in the West Bank.” Barrot argued that the Israeli government’s approach violated international law and was also damaging to Israel’s own security.

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  Mashaal says Palestinian displacement threat remains in Gaza and West Bank

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Senior Hamas official Khaled Mashaal warned that plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank remained active, arguing that developments in both territories should be viewed as part of the same broader conflict. Mashaal, who heads Hamas’s external leadership, made the remarks during a meeting organised by the Al-Quds International Institution and the Global Coalition to Support Jerusalem and Palestine. He said Israeli forces currently control about 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, with the remaining territory increasingly separated by military corridors and buffer zones. He warned that further expansion could place additional pressure on densely populated areas where displaced Palestinians are concentrated. The 70 percent estimate broadly corresponds with Israeli reporting. Israeli military officials told the

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  The inexhaustible commodity

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Sophie Vallier, the sharp-witted innkeeper’s daughter in the quiet French village of Painponçain, was among the earliest pioneers of algorithmic dynamic pricing—long before algorithms existed. As the story goes—one we are all too fond of believing—Napoleon Bonaparte stopped at her inn in 1814 and ordered a simple omelet. When presented with an astronomically inflated bill, the Emperor asked in astonishment, “Are eggs so rare in this part of France?” To which Vallier replied with soft composure: “Eggs, Sire? No. But Emperors? Yes!” This tale is more than a historical anecdote; it was an early declaration of a new economic paradigm—one that dictates that the value of a commodity is never determined by what it is, but by who demands it.

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  Israel closes Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslims in Hebron, West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 28, 2026

  Israel closed the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs or the Sanctuary of Abraham, to Muslims in Hebron of occupied West Bank, Palestine, on Monday, citing Jewish holidays as a pretext, Anadolu reports. According to a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Israeli authorities ordered the closure to run from Monday through Wednesday. The ministry added that both prayer and the call to prayer are prohibited at the site throughout the three-day period. READ: UN says Israel’s 942 checkpoints, barriers in occupied West Bank restrict Palestinian movement The Jewish holiday season began with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on Sept. 12-13. It continues with Yom Kippur, followed by Sukkot from Sept. 26

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  Board of Peace says policy on UNRWA in Gaza remains unchanged

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  The Board of Peace said on Sunday that its policy toward the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza remained unchanged, reiterating that it would not cooperate with UNRWA as part of its plans for the territory. In a statement, the Board said it intended to work with what it described as “trusted partners” capable of providing services and programs that meet the needs of Gaza’s population while supporting stability and longer-term economic development. The Board said that, in its assessment, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) did not meet the criteria it had established for organizations participating in its Gaza framework. It said its approach was intended to reduce long-term

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  Iceland’s foreign minister rebukes Netanyahu over ‘moral cowards’ remark at UN

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir used her address to the UN General Assembly to rebuke Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his description of diplomats who walked out of his speech as “moral cowards.” “We have heard the words ‘moral cowards’ from this podium,” Gunnarsdóttir said. She said the term instead applied to leaders who refuse to negotiate a just and lasting peace, prevent humanitarian aid from reaching people in need or repeatedly disregard international law. Her comments followed Netanyahu’s 24th September address to the General Assembly, during which dozens of delegates left the chamber as he took the podium. Netanyahu responded by calling those who walked out “moral cowards.” Turning to Gaza, Gunnarsdóttir said the suffering of Palestinian

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  Dutch authorities search Israeli flight passengers over settlement products

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Dutch authorities searched passengers on an Israeli El Al flight arriving in Amsterdam from Tel Aviv on Sunday to ensure they were not carrying products from Israeli settlements, Israel’s Channel 12 reported, describing the incident as unusual. It said passengers arriving in Amsterdam from Tel Aviv were subjected to customs checks to detect products from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) or the Golan Heights, referring to products from Israeli settlements. The channel said the move followed a new law approved by the Dutch government a few days earlier, under which bringing any goods from settlements could carry a prison sentence of up to six years or a fine of up to €103,000. The Dutch measure, which bans the import,

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  Pezeshkian says US will ‘only see Iran’s fall in its dreams’

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that the United States would not succeed in bringing about Iran’s collapse, arguing that national unity would allow the country to withstand mounting external pressure. Pezeshkian said Washington and Israel had underestimated the resilience of the Iranian population and had expected pressure on the country to trigger internal instability. “The United States will only see Iran’s fall in its dreams,” Pezeshkian said, according to Iranian media. He argued that Iran would not yield to external pressure and described unity among Iranians as essential to confronting the political, economic and military challenges facing the country. The Iranian president also sharply criticized US President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of disregarding international law and human

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  Netanyahu orders legal case against Erdogan focusing on Kurds, Hamas

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed an inter-ministerial team and the head of the International Law Department at Israel’s Justice Ministry to prepare a comprehensive legal case against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israeli news website i24NEWS reported on Sunday evening. According to the report, the case focuses on allegations concerning the Turkish government’s policies towards the Kurds, as well as what Israel describes as Ankara’s ties to Hamas and its financial support for the movement. The move comes amid an escalating legal dispute between Ankara and Tel Aviv. Erdogan has previously said he had approached Interpol in an attempt to secure a Red Notice against Netanyahu, following Turkish legal proceedings linked to Israeli military operations in the region. According