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

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  Turkish foreign minister urges return to US-Iran agreement, says Ankara coordinating with Qatar

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday called for a return to the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran, saying Qatar is using all available diplomatic channels to help resolve the crisis and that Turkiye is coordinating closely with Doha, Anadolu reports. “I am pleased to see that Qatar is once again trying to do everything it can to resolve this crisis by using all constructive methods and all available channels. Hopefully, we will receive good news in the coming days,” Fidan said in an interview with Qatar TV during his visit to the Gulf country. “Turkiye is also in close coordination with Qatar on this issue,” he added. Fidan warned that hostilities between the US and

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  Egypt urges EU, international community to ban products from illegal Israeli settlements

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Egypt on Sunday called on European Union countries and the international community to ban imports of goods and products originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, following a similar move by Belgium, Anadolu reports. The Belgian government on Saturday announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements, according to the Belgian news agency Belga. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the move, saying it “supports the values of justice and represents a practical and responsible application of the principles of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.” It particularly cited UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirms the illegality of Israeli settlements and calls for their immediate cessation to prevent the undermining of peace prospects and the two-state solution.

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  14 US refueling aircraft arrive in Israel amid Iran escalation: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Fourteen US refueling aircraft arrived in Israel over the weekend, amid an exchange of attacks between Washington and Tehran, Israeli media reported on Sunday. The Walla news site, citing an unnamed source in the Israeli Air Force, said the US military plans to deploy 100 refueling aircraft to Israeli military bases and Ramon Airport in southern Israel. “If the Americans intensify their attacks against Iran, this will necessitate the deployment of more US refueling aircraft to Israel,” the source said. “In that case, these aircraft might land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv,” he added. There are already 33 US refueling aircraft parked at Ben Gurion Airport amid Israeli warnings of potential disruptions to civilian flights during the summer

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  Israel issues eviction, demolition orders for Palestinian homes north of East Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  The Israeli army issued 22 eviction and demolition orders for Palestinian homes in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of occupied East Jerusalem, amid an escalating Israeli campaign targeting Palestinian presence in the West Bank. In a statement, the Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli forces raided the town and distributed eviction orders for an unspecified number of homes ahead of their demolition. The governorate said the notices gave the Palestinian homeowners one week to evacuate their buildings before they are demolished. An earlier statement by the governorate said Israeli authorities had previously distributed notices to halt construction works for around 20 homes in the town. READ: Israeli occupiers burn mosque, injure 4 Palestinians in West Bank attacks Meanwhile, Israeli forces placed concrete

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  Iran says 50 killed, over 500 injured in US attacks since June 27

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  More than 50 people have been killed and over 517 others injured in US attacks in Iran since June 27, the Iranian Health Ministry said Sunday, Anadolu reports. The fatalities included five women and two children, while 35 women and 19 children were injured, ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said in a post on the US social media company X. He added that 28 surgical procedures had been performed, 468 patients had been discharged after completing treatment, and 32 others remained hospitalized. The US has escalated attacks against Iran in recent days, with Tehran retaliating with strikes targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the US military in several regional countries. The exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran

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  Israeli occupiers burn mosque, injure 4 Palestinians in West Bank attacks

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Israeli occupiers set fire to two houses and a mosque and injured four Palestinians in a series of attacks in the occupied West Bank on Sunday. The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said in a statement that Israeli occupiers set fire to a mosque in the town of Tuwana in Masafer Yatta in Hebron, causing extensive damage to the facility. The ministry, citing local sources, said the occupiers stormed the village and used flammable materials to set the mosque ablaze before residents and civil defense teams rushed to extinguish the flames. According to the ministry, clashes broke out during the firefighting efforts with Israeli army forces, who were providing protection for the occupiers. The ministry called the mosque

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  Jordan says 3 Iranian missiles intercepted as sirens sound

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  The Jordanian army said Sunday that it shot down three Iranian missiles targeting the country’s territory as air raid sirens sounded in the country. A fourth missile fell in a remote area in the kingdom, said a military statement carried by the state news agency Petra. No casualties or damage were reported from the attack. An Anadolu Agency reporter earlier said that sirens were heard in multiple parts in Jordan, while eyewitnesses said explosions were heard over the Red Sea city of Aqaba. The developments came amid heightened tensions in the region, where the US has launched attacks on Iran, and Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the US military in several regional

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  Iran says US attack targeted nuclear power plant under construction

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Sunday that US strikes targeted the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, which is still under construction in the country’s southwest, Anadolu reports. “An attack on a peaceful nuclear facility under international safeguards is a clear violation of international law,” the organization said on the US social media company X. It did not reveal further details about possible damage from the attack. The statement came amid heightened tensions in the region, where the US has launched attacks on Iran, and Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the US military in several regional countries. The exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran comes despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed

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  Syrian president appoints new national security, intelligence chiefs

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa made a series of appointments on Sunday to the heads of the National Security Bureau and the General Intelligence Service. Sharaa named Interior Minister Anas Khattab as head of the National Security Bureau while retaining him in his current post, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. He also appointed Abdul Qader Tahan as head of the General Intelligence Service. The appointments also included Hussein Al-Salama, who was appointed as deputy head of the National Security Bureau, and Mulham Al-Shantout as assistant interior minister for security affairs. READ: Syria foils attempt to smuggle weapons, missiles to Hezbollah The National Security Bureau oversees all of Syria’s security agencies, while the General Intelligence Service is responsible for gathering intelligence,

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  Yemeni government prevents Iranian plane from landing at Sanaa airport

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Sunday that it had prevented an Iranian aircraft from completing its flight to Sanaa International Airport, which is under the control of the Houthi group, Anadolu reports. “No flights will be allowed to operate without obtaining the required authorizations from the internationally recognized government,” Transport Minister Mohsen Al-Amri said in statements carried by the state-run Al-Yemen TV. He said the decision was taken because the flight “did not go through the approved official channels and procedures,” without providing further details. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis and Iranian authorities on the report. The move comes amid heightened tensions in Yemen after the government said on Monday that its forces struck a runway at

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  Iran says it downed US MQ-9 drone in Ahvaz: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, Iran’s state-run broadcaster IRIB reported on Sunday. There was no immediate comment from US officials on the claim. Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent weeks over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides trading attacks despite a Pakistani-mediated framework agreement aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace deal. READ: At least 6 missiles hit Iran’s Qeshm Island amid new US strikes

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  Egypt eyes land reclamation projects in Tanzania

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Egypt expressed interest Saturday in reclaiming agricultural land and establishing logistics zones in Tanzania, as well as reaching understandings on water issues among Nile Basin countries, Anadolu reports. The remarks came during a news conference by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on the sidelines of a day visit to the Tanzanian capital, according to an official Egyptian source. During her meeting with the Egyptian president, Hassan praised the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project. Sisi said the project represented a positive model of cooperation aimed at achieving development and prosperity, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency. On Dec. 12, 2018, Egypt signed a contract in Tanzania to build a dam for water storage and

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  At least 6 missiles hit Iran’s Qeshm Island amid new US strikes

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  At least six missiles hit Qeshm Island, and the explosions were heard in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas early Sunday as the US carried out a new round of strikes against Iran. Several explosions were heard in areas of Qeshm Island between 3.38 am and 3.45 am local time, Tasnim News reported. Statements on the attacks have not yet been made by authorities. No information was provided on the extent of possible damage and casualties by officials. The state-run IRNA news agency reported that residents in parts of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm heard explosions shortly before 4 am local time. The cause and precise locations of the blasts were initially under investigation. READ: Iran’s supreme leader accuses US of

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  Palestinian woman dies after Israeli army delays ambulance for more than 30 minutes in Ramallah

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  An official announced Saturday that a 30-year-old Palestinian woman who suffered a heart attack died after the Israeli army held up the ambulance carrying her for more than 30 minutes at a military barrier at the entrance to the town, Anadolu reports. Mayor Mutez Tawafsha from the Sinjil Municipality, a town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said in a video statement that an ambulance attempting to transport Sujoud Fuqaha, a mother of two, to the hospital was forced to wait for more than 30 minutes at the military gate before being granted permission to pass. Emphasizing that time is critical in medical emergencies, Tawafsha said, “The woman needed to reach the hospital as quickly as possible in order

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  Digital campaign debunks Israel’s narrative about Gaza ceasefire

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Activists launched a digital campaign under the hashtag, “They Lied to You,” in an effort to bring the suffering in the Gaza Strip back to the forefront of global attention, Anadolu reports. They stressed that the decline in international media coverage of events in the territory does not mean that the genocidal war has ended or that the suffering of its residents has stopped. The campaign, launched in Arabic and English on July 16, included journalists, humanitarian workers, children from Gaza and Arab and foreign supporters. Through video clips and written posts, activists sought to bring renewed attention to scenes of Palestinians being killed by Israel and to the multiple forms of suffering caused by starvation, displacement and disease. Their

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  Libya joins China’s payment system, reducing reliance on US dollar

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  The Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Naji Mohammed Issa, and the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, Pan Gongsheng, agreed Saturday to connect Libyan commercial banks to China’s payment and settlement system, Anadolu reports. In a statement on its website, the Central Bank of Libya said Issa, who is visiting Beijing, met with the Governor of the People’s Bank of China on Friday. They reviewed the volume of trade between the two countries and discussed ways to strengthen it and increase its growth rate. “The importance of launching a new phase of genuine strategic partnership between the two central banks was discussed. It was agreed to connect Libyan commercial banks to China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, CIPS,

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  Iran’s supreme leader accuses US of MoU breach, says Trump’s signature ‘worthless’

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday accused the US of repeatedly violating a memorandum of understanding signed by the presidents of the two countries, saying the alleged breaches showed that US President Donald Trump’s signature was “utterly worthless,” Anadolu reports. “The repeated breaches of the agreement by the Great Satan [the US] regarding the MOU signed by the Presidents of Iran and the US have once again laid bare a fundamental truth: the signature of the US President is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility,” Khamenei said in a statement on the US social media company X. “Coercion, totalitarianism, and brutality are inseparable components of the US creed and doctrine,” he added. Khamenei warned that as the “American enemy is

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  US says naval blockade of Iran remains in effect

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  US forces continue to enforce a naval blockade against Iran in the Arabian Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday, Anadolu reports. “American forces continue to strictly enforce the ongoing naval blockade against Iran,” the command said in a post on the US social media platform X, alongside a photograph it said showed the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook transiting the Arabian Sea while an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter operated nearby. CENTCOM said that, as of Saturday, US forces had redirected five commercial vessels and disabled another. READ: US strike on water desalination plant left about 10,000 without water: Iranian official

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  Iraqi premier welcomes US agreement to rehabilitate 7 banks

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Saturday welcomed an agreement between the Central Bank of Iraq and the US Treasury Department to rehabilitate seven Iraqi banks, calling it an “important step” toward reforming the country’s banking sector and integrating it into the global financial system, Anadolu reports. “The qualification of seven Iraqi banks to resume correspondent banking in foreign currencies, as a step toward restoring their eligibility to conduct transactions in U.S. dollars upon meeting compliance and governance requirements, reflects the success of the government’s financial reform agenda,” al-Zaidi wrote on the US social media company X. He said the agreement also “strengthens confidence in Iraq’s banking sector and opens broader prospects for the national economy and investment.” Al-Zaidi said

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  Protesters in Sweden denounce Israeli attacks on Gaza, Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on July 19, 2026

  A demonstration in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Saturday condemned Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, with protesters calling for an end to civilian deaths and bombings, Anadolu reports. Protesters, who gathered at Odenplan Square following calls from several civil society organizations, carried signs reading “Civilians are being killed in Gaza,” “Schools and hospitals are being bombed,” “Stop the attacks on Lebanon,” “End food shortages” and “We don’t want war.” ‘I believe the truth will always prevail’ Swedish activist Joakim Andersson, who supported the demonstration, told Anadolu that he attends the weekly pro-Palestine rally in Stockholm every Saturday to draw attention to the situation in Gaza and raise awareness. Saying he saw no sign that Israel’s attacks would

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  Mamdani says New York City reviews authority to arrest Netanyahu during UN visit: Report

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday said that his administration is reviewing whether it has the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the UN General Assembly in September, according to The New York Times, Anadolu reports. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast with Lulu Garcia-Navarro. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.” Mamdani said he was in “an active conversation” with the New York City Law Department over whether he has the authority to direct the New York Police Department to detain a foreign leader. “Whatever the law allows

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  Israeli opposition leader slams Netanyahu for alliance with far-right parties

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his alliance with far-right religious parties and support for legislation serving their interests, calling for a broad coalition to keep them out of power, Anadolu reports. “There is no point in drawing closer to extremists, trying to reach agreements with them or appeasing them, because they do not appreciate goodwill,” Lapid wrote on the US social media platform X. “Extremists see only one thing: more power,” he said, warning that they would exploit any opportunity and that those who allowed them near power would become their first victims. Lapid accused extremists of using democratic rules to eliminate democracy and said they must be confronted directly. “If laws

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  Pro-Palestinian protest in London call on Andy Burnham to impose sanctions on Israel

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  IMAGES: Seven Palestinians, including a woman, killed in Israeli strike on police station in Gaza

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  Iran says 50 killed in US strikes since June 27

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  Iran’s Health Ministry said on Saturday that 50 people were killed and over 500 others injured in US strikes since June 27, Anadolu reports. “Among those killed were 5 women and 2 children and teenagers under 18,” Hossein Kermanpour, head of the Health Ministry’s Public Relations and Information Center, said through US social media company X. Those wounded included 32 women, as well as 18 children and teenagers, Kermanpour added. Tensions have heightened in the Middle East, where the US and Iran continue to exchange attacks. The military escalation comes despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed in June to end the war and reach a lasting peace agreement. READ: Iran says it destroyed US unmanned depot, AI center in

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  US advises citizens not to travel to Lebanon, northern Israel

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  The US on Saturday called on its citizens not to travel to Lebanon and northern parts of Israel, citing “high tensions” in the region, Anadolu reports. “Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the US Embassy in Beirut said in a statement. The US Embassy in Jerusalem also issued a similar warning, stating that Americans “should not travel to Gaza, Northern Israel, and the Egyptian border except for the Taba crossing, and reconsider travel to/through the Middle East.” The developments come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where the US and Iran exchange attacks despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed in June to end their war

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  Belgium approves import ban on goods from occupied Palestinian territories

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  The Belgian federal government, at its final meeting before the summer recess, approved a series of measures, including an import ban on goods originating from the occupied Palestinian territories, Anadolu reports. The import ban was part of an agreement reached by the government at the end of last summer in response to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and the mounting civilian death toll. Details on how the ban will be implemented have yet to be finalized, according to Belga News Agency. Israel continued to violate the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli ceasefire violations had killed more than 1,100 Palestinians and injured over 3,600 others. The ministry says Israel’s

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  After Gaza, who represents Palestine?

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  More than a thousand days of war on Gaza have destroyed far more than cities, hospitals and refugee camps. They have also exposed the exhaustion of a political framework built more than three decades ago under the Oslo Accords. As the Palestinian people endure perhaps the most dramatic moment in their history since the Nakba of 1948, their national institutions remain fragmented, outdated and increasingly incapable of reflecting the political diversity of Palestinian society and the forces leading the struggle against occupation. The Palestinian Authority, originally conceived as a transitional administration on the path toward an independent Palestinian state, has gradually become an end in itself. Thirty years after Oslo, there is still no Palestinian state. Israeli settlement expansion in

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  Kuwait says several firefighters wounded following Iranian attacks

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  Kuwait’s Fire Force said on Saturday that several firefighters were injured while responding to fires at two sites targeted in Iranian attacks, Anadolu reports. “The first incident resulted in several injuries among firefighters and a civilian worker while battling the blaze,” the force said in a statement carried by the state-run news agency KUNA. The site was evacuated and the wounded were transported to receive necessary medical treatment, it added. Earlier in the day, Kuwait’s Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry stated that a fire broke out at a component of a power generation and water desalination plant following Iranian attacks early Saturday. The developments unfold amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where the US launched strikes on Iran,

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  Monuments without a country: Indonesia’s empty gesture to Palestine

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  Madrid played host this week to a strange piece of theater. Ministers gathered to talk about rebuilding Palestinian culture — its cinema, its archives, its museums — at a conference bearing the bloodless title “International Conference on the Reconstruction of Cultural Sector in Palestine.” Indonesia’s culture minister, Fadli Zon, came home with pledges: a Palestinian museum wing at Taman Mini in Jakarta, a cultural center in Jerusalem, a slate of literary translations into Bahasa Indonesia. All very warm. All very photogenic. And all, frankly, beside the point while the thing that actually matters goes conveniently unmentioned. What exactly is the point of restoring a people’s culture if you have no intention of restoring their country? Culture is not a museum

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  US strike on water desalination plant left about 10,000 without water: Iranian official

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  A US strike on a water desalination plant in Iran’s southeastern coastal village of Bunji, in Hormozgan province, has left around 10,000 without water, a provincial official said on Saturday, Anadolu reports. The attack “completely disrupted the supply of drinking water to 20 villages with a population of about 10,000 people,” Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim quoted the CEO of the Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company as saying. “These villages are facing a water shortage crisis,” added the official. Tensions have heightened in the Middle East, where the US and Iran continue to exchange attacks in recent days. The military escalation comes despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed in June to end the war and reach a lasting peace

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  Air raid sirens sound in Bahrain for 5th time amid Iranian attacks

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  Air raid sirens have been activated in Bahrain for the fifth time on Saturday as military escalation between Iran and the US continues to rage across the Middle East, Anadolu reports. In a post on US social media company X, the Bahraini Interior Ministry called on residents and citizens “to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.” The development came amid heightened tensions in the region, where the US has launched strikes on Iran, and Tehran has responded with attacks on regional countries, including Bahrain, which hosts US military assets. The exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran comes despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed in June to end the war and reach a lasting peace agreement.

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  The battle of Palestinian and Israeli narratives in Indonesia

  by Marwa A on July 18, 2026

  The Middle East conflict, particularly the long-running struggle between Palestine and Israel, has never been a distant geopolitical issue for Indonesia. At the state level, Jakarta’s position has remained remarkably consistent since independence: rejecting colonialism and supporting Palestinian sovereignty within the pre-1967 borders. This constitutional commitment has served as one of the pillars of Indonesia’s foreign policy on the global stage. Yet beneath the formal diplomatic posture, the issue has evolved into a noisy and increasingly polarised contest of narratives across Indonesian society and the digital sphere. From the perspective of political psychology, the Palestine-Israel debate in Indonesia often functions as a projection screen for unresolved domestic tensions, including identity politics and socio-religious polarisation. This became particularly visible after the

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  Iran says it destroyed US unmanned depot, AI center in Bahrain

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Friday it had destroyed a US unmanned surface (drone) vessel depot and Bahrain’s “main artificial intelligence center” in retaliation for recent US attacks on Iran, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the IRGC said the strikes came after the US military “committed war crimes” by attacking several bridges in Iran the previous night, “killing and injuring a number of civilians.” It said its forces “destroyed a depot of US drone vessels in Bahrain,” adding that “many of them were burned.” The IRGC also claimed it had “completely destroyed” Bahrain’s “main artificial intelligence center,” adding it was used by the US “to assist the enemy in target selection for committing war crimes.” It said the

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  Israeli drone strike on funeral gathering in central Gaza kills 8, injures 20

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  At least eight Palestinians were killed and 20 others injured Friday when an Israeli drone struck a civilian gathering during the funeral of a Palestinian who had been killed earlier by Israeli forces in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, despite a ceasefire, Anadolu reports. The strike raised the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn Friday to 13 and to 25 over the past 72 hours, according to Gaza authorities. Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp said in a statement that it received the bodies of eight people and treated 20 injured after an Israeli strike targeted a gathering of civilians in the Al-Balata market area. Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the drone targeted

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  Iran says it shot down US-made RQ-11 Raven drone

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday it shot down a US-made RQ-11 Raven reconnaissance drone in the southwestern city of Ramshir in Khuzestan province amid heightened tensions with Washington, Anadolu reports. In a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven was “intercepted and destroyed” by an advanced air defence system operating within Iran’s integrated air defence network. The statement described the RQ-11 Raven as a lightweight tactical reconnaissance drone manufactured by US company AeroVironment for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions. It said the drone is capable of transmitting real-time daytime and nighttime imagery to a ground control station and, with an operational range of about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) and an endurance of

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  US to send more refuelling aircraft as Trump weighs wider Iran war: Report

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  The US plans to deploy “dozens” of additional aerial refuelling aircraft as President Donald Trump considers expanding military operations against Iran, Axios reported Friday, Anadolu reports. Citing three US and Israeli officials, the US news outlet said Trump was presented with several new military options during a Situation Room meeting Tuesday but had not made a final decision. The proposals reportedly include strikes on Iranian power plants and other infrastructure, and additional attacks on suspected nuclear facilities, including an operation targeting the underground Pickaxe Mountain site. US and Israeli officials said Trump could order an escalation within days, aiming to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington’s nuclear demands. The US currently has about 30 refuelling

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  Top Russian diplomat says potential closure of Bab el-Mandeb Strait will harm global oil market

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said that the potential closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would harm international trade, particularly the global oil market, Anadolu reports. Responding to a question on the situation in the Middle East and its risks for global security during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow, Lavrov said that Russia had “high hopes” and supported the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. “Both sides actively praised the document, and at first it seemed that everything would proceed more or less smoothly, but these predictions have not come to pass,” Lavrov said, expressing that both sides accuse each other of violations and missile exchanges;

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  Libya announces new oil field discovery with estimated reserves of 195M barrels

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced Friday the discovery of a new oil field, named the “Eassar,” with estimated reserves of about 195 million barrels and an expected production capacity of around 5,000 barrels per day, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the state-owned corporation, which manages Libya’s oil and gas sector, said the discovery was made by Austria’s OMV following the drilling of the B1-106/4 well and the completion of an evaluation of the company’s proposed development plan, which confirmed the field’s commercial viability. It said the discovery is estimated to hold about 195 million barrels of oil in the Upper and Lower Sabil reservoirs in the Sirte Basin, which lies in central Libya and extends eastward. The NOC said

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  Hezbollah denies claims of activity in Syria following Syrian weapons seizure announcement

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Thursday denied reports alleging that it is operating inside Syrian territory, describing the claims as “completely false.” In a statement, Hezbollah’s media relations office said allegations regarding the group’s activities in Syria periodically re-emerge and reiterated that it had consistently rejected such claims. “Hezbollah’s media relations office reiterates its denial of these baseless allegations,” the statement said, adding that the accusations were “fabricated narratives” intended to damage the group and “serve the Zionist-American project in the region.” The statement followed an announcement by Syria’s Interior Ministry, which said its security forces had intercepted an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of weapons across the Syrian-Iraqi border before it entered Syrian territory. READ: Syria foils attempt to smuggle weapons,

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  Iran conflict raises financial pressure on European airlines amid higher fuel costs

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  Rising oil prices and continued instability linked to the conflict involving Iran are increasing financial pressure on parts of Europe’s airline industry, prompting concerns over potential mergers, restructurings, and bankruptcies, according to industry executives, investors, and analysts. British low-cost carrier easyJet is reportedly nearing a US-led takeover that could take the airline private at a valuation significantly below its pre-pandemic peak. Meanwhile, airBaltic is seeking short-term financing to avoid a potential default, and Norway’s Norse Atlantic Airways is conducting a strategic review of its business. Although many airlines strengthened their finances following the COVID-19 pandemic, higher fuel prices have weighed on airline share prices and highlighted the financial vulnerability of some carriers, leading them to consider restructuring, acquisitions, or bankruptcy

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  Israeli Government takes legal step toward Ben-Gvir’s proposed “crocodile prison” plan

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  The Israeli government has taken a legal step that could enable the implementation of a proposal by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to use crocodile-filled waterways around detention facilities holding Palestinian prisoners, according to Israeli media reports. Israeli Channel 7 reported on Thursday that Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a declaration changing the legal classification of crocodiles to “cared-for wild animals.” According to the report, the reclassification would allow government agencies, including the Israel Prison Service, to keep crocodiles at their facilities under specified conditions. The report said the amendment removes a legal obstacle that had previously prevented the proposal from moving forward, as crocodiles had been classified as protected wild animals and could not legally be kept outside

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  Pakistan worried about being drawn into US-Iran conflict after Houthis attack Saudi Arabia

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  Attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis this week have frustrated Pakistan and threaten to draw Islamabad into the conflict, complicating any future role it may have as a mediator between ​the United States and Iran, Reuters reported. Nuclear-armed Pakistan, which helped broker an interim deal last month in the war between Washington and Tehran, signed a mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia last ‌year and thousands of Pakistani soldiers have been deployed to the kingdom, alongside a squadron of fighter jets. Pakistan had already voiced anger about Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia earlier this year, but regional analysts and officials said the attacks this week had pushed Islamabad’s frustration with Iran to a new level as they raised

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  Israel continues killing Gaza children as ‘matter of routine’: Haaretz

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  Israel continues to kill children in Gaza as a “matter of routine,” with 274 children killed since the Oct. 10 ceasefire took effect, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Friday. The newspaper said the figure means an average of one child has been killed each day since the ceasefire began. It added that more than 21,000 children have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023. According to Haaretz, the vast majority of the children were killed in airstrikes, while others died from sniper fire, collapsing buildings or shrapnel. Some children also died from wounds that Gaza’s collapsed healthcare system could no longer treat, while others died from hunger and disease, although they were not included in the reported death toll,

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  Israeli strikes kill 5 Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  Five Palestinians, including a woman, were killed and several others injured Friday in a series of Israeli strikes and attacks across the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. The attacks came as Israel continued to violate the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025. An Israeli quadcopter drone dropped a bomb near Abu Tammam School in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, killing 52-year-old Anaam Abdullah al-Attar. Another Palestinian was killed and several others were injured in an Israeli strike targeting a gathering of Palestinians in Al-Zawayda town in central Gaza. A Palestinian was killed and six others injured earlier in an Israeli drone strike on an apartment in Gaza City, while the Israeli army carried out a limited ground

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  Iran says it targeted US bases in 6 Arab countries in retaliatory strikes

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  Iran said Friday that it targeted US military sites in six Arab countries in retaliation for recent US strikes on its territory, while Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan said they intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting their territories, Anadolu reports. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its Aerospace Force targeted a US military base in Kuwait as part of the 12th wave of what it described as a retaliatory operation, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. The IRGC said the targets included a missile defense detection and tracking radar, several weapons depots, two High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and missiles stored for the system. It claimed the strike triggered a large fire at the base. The IRGC

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  WFP warns aid falls short as displaced population swells in Sudan’s El Obeid

  by Marwa A on July 17, 2026

  The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday warned that humanitarian needs in Sudan’s El Obeid are rapidly outpacing available assistance as the city struggles to absorb a growing number of displaced people fleeing conflict, Anadolu reports. After visiting the city, WFP Sudan Country Director Abdallah Alwardat told reporters in Geneva that El Obeid, originally home to around 500,000 to 600,000 people, is now hosting nearly twice that number as internally displaced people continue to arrive from North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and Darfur. More than 120,000 displaced people are living in formal camps, while many others are staying with host families or in makeshift shelters, he said. Alwardat described food, water and fuel shortages as major concerns, saying WFP

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  Over 100 Israeli occupiers attack town near Ramallah: Mayor

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  More than 100 Israeli occupiers attacked the outskirts of Sinjil, north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, on Friday, while residents and popular guard committees confronted them, according to local officials, Anadolu reports. “More than 100 occupiers attacked the outskirts of the town, opened fire toward residents and activists, and burned agricultural crops,” Sinjil Mayor Moataz Tawafsheh told Anadolu. He said the occupiers attempted to advance into the town, but residents and popular guard committees confronted them to prevent attacks on the population. Israeli army forces simultaneously tightened the siege on the town and closed its entrances during the occupier attack, Tawafsheh said. “The attack was part of a series of occupier terrorism against Sinjil,” the mayor said, adding

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  Architects of Peace, Contractors of War

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  Diplomacy is sometimes less the art of ending war than the art of transferring responsibility for it. Many agreements born in quiet negotiating rooms fail not because the parties disagree over principles, but because no one is willing to bear the cost of implementing them. The contemporary history of the Middle East has repeatedly shown that a deep gap exists between signing an agreement and carrying it out—a gap that is often filled by violence. The latest U.S.-brokered talks in Rome have given the June 26 framework agreement between the United States, Israel, and Lebanon a new appearance of momentum. The discussions focused on proposed “pilot zones” in which Israel is to withdraw from parts of the occupied territories, the

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  UK charges man with assisting Iran’s intelligence service

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  A man has been charged under the UK’s National Security Act over allegations of assisting Iran’s intelligence service, Sky News reported Friday, Anadolu reports. Vahid Aberi, 39, of Liverpool, was arrested Wednesday by Counter Terrorism Policing officers in the Birmingham area on suspicion of an offense under Section 3 of the National Security Act, according to the report. Officers also searched addresses in Liverpool and Birmingham, and the Crown Prosecution Service subsequently authorized the charge. Aberi was remanded in custody and was due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, the broadcaster reported. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said police had not identified any direct threat to the public in connection with the investigation. “We have

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  China, Pakistan urge US, Iran to cease hostilities, resume dialogue

  by Mehdi Editor on July 17, 2026

  The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan have called on the US and Iran to “immediately cease hostilities” and resume dialogue, according to a statement from Beijing on Friday, Anadolu reports. The comments came during a meeting between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Shanghai on Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry said. Wang and Dar expressed “concern over the deterioration of the current situation and called on the parties involved to immediately cease hostilities, make efforts to overcome difficulties, eliminate interference, restart contacts, resume dialogue, and strive to reach a comprehensive peace agreement through negotiations,” the statement said. They said the international community should also continue to provide assistance in this regard. Lauding the role of