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

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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

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  Israeli rabbis call for Gaza peace plan to be scrapped, oppose international forces

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Dozens of senior Israeli rabbis have signed a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz and members of the security cabinet, calling for the immediate cancellation of the “Board of Peace” plan, particularly its provision to deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip, Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Sunday. The rabbis claimed that “transferring security powers in Gaza to foreign parties could endanger the lives of Israelis and generate conditions for the establishment of a Palestinian state”. On 30 July, the Board of Peace announced a 15-point roadmap that included disarming Hamas and Palestinian factions, transferring administration of the Gaza Strip to a National Committee and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the territory. However, Netanyahu

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  Sudanese army chief backs Yemen’s government forces against Houthis

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Sudan’s Chief of Staff, Yasser Al-Atta, has reaffirmed Khartoum’s support for Yemen’s government forces in their fight against the Houthi group. In a message of solidarity to Yemen’s Chief of Staff Sagheer bin Aziz, Al-Atta said Sudan, “its leadership and people, stands alongside the Yemeni armed forces with all it has, in all fields and at international and regional forums”, according to the Yemeni Armed Forces Media Centre. “The threat is one, the tools are one, and the response must be united and firm,” Al-Atta said, expressing confidence that the Yemeni armed forces, through their resilience, experience and sacrifices, could confront the Houthis and thwart what he described as a project to dismantle the unified Yemeni state. He said Sudan

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   Iraq declares four-day public holiday this week

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  The Iraqi government has declared a public holiday from Wednesday to Saturday to mark Iraq’s Sovereignty Days, following the completion of the withdrawal of US forces from the country. Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi instructed ministries, government bodies and provincial authorities to coordinate with the Government Media Cell on events marking “Iraqi Sovereignty Day”. The measures include ceremonies at government and public institutions to commemorate Iraq’s martyrs and victims, as well as wearing badges marking National Sovereignty Day, featuring a map of Iraq or the colours of the Iraqi flag, according to the Iraqi News Agency. Media reports quoted Abdul Amir al-Shammari, head of the office of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, as saying that US forces

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  Israel revokes diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said on Sunday. In a statement issued on Sunday evening, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had informed the Dutch embassy that its diplomats in Ramallah must return the diplomatic documents issued to them by Israel within seven days. At the end of the seven-day period, their “immunities and rights in Israel” would expire, the statement said. Israel said the measure followed steps taken by the Dutch government against Israel, including a ban on the import and trade of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The Dutch government began implementing a

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  Egyptian detainees appeal to the authorities, Al-Azhar Grand Imam and the judiciary to end their ordeal

  by Marwa A on September 28, 2026

  The Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (FEDA) has confirmed receipt of a new appeal from pretrial detainees held in Egyptian prisons, addressed primarily to the country’s leaders and public opinion leaders, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, religious scholars, civil society leaders, professional and labor unions, human rights organisations, legal professionals and members of the judiciary, university faculty members, and the Egyptian people in general. The appeal sets out a number of demands, foremost among them an end to the ongoing waste of detainees’ lives and potential, the application of genuine justice, an end to political division and political retaliation against opponents, and, ultimately, the preservation of the state and its national institutions. Among its specific demands, the appeal calls for

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  Israeli army kills 2 Palestinians, wounds 7 others in new Gaza truce violations

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Two Palestinians were killed, and seven others injured Sunday in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, amid Tel Aviv’s daily violations of a ceasefire agreement in place since October 2025, medical sources said, Anadolu reports. The sources told Anadolu that 28-year-old Palestinian Uday Adli al-Assar was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The body of another Palestinian and an unspecified number of injured people were brought to Al-Shifa Hospital after an Israeli drone strike hit a civilian vehicle in the industrial area south of Gaza City, the sources said. Two Palestinians were injured, including one critically, when an Israeli drone shelled a gathering of people near the White Mosque

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  Trump says he expects more talks with Iran this week, warns Tehran ‘overplayed’ hand

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he anticipates his envoys will take part in negotiations with Iran in the coming days while adding that Tehran has yet to offer acceptable terms to resolve the ongoing conflict, Anadolu reports. “I expect more talks with Iran (this week),” Trump told US news website Axios in an interview, adding: “They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make. It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand.” Asked whether Washington is considering resuming military strikes against Iran, Trump said the option remains active. The remarks follow indirect diplomatic exchanges last week on the sidelines of the UN

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  Pro-Palestine protesters arrested outside UK’s ruling Labour Conference in Liverpool

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  British police on Sunday arrested two demonstrators during a pro-Palestine protest outside the ruling Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool, Anadolu reports. Protesters gathered outside the conference venue, with several holding homemade signs expressing support for Palestine Action, a group banned by the UK government. Police officers moved to arrest an elderly man who was sitting beneath a tree, before making a second arrest involving a protester holding a sign supporting the banned group. A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, which organized the protest, said it had hoped the new prime minister, Andy Burnham, “would do the sensible thing and bin the ban on Palestine Action given the weight of public pressure to do so and the escalating amount of

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  Former Israeli defense minister says Hamas message on Oct. 7 events was ‘misread’

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday that intelligence agencies misinterpreted a message he said Hamas had conveyed before Oct. 7, 2023, while opposition leader Yair Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of ignoring warnings ahead of the events, Anadolu reports. Gallant told Army Radio that a message reached Israel indirectly from Hamas through the Shin Bet domestic security agency, saying the group would “shake the prisons.” He did not explain how the message was conveyed. Gallant said Shin Bet and the military intelligence directorate, known as Aman, assessed the message as relating to the abduction of Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in Iraq. Tsurkov was released in September 2025. Israeli Channel 12 reported Tuesday that former Hamas leader Yahya

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  Israeli airstrikes continue to hit southern Lebanon despite framework deal

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  The Israeli army launched airstrikes early Sunday on several areas in southern Lebanon amid Tel Aviv’s continued violations of a US-brokered framework agreement signed in June, Anadolu reports. The attacks targeted several towns in Tyre, Nabatieh, Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil, including Mansouri, Wadi Zibqin, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Kfar Tibnit, Mayfadoun, Kafr Rumman, Mazraat al-Shomeriya, Al-Qusayr, Beit Yahoun, Safarin and Hadatha, the state news agency NNA reported. Israeli forces demolished several homes in Mansouri in the Tyre district, while Wadi Zibqin came under artillery fire, accompanied by heavy-machine-gun fire, the outlet said. In Nabatieh, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes overnight, hitting Nabatieh al-Fawqa twice, as well as the outskirts of Kfar Tibnit and the town of Mayfadoun, where one

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  Israeli Cabinet minister says army should ‘go to war’ in occupied West Bank

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Sunday that the army should “go to war” in the occupied West Bank and “do there what we did in Gaza,” where nearly 74,000 Palestinians were killed and over 175,000 others wounded since October 2023, Anadolu reports. “We need to go to war in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich told Israeli news outlet Ynet, using the biblical name for the occupied West Bank, which is supposed to make up part of a future Palestinian state. Asked how Israel should respond to security tensions in the territory, Smotrich said: “We should do there what we did in Gaza.” He said the Israeli army should be instructed that there can be “no terrorist infrastructure” in the West

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  After UNGA: Can a broken memorandum be put back together?

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  For a moment this week, the freeze between Washington and Tehran looked like it might actually crack. On 23rd September, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sat down with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in New York — the most senior direct contact between the two sides since the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding fell apart two months earlier. Three days later, Araghchi told the New York Times and The Guardian that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within a week, if Washington met Tehran’s conditions. That one conditional sentence tells you almost everything about where this stands. Not resolved. Not fully back to war footing either. Suspended somewhere in between, where both sides already know roughly what a deal

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  Ireland goalkeeper boycotts Ireland match against Israel

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has withdrawn from the national squad and refused to take part in Ireland’s UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel, citing his faith, personal principles and opposition to the killing of civilians. The 24-year-old informed his teammates that he did not want to participate following lengthy discussions within the Irish camp ahead of Sunday’s match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary. Ireland are also due to face Israel again on October 4 in Bačka Topola, Serbia. In a statement published on social media, Bazunu said representing Ireland “means everything” to him and stressed his respect for his teammates, the coaching staff and the Irish public. He said he had not reached the decision lightly, but that

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  Oman pledges to safeguard Strait of Hormuz navigation, urges Iran-US settlement

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Oman pledged on Saturday to continue safeguarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while urging Iran and the US to resolve their disputes through a lasting political settlement, Anadolu reports. Addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the conflict that erupted earlier this year with US-Israeli strikes on Iran has threatened regional security and disrupted shipping and trade through the strategic waterway. He said the disruption affected energy security, prices and confidence in the international system. Albusaidi said Oman is committed to protecting navigation through the strait in line with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He urged all parties to cooperate with Muscat in efforts to

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  Hamas says it offered mediation in Yemen, awaits response from warring sides

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  The head of Hamas political bureau said on Saturday that the group has offered to mediate between the warring sides in Yemen, and hopes the initiative will be accepted, Anadolu reports. Speaking in his first televised interview since taking the post in July, Khalil al-Hayya told the Qatar-based Al Araby TV that the movement had already presented its proposal. “We have offered mediation between the disputing and warring parties in Yemen, and I hope this offer will be accepted,” he said. The Houthis, who took control of Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014, have fought against ⁠a Saudi-led coalition for more than a decade. The war, largely on hold since the 2022 truce, reignited in July when the Houthis declared a

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  Mauritius denies landing permit to flight from Israel, forcing cancellation: Tour operator

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Mauritius on Saturday refused landing clearance for a scheduled flight from Israel, forcing its cancellation after efforts to secure approval failed, Israeli media reported, Anadolu reports. The Ynet news website said the Air Seychelles flight was due to depart Israel for Mauritius but was called off after authorities did not grant permission for it to land. Spirit World Productions, the Israeli tour operator behind the trip, said the flight had received approvals several months earlier. The company said it had been informed that the refusal was based on “political and diplomatic considerations.” Mauritian authorities have yet to comment on the decision. Separately, sources familiar with the matter told Israel’s Channel 12 that the refusal was linked to absence of the

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  Iraq, US agree to resume dollar cash shipments

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Baghdad has reached an understanding with the US to resume dollar cash shipments to Iraq after a months-long suspension, an Iraqi government spokesman said on Saturday, Anadolu reports. Haider al-Aboudi told the official Iraqi News Agency that the agreement was reached during Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s visit to the US. He said the shipments would help meet Iraq’s domestic demand for foreign currency. “A new shipment will arrive in the coming days,” said al-Aboudi, without disclosing the value or a delivery date. He said the agreement followed steps by Iraq to tighten oversight of dollar distribution, curb misuse of foreign currency and expand electronic payments as the country gradually shifts toward a more digital economy. The US suspended dollar

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  Qatar’s energy diplomacy: Can a diversified energy portfolio translate into broader influence?

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Qatar’s energy diplomacy is usually associated with liquefied natural gas. That is understandable: Qatar is one of the world’s leading LNG players, and North Field expansion is set to lift production capacity from 77 million tonnes per year to 142 million tonnes by 2030. But LNG alone no longer captures Doha’s energy strategy. Qatar is building a broader portfolio spanning oil and condensates, refined products, petrochemicals, fertilisers, helium, gas-to-liquids, solar power, lower-carbon ammonia and carbon capture and storage. The strategic question is whether a diversified product portfolio can translate into a broader architecture of geoeconomic influence. Diversification without moving beyond hydrocarbons A basic distinction matters. Qatar is not moving away from hydrocarbons in any fundamental sense. According to the US

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  Israel to impose weeklong closure on occupied West Bank

  by Marwa A on September 27, 2026

  Israeli officials have decided to impose a “comprehensive closure on the occupied West Bank” and close border crossings into the territory, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Sunday, Anadolu reports. The closure is set to remain until Saturday, Oct. 3, the agency reported, adding that Israeli authorities cited the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, as the reason for the measure. The measures include tighter military restrictions at checkpoints and barriers, limiting Palestinians’ movement and access to holy sites. Israeli forces tightened restrictions around Ramallah and Al-Bireh on Sunday, closed several roads and entrances and harassed Palestinians, the outlet said. They also closed the entrances to Turmus Ayya, Aboud, Nabi Saleh, Atara and

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  Too small to lead, too visible to hide: Jumblatt and the Druze framework calculus

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Walid Jumblatt has held four distinct positions on the Washington framework agreement in sixty days. He has called it a capitulation, declared neutrality, labelled it a trap, and announced his support. The conventional reading is that this represents inconsistency, opportunism, or the erratic behaviour of an aging political operator who has lost his strategic compass. This reading is wrong. Jumblatt’s shifts are the most precise instrument for reading the actual balance of power in Lebanon at any given moment, precisely because they are not driven by conviction. They are driven by calculation. And the calculation reveals more about the structural dynamics of the framework’s viability than any official statement, diplomatic communique, or expert assessment produced in the last two months.

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  Iraq says coalition headquarters to close by Sept. 30, citing stable security

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Iraq reiterated Saturday that the headquarters of the US-led international coalition will close on Sept. 30, saying its security situation is stable and its armed forces are in control of the entire country, Anadolu reports. “On Sept. 30, the international coalition headquarters will close, and there are no foreign military bases on our territory,” Abdul Amir al-Shammari, director of the office of Iraq’s aremd forces commander-in-chief, said in remarks carried by the state-run Iraqi News Agency on US social media company X. “Our security situation is good. We control all Iraqi territory, and there is no concern over the country’s security,” he added. The US-led coalition, which includes countries such as France and Spain, was formed in 2014 to fight

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  Yemen’s war is closer to Indonesia than it looks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Yemen, a country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is about 7,000 kilometres from Jakarta. It feels far away. But this month, its war came closer to Indonesian families, workers and prices. Yemen has had a civil war since 2014. On one side is the Houthi movement, officially called Ansar Allah, or “supporters of God.” Backed by Iran, it controls the north and the capital, Sanaa. Against it stands the official government, backed by Saudi Arabia. A 2022 truce brought four years of calm, but the war restarted in July. In early September, the Houthis took the port of Mocha and nearby Perim island. This gave them control of Yemen’s side of the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow sea

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  Ireland players to wear black armbands for Israel Nations League match

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Republic of Ireland players intend to wear black armbands in recognition of the lives lost in the Gaza conflict during Sunday’s Nations League match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said, Anadolu reports. FAI Chief Executive David Courell confirmed Saturday that one player had withdrawn from the squad ahead of the match. Courell said the squad had held a vote on whether to play the fixture, with a “significant majority” voting in favor of proceeding with the game. The match has been the subject of controversy since Ireland and Israel were drawn together in Group B3. The players had faced calls from the Stop The Game campaign, organized by the Irish Sport for Palestine group,

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  Palestinian hunger strikers hospitalized in Brussels as protest continues

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Two Palestinian men on hunger strike at the Beguinage Church in central Brussels have been hospitalized as their protest enters its second week, with activists demanding the evacuation of family members stranded in Gaza, Anadolu reports. One of the men was admitted to the hospital Wednesday, while a second fell ill Friday. Both were taken by ambulance to Sint-Jans Hospital, where they remain, according to Ismael Najar, who is also taking part in the hunger strike. “The situation of the two individuals is currently unstable,” Najar told Belgian news portal BRUZZ. He added that the man admitted Friday is suffering from gastrointestinal complaints and that it remains unclear when he will return to the church. READ: Belgian university rector urges government

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  Trump says he rejected Iran’s latest proposal from indirect talks in New York

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he rejected Iran’s latest proposal conveyed to Washington during indirect negotiations in New York this week, US news outlet Axios reported. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: “They have made a proposal and I rejected it.” Despite the rejection, a US official said that “positive and constructive” discussions between Washington and Tehran are continuing through regional mediators, including on nuclear issues, according to the report. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, with Qatari officials relaying messages between the two sides,

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  New York is becoming a stage for speeches, not decisions

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The 81st United Nations General Assembly opened under the unusually self-aware theme of “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all”. Yet one of the week’s most revealing diplomatic images was not in New York at all. President Xi Jinping travelled to Washington for a state visit and direct talks with US president, Donald Trump, while China sent Vice President Han Zheng to the General Debate. Russia, meanwhile, sent foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, to New York. Only weeks earlier, Xi and Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had both attended the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summits in person. It would be too simple to declare the UN irrelevant on the strength of leaders’ travel schedules, and there is

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  In UN General Assembly address, China opposes ‘unilateral military actions’ amid US-Iran war, calls for 2-state Palestine solution track

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  China’s Vice President Han Zheng on Saturday voiced Beijing’s opposition to “unilateral military actions” amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, also using his address to the UN General Assembly to urge a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, Anadolu reports. “We should settle differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and oppose unilateral military actions that violate the UN Charter and circumvent Security Council authorization,” Han said, urging major countries to shoulder “special responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security,” and take the lead in “complying with the rules, upholding rule of law, and doing what’s right.” He also said China believes the sovereignty and security of Middle Eastern countries, including Gulf states, should be respected. “International industrial and supply chains

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  Iran denies plans for military retaliation over aviation restrictions

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Saturday denied reports that Tehran plans to respond militarily to recent restrictions imposed on Iranian aviation, according to Press TV. In a statement, the council rejected reports that Iran will retaliate militarily over the aviation measures, saying negotiations are underway with the countries concerned to remove some of the “unlawfully imposed” restrictions on Iranian air travel. It said Iran has “numerous non-military options” that can be used against some airports, if necessary. The statement came after the council’s secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, warned neighboring countries on Wednesday against cooperating with US restrictions on Iranian aviation. Speaking to Iranian state television, Rezaei said that if countries prevented Iranian aircraft from operating, their own airports would also

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  Israeli occupiers establish new settlement outpost in occupied West Bank: Rights group

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli occupiers began establishing a new settlement outpost near the town of Adh Dhahiriya, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian rights group said Saturday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Al-Baidar Organization said the move was part of continued illegal settlement expansion in the area. It warned that the outpost threatened Palestinian land and could restrict residents’ movement and access to their property. The group said occupiers also raided the area around the home of Palestinian resident Khairi Mohammed Abu Tuhfa in Khallat al-Hummus, in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, and frightened members of his family. Near the village of Umm Safa, northwest of Ramallah, a settlement outpost established about two months ago has

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  ‘War criminals’ belong in courtrooms, not at UN rostrum: Turkish president

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that “war criminals” belong in courtrooms rather than at the UN rostrum, stressing that those committing genocide must be held accountable, Anadolu reports. “War criminals belong not at the UN rostrum, but in courtrooms where they will answer for the crimes they have committed and the blood they have shed,” Erdogan said at the closing program of the 21st MUSIAD EXPO International Trade Fair and 29th International Business Forum in Istanbul. “If those committing genocide are not held accountable before justice and history, the same atrocities will happen again,” he warned. Erdogan reiterated Turkiye’s support for Palestinians, saying: “The Palestinian people are not alone or abandoned.” “Our sisters and brothers in Gaza are

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  262 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since Gaza war: Media office

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The Israeli army has killed 262 Palestinian journalists and injured 433 others since its offensive began in the Gaza Strip in 2023, Gaza’s Government Media Office said Saturday. Palestinian journalists, particularly those in Gaza, have been subjected to “the worst and most horrific campaign of targeting, assassination and systematic destruction known in modern history,” the office said in a statement marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Journalists. The slain reporters included 26 women journalists, while Israeli forces have also arrested 50 journalists and media workers since the start of the war, with 23 remaining in detention under “harrowing conditions,” the office said. The losses inflicted on the media sector exceed $800 million, the statement noted. READ: Remains of

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  More Ireland players considering boycott of match with Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  More Republic of Ireland players could boycott Sunday’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu confirmed he does not want to play in the match, Anadolu reports. Bazunu’s decision has prompted teammates to consider their own positions, with the match now facing uncertainty amid growing calls for Ireland to withdraw, according to a report by The Telegraph. The principled stand comes against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and growing pressure from Irish sporting figures for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott the match. More than 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter urging the FAI to withdraw from the fixture. Protests were also held outside the Irish team’s hotel in Dublin earlier

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  Netanyahu blocking inquiry into Oct. 7 events, says former Israeli intelligence officer

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is doing everything” to prevent the establishment of an official commission of inquiry into the events of Oct. 7, 2023, former military intelligence officer Barak Seri said, Anadolu reports. In a Saturday post on the US social media company X, Seri said Netanyahu was “warned and alerted” ahead of the attacks, but that “he ignored it all.” “This is why Netanyahu is personally blocking the establishment of an inquiry commission,” he said. Earlier Saturday, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu received warnings about a possible Hamas attack ahead of Oct. 7, 2023, but did not convene a meeting to discuss them. READ: Hamas slams Netanyahu’s UN speech: He should be in prison to face trial

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  Palestine opens registration for Nov. 28 legislative vote

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The Palestinian Central Elections Commission opened Saturday registration for candidate lists for the Nov. 28 legislative elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. ​​​​​​​In a statement, the commission said it began receiving candidacy applications as of 8 am local time (0500GMT) at its headquarters in the central West Bank city of Al-Bireh and its offices in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. It said the process will continue for 12 days through Oct. 7, citing “strong interest” from candidates at its offices in Ramallah and Deir al-Balah. According to the commission, candidates for the Legislative Council (parliament) will run only through electoral lists, while individual candidacies will not be accepted. Each list must have at least

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  Israeli army raids university campus in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli army forces raided the campus of Birzeit University north of Ramallah in the central West Bank on Saturday, according to Palestinian media. The army published a video on its digital platforms documenting the raid, Palestine TV reported. Israeli soldiers filmed the Martyr’s Memorial on the campus before withdrawing from the site. No arrests were reported. Birzeit University condemned the raid, which took place as students were taking their final exams for the summer session. It called the raid a “violation of the sanctity of the university and international conventions and laws that protect educational institutions.” READ: Israeli army detains more than 150 Palestinians in West Bank raids The raid involved “intimidation and terrorizing of students,” the university said, warning that

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  Félix Tshisekedi in Jerusalem and the dangerous marriage of faith, foreign policy and political survival

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  September has been a long month when it comes to Israel-DRC relations. On the first day of the month, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, smiled broadly beside Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Twenty-four days later, Tshisekedi’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York, led by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and Foreign Minister Thérèse Wagner, was listed along with 76 other countries that walked out or was absent when Netanyahu addressed the assembly – seemingly in protest over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Suminwa and Wagner will, no doubt, be grilled by Tshisekedi about the reason for their absence during Netanyahu’s speech. Tshisekedi has been cosying up to Israel and Netanyahu for over six years now.

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  Iraq seeks exemption from US ban on Iranian flights

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Iraq is engaged in direct talks with the US to exempt some Iraqi airports from US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines operating flights to regional hubs, officials said Saturday, Anadolu reports. The talks aim to secure an exemption “to allow flights to resume on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and interests of civilians,” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office said in a statement on Facebook. “As the Iraqi government works to de-escalate tensions in the region, it emphasizes that the continuation of crises further complicates the situation,” it said. READ: Iraq announces phased reopening of Iran border crossings for passengers, trade The statement urged all parties to pursue dialogue and negotiations to resolve “the current crisis and conflicts,

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  Gulf Cooperation Council condemns Houthi missile, drone attacks on Saudi Arabia

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Saturday condemned ballistic missile and drone attacks launched by Houthis on Saudi cities of Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, Anadolu reports. “This perilous escalation represents a flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and an immediate threat to civilian safety and regional stability,” the council’s Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said in a statement. Albudaiwi reaffirmed the GCC’s support for the kingdom and its right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also urged the international community to take a “decisive stance” and hold the Houthis accountable for their actions. Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Houthi

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  Palestinian vote could be ‘game-changer’ in Israel’s upcoming elections: Lawmaker

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Ofer Cassif, an Israeli lawmaker from the Hadash party whose candidacy was rejected by the Central Elections Committee, said the Palestinian vote could prove to be a “game-changer” in the Oct. 27 parliamentary elections. “Everybody understands that the game changer is the Palestinian vote, the Palestinian citizens in Israel. I mean, not in the occupied territories. “Twenty percent of the citizens in Israel are Palestinian Arabs,” Cassif told Anadolu Agency. The Jewish lawmaker who has strongly criticized Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and previously faced several decisions calling for his removal from the Knesset, faces an attempt to bar him from standing in the election. The Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify

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  Netanyahu failed to relay UAE warning of possible Hamas attack to security chiefs: NYT

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to pass on a warning from United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about a possible major Hamas attack to Israel’s security chiefs before Oct. 7, 2023, the New York Times reported on Friday. The Times, citing two people familiar with the conversation, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu in late September 2023 and warned him that Hamas was considering a major attack. The warning, however, did not specify whether Hamas was planning rocket fire or a ground assault. Five former senior Israeli officials told the newspaper that the warning never reached the heads of Israel’s security establishment. READ: Hamas slams Netanyahu’s UN speech: He should be in prison to face

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  Israeli forces use phosphorus shells in southern Lebanon attacks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Israeli forces used phosphorus munitions while shelling several towns in southern Lebanon on Friday, state news agency NNA reported. Artillery struck the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Mayfadoun and Nabatieh al-Fawqa in the Nabatieh district. Phosphorus shells were used in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while Israel later renewed attacks on Zawtar al-Sharqiyah with similar munitions. In the Tyre district, artillery fire also targeted Wadi Zibqin and the outskirts of Haris and Haddatha. READ: Israeli army sets fire to government hospital in southern Lebanon Lebanese army specialists dismantled two unexploded Israeli aerial bombs in Majdal Selm and Al-Ghandouriyah in the Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil districts and moved them to a safe location. The Israeli offensive in Lebanon has killed at least 4,386 victims, wounded 12,407

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  Trump doubts Iran deal, plans renewed strikes after midterms: WSJ

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  US President Donald Trump has turned down a seven-day truce offer from Iran and told aides he expects to launch new strikes once November’s midterm elections are finished, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday. The Journal, citing officials familiar with the matter, said Iranian negotiators floated the offer through mediators in Qatar, proposing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear talks if Washington ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports. US officials told Tehran and the mediators there is no plan to lift the blockade, calculating that continued economic strain will eventually force Iran into an agreement on Washington’s terms, the report said. READ: Iran says Strait of Hormuz can reopen within 7 days if US accepts

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  Bahrain rejects permit, fee regime for Strait of Hormuz passage

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Bahrain on Friday rejected any permit or fee system for passage through the Strait of Hormuz saying transit through the international waterway cannot be suspended or subjected to unilateral conditions, Anadolu reports. Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said the right of transit through the strait is guaranteed under international law for vessels of all states. “The kingdom categorically rejects any permit or fee regime imposed on passage,” Al Zayani told the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. He also rejected using international waterways as instruments of pressure or economic coercion, warning that accepting restrictions in Hormuz could set a precedent for other strategic waterways. Al Zayani said alternative shipping routes could not replace the right of passage

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  Egypt calls for end to Israeli violations, rejects forced displacement of Palestinians

  by Mehdi Editor on September 26, 2026

  Egypt urged an end to Israeli violations against Palestinians on Friday, and firmly rejected any attempt to forcibly displace the population from the Gaza Strip or the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Anadolu reports. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told the 81st UN General Assembly in New York that the Gaza ceasefire must be fully implemented, Israeli violations halted and the withdrawal completed. He called for a sustained humanitarian access, the start of early recovery and reconstruction, and a political process addressing the roots of the conflict. “Peace cannot be built on uprooting a people from their land,” said Madbouly, warning that regional stability cannot be achieved while Palestinian suffering continues and the occupation is managed rather than ended. He