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

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  Syria’s new buffer zone or the birth of another permanent occupation?

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 was supposed to mark the end of an era. After more than five decades of dynastic rule and nearly fourteen years of civil war, Syria finally stood before a rare historical opening: the possibility of rebuilding a shattered state, restoring sovereignty, and reconnecting with a regional order that had long treated the country as a battleground rather than a nation. Yet almost immediately after Assad’s fall, another reality emerged. While Damascus struggled to establish authority, Israel moved with extraordinary speed to reshape the strategic landscape of southern Syria. Within days, Israeli forces launched one of the largest air campaigns in their history against Syrian military infrastructure, targeting air defence systems, weapons

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  Palestinian officials warn of Israeli plan to remove UNRWA vocational college in East Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  The Jerusalem Governorate warned Thursday of an Israeli plan to remove a vocational training college run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied city, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the governorate said the Israeli municipality is advancing a plan to build a “new educational complex” on land that has housed UNRWA’s vocational training college for decades in occupied East Jerusalem. The college, known as the Qalandiya Training College, is located between Kafr Aqab and the Qalandiya refugee camp in the city. According to UNRWA, the training center is serving 350 male and female students. It is located on land made available to the agency by the Jordanian government before Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.

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  US Treasury chief says damage to Gulf allies to be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Iran on Thursday that any damage it causes to Washington’s Gulf allies would be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts, as the US signaled further economic and financial pressure on Tehran, Anadolu reports. “The Iranian regime will lose the zero-sum game it is playing,” Bessent said in a statement on the US social media company X. “Any damage it inflicts on our allies in the Gulf will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian Accounts,” he added. Bessent also said any tolls paid to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority would be offset through funds taken from Iranian accounts. “Every attack Iran launches will only deepen the economic and financial consequences it faces,”

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  Iran considers placing assets linked to Elon Musk on its military target list: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Assets and infrastructure linked to companies owned by Elon Musk in the Gulf and Israel are being reviewed for inclusion in Iran’s list of military targets, Iranian media said on Thursday, Anadolu reports. Fars News Agency said the move is being considered following what it described as evidence that US and Israeli forces have used infrastructure operated by Musk-linked companies, including the Starlink satellite network and the X social media company, in attacks against Iran. Fars said previous reports had revealed military cooperation involving Musk-linked projects, including Starshield and the launch of military satellites used for earth observation, encrypted communications and secure data transmission. READ: Iranian military source claims missiles penetrated US defences and hit majority of targets The agency said infrastructure

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  EU condemns killing of Palestinian infant, says violence against children must end

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  The EU on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of a seven-month-old Palestinian by an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank, demanding accountability and the protection of civilians, Anadolu reports. “Let me strongly condemn on behalf of the EU the killing of a seven-month-old baby by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank on Friday, the 5th of June,” European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said during the Commission’s briefing in Brussels in response to Anadolu’s question. El Anouni said the EU urges Israel to conduct an “independent, timely and thorough investigation” into the incident and to ensure accountability. He also urged the Israeli government to comply with obligations under international law to protect Palestinians living in the occupied territory. “That

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  Israel-First: US Congress is quietly merging America’s military with Israel’s

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  When Congress wants to do something, it knows the American public would object to, it buries it. That is exactly what it did with Section 224 of the House Armed Services Committee’s draft Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. A sinister, Israel-first, and AIPAC  HYPERLINK “https://www.aipac.org/memos/america-israel-defense-ndaa-224″insertion to merge American military industries with the military of a country, Israel, that has been caught spying and stealing American technology. The proposed section is hidden inside a $1.15 trillion defense bill, advanced with virtually no public debate. The provision, titled the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” goes far beyond traditional military aid. It authorizes joint weapons co-production, bilateral research and development, technology licensing, and deep integration across artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare, autonomous

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  Israel deports French journalist over criticism of Gaza genocide

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Israel on Thursday denied entry to a French journalist and deported her to Paris over her criticism of Israel’s two-year genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. Israeli Communications Minister Amichai Chikli said in a post on US social media company X that French journalist Alice Froussard was leaving Ben Gurion Airport and returning to France. “I am pleased to announce that Alice Froussard, the pro-Hamas French journalist who believes the Oct. 7 massacre should be viewed in context, is leaving Ben Gurion Airport on her way back to Paris,” Chikli wrote. According to Israeli news website The Times of Israel, the Foreign Ministry said Froussard arrived in Israel on Thursday for work but was stopped and placed on a

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  Trump says US will be hitting Iran ‘very hard tonight’

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US will be hitting Iran “very hard tonight,” adding that Washington will seize control of Iranian oil infrastructure points in the near future, Anadolu reports. “The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of

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  ‘A stain on our city’: UK urged to ban Israeli property fair selling stolen Palestinian land

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  UK ministers are under mounting pressure to ban a London real estate event accused of marketing land in illegal Israeli settlements, after several MPs challenged the government in Parliament and Green Party leader Zack Polanski warned that allowing it to proceed would be a “stain” on the capital. The Great Israeli Real Estate Event 2026 is scheduled to take place in London on Sunday 14 June. Its website says attendees will be able to meet consultants on Aliyah, higher education, finances, taxation, mortgages, transferring funds and home management, and invites them to “explore the best Anglo neighbourhoods to find your dream home”. It lists areas including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramat Beit Shemesh, Netanya, Raanana, Modiin, Herzliya, Haifa, Ashdod, Beersheva and

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  China, Saudi Aramco discuss energy security, oil and gas cooperation

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) said Thursday that its deputy administrator met with a senior Saudi Aramco executive in Beijing to discuss global energy security and bilateral oil and gas cooperation, Anadolu reports. NEA Deputy Administrator Song Hongkun met with Mohammed Al Qahtani, Saudi Aramco’s downstream president on Tuesday, according to a statement by the administration. The two sides exchanged views on international energy security and oil and gas cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia, the statement said. Song said Saudi Aramco is one of the world’s most important crude oil producers and suppliers, adding that Chinese companies and Aramco have maintained long-term, stable cooperation in areas including crude oil trade and refining projects. Al Qahtani said Aramco attaches great importance

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  Israel allocates $51M to build 69 illegal settlements in occupied West Bank, watchdog says

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Israel allocated 152 million shekels ($51 million) to prepare construction plans for 69 illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said on Thursday, Anadolu reports. The allocation was made during a phone vote by ministers last week, the group said in a statement, adding that the government is also preparing a draft resolution to allocate more than 1 billion shekels ($337 million) to establish new illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied territory. Peace Now said the decision allocates the funds to the Housing Ministry to complete initial planning procedures for the settlements legalized by the government between 2023 and 2025, along with preparing plans to expand settlement building in the West Bank.

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  Jordan says it intercepted 20 missiles launched from Iran

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Jordanian air defense systems and Royal Jordanian Air Force aircraft intercepted and shot down 20 missiles launched from Iran toward the Azraq area in Zarqa governorate early Thursday, the army said in a statement, Anadolu reports. A responsible military source at the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army said that the interception caused debris to fall, but no casualties or material damage were reported, the statement said. Engineering teams handled the remnants of the missiles to ensure they contained no explosives, the source added. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a base hosting American F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighter jets in Jordan in response to US strikes on Iran. READ: Iranian military source claims missiles penetrated US

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  America’s war-based economy still strengthens its rivals — and Trump is accelerating this

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  For more than two decades, experience has shown a clear pattern: whenever the United States rushes into wars, it does not weaken its enemies as it expects. Instead, it often opens wide doors for them to grow, expand, and build influence. The question is no longer whether rival powers benefit from Washington’s constant wars.  The real question is: how much do these wars speed up America’s rivals economically and politically? Today, with Donald Trump returning to the center of global influence and using escalating rhetoric and threats — commercial, military, and geopolitical — Beijing increasingly views “Trump’s wars” as a rare strategic opportunity, not an existential threat. Wars drain Washington and disrupt its priorities Any major war or military confrontation

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  Saudi Arabia ends 5-year ban on Lebanese imports

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday the end of a ban on Lebanese imports that had been in place for five years, marking a significant step in efforts to rebuild relations between Lebanon and Gulf states. The kingdom imposed a ban on Lebanese fruit and vegetable imports in 2021, saying they were being used to smuggle drugs. In one high-profile case, Saudi authorities said they had seized more than five million Captagon pills hidden inside a shipment of pomegranates arriving from Lebanon. Months later, Saudi Arabia expanded the ban to cover all Lebanese products after Lebanon’s then Information Minister, George Kordahi, publicly criticised the Saudi-led war against the Houthis in Yemen. The ban was imposed at a time when Lebanon’s economy

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  88 attacks against Palestinian Christians recorded since start of year

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  The Religious Freedom Data Centre said on Wednesday that attacks and harassment targeting Palestinian Christians and their religious sites have increased. The centre documented more than 88 incidents against Christians since the beginning of this year, including 63 cases during the second quarter alone. It said the figures suggest that 2026 could set a new record, surpassing the 181 incidents recorded last year. According to a report presented in Jerusalem, the violations included spitting incidents, verbal abuse, vandalism of cemeteries, gravestones, statues and crosses, as well as racist graffiti and the desecration of Christian religious sites. Most of the incidents were concentrated in Jerusalem’s Old City, Mount Zion and the area surrounding the Armenian Patriarchate. READ: Christian nun injured in settler

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  Iran signals review of talks with US following latest escalation

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Iran has indicated that it may reassess the course of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with the United States following recent developments, with officials stressing that diplomacy cannot be separated from the security situation on the ground. Speaking on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said events in recent hours had altered the context in which the negotiations were taking place. “The developments of the past few hours necessitate a reassessment of the current situation, because any diplomatic process requires a minimum of conducive conditions to continue,” Baghaei said in remarks carried by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Baghaei said diplomatic efforts and military preparedness should not be viewed as separate tracks, describing them as complementary tools

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  Iranian military source claims missiles penetrated US defences and hit majority of targets

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  An Iranian military source has claimed that Iran’s latest missile and drone operation against US military facilities in the region achieved a high success rate, with most designated targets struck despite the presence of American air defence systems. In remarks carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency on Wednesday, the source said preliminary assessments based on satellite imagery and information gathered by Iranian security agencies indicated that the operation had achieved its objectives. According to the source, Iran’s missile and drone forces successfully hit around 70 percent of their intended military targets. “The missile and air forces were able to accurately hit 70 percent of the designated military targets,” the source said. The official added that long-range ballistic missiles and

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  Turkey rebukes Netanyahu, says those accused of genocide cannot give moral lessons

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Turkey has sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following remarks he made about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with a senior Turkish official accusing the Israeli leader of hypocrisy and rejecting his criticism of Ankara. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, condemned Netanyahu’s comments and defended Turkey’s position on regional issues. Duran described Netanyahu and his government as having a “shameful and immoral record,” accusing them of responsibility for the deaths of civilians and the destruction caused by Israel’s military operations in the Palestinian territories. “Those accused of genocide cannot give moral lessons,” Duran said. He argued that Netanyahu’s criticism of Turkey lacked credibility given the ongoing international

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  Amnesty International accuses Israel of making West Bank annexation an official policy objective

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Amnesty International has accused the Israeli government of turning the annexation of the occupied West Bank into an officially declared political objective, warning of what it described as an escalating campaign of forced displacement against Palestinians. In a report released on Tuesday, the human rights organisation said Israeli authorities have intensified measures over the past three and a half years aimed at removing Palestinians from their land, confiscating property and expanding Israeli control over parts of the occupied territory. According to Amnesty International, the developments reflect a broader state policy rather than isolated incidents. The organisation argued that the measures form part of a systematic effort to alter the demographic and geographic character of the occupied West Bank. Amnesty said

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  Palestinian factions submit response to mediators, reject disarmament proposal

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Palestinian factions have submitted their official response to a revised ceasefire proposal presented by Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators, with attention now turning to Israel’s position on the proposed amendments, Palestinian sources told Quds Press. According to the sources, the response was delivered on Tuesday after several days of intensive consultations among factions participating in talks in Cairo. The mediators have reportedly forwarded the Palestinian observations and proposed amendments to the Israeli side and are awaiting a formal response, particularly regarding clauses eight and nine of the proposal, which have emerged as key points of disagreement during the latest round of negotiations. The sources said discussions remain complex despite continued mediation efforts aimed at bridging differences between the parties. Negotiations,

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  Hamas delegation holds talks with Russia deputy foreign minister on Gaza ceasefire efforts

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  A Hamas delegation held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko in Moscow on Wednesday, focusing on ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and international efforts to prevent a renewed outbreak of war. According to a statement issued by Hamas, the delegation was led by Mousa Abu Marzouk, head of the movement’s International Relations Office, and “extensive political consultations” with Russian officials at the Foreign Ministry. The discussions covered the latest political and military developments, Hamas’s position on the ongoing negotiations, and efforts to coordinate international initiatives aimed at ending the conflict and addressing its impact on Palestinians. The delegation included Maher Salah, a member of Hamas’s political bureau; Iyad Abu Zaher, the movement’s representative in Moscow; and Mohammed Al-Aila, secretary

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  Iran says it attacked US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain via various types of drones

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Iran’s army said early on Thursday that it had attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain using various types of drones, in response to what it described as US aggression against the Islamic Republic. According to a statement issued by the Iranian army’s public relations office, “following the violation of the ceasefire and the terrorist US military aggression against areas in the south of the country, the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain using various types of suicide drones.” The statement added that “communication antennas and radar facilities linked to the Patriot defence system of the Fifth Fleet were targeted in this wave of drone attacks.” The army said it stood “shoulder

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  Moroccan-funded mass wedding held for 40 disabled and injured Gazans

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Amid scenes of joy overshadowed by the impact of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, a charity organisation, funded by the Moroccan people, organised a mass wedding for 40 young disabled and injured Palestinians, including amputees, in the Mawasi area of Rafah in southern Gaza. The event comes as Gaza residents continue to face severe humanitarian and economic hardships caused by the war that has been ongoing since 8 October 2023. The initiative aimed to bring happiness to participants and ease the financial burden that has prevented many young people from getting married. Abdulrahman Al-Qadi, a young man with a physical disability and one of the beneficiaries of the initiative, said taking part in the mass wedding marked a

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  Colombian president likens Israeli occupation to Nazi regime, prompting Israeli backlash

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Colombian President Gustavo Petro sharply criticised Israel on Wednesday, comparing it to a Nazi regime over its military campaign in Gaza. Speaking during a meeting at the UN Security Council, Petro said tens of thousands of people had been killed in Gaza by Israeli missiles. “They rain missiles on people, even children.” “These numbers cannot be hidden, and no political or economic interest can conceal this reality.” Petro added that “the real common denominator of what I am saying here is that we are returning to the Nazi era”, according to the Hebrew-language news website Walla. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned Petro’s remarks on X. “The disgraced outgoing President of Colombia is a stain on his great nation,” Saar

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  Iran closes Hormuz Strait to all vessels in response to new US attack

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced early on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to all types of vessels in what it described as the first response to a new US attack. Iranian media quoted the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the military body responsible for managing wartime operations in the Iranian armed forces, as saying that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships. The headquarters warned that “any vessel attempting to pass through will be fired upon”, according to the same sources. On Wednesday evening, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the start of new strikes against several targets inside Iran. READ: Iran’s Qaani: New ‘resistance security belt’ will stretch

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  Arab states condemned Israel publicly, but quietly moved on from Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on June 11, 2026

  Since the launch of Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, Tel Aviv—heavily shielded by Western political pressure and strategic intimidation against any state rejecting its actions—has faced widespread regional rhetorical backlash. Almost all Arab states, including those with formal ties to Israel, have issued varying forms of public condemnation. Yet behind the theatre of diplomatic outrage, a far more cynical reality has solidified: the core normalizers—including the Abraham Accords signatories, alongside Jordan and Egypt—have fiercely protected their foundational ties to Tel Aviv, ensuring that the machinery of state relations remains fundamentally uninterrupted.  In other words, business continued as usual, albeit with varying degrees of public caution. Shockingly, not a single normaliser country took concrete diplomatic or legal steps that could amount

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  Israeli police arrest 3 ultra-Orthodox protesters after clashes in Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Israeli police said Wednesday that they arrested three ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters following clashes in West Jerusalem during demonstrations against the detention of Haredi Jews opposed to military conscription, Anadolu reports. The protests were organized in response to the detention of several Haredi men arrested last week after attempting to storm the home of Israeli Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Solberg in protest against the enlistment of yeshiva students — individuals who attend a traditional Jewish educational institution dedicated to the rigorous study of religious texts. A police statement said that protests were held at several locations in Jerusalem, including the Russian Compound prison, where demonstrations escalated into public disorder. Police said protesters blocked roads, disrupted traffic, assaulted officers, threw various

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  Iran says nearly 3,500 people killed in US-Israel attacks since February

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said on Wednesday that nearly 3,500 people have been killed in attacks by the US and Israel since the outbreak of hostilities on Feb. 28, Anadolu Agency reports. According to statistics released by the foundation, 3,499 people have been killed so far in the war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv. The dead included 2,988 men and 511 women, the foundation said, adding that 1,609 of those killed were unmarried. The region has remained on edge since the US and Israel launched the airstrikes on Iran, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets. READ: 2 high-ranking military personnel killed in Monday’s Israeli strikes on Iran A temporary ceasefire was

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  Lebanese army death toll rises to 30 after soldier dies from wounds in Israeli strike

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  The death toll for the Lebanese army rose to 30 on Wednesday after a soldier died from wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon nearly three months ago, Anadolu Agency reports. A military statement said Mohammed Suleiman Al-Ahmad died from injuries he suffered in an Israeli strike that targeted him in the Qaqaait al-Jisr area of the Nabatieh district March 17. With his death, the number of Lebanese soldiers killed since March has risen to 30, according to official figures. The announcement came as Lebanon reported an increase in casualties from ongoing Israeli attacks. Figures released Wednesday said the death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 3,696, with 11,413 injured. Israeli attacks

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  Israel conducting ‘state-led annexation’, ‘ethnic cleansing’ in West Bank: Amnesty International

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Amnesty International accused Israel on Wednesday of accelerating a state-driven campaign of “ethnic cleansing” and forcible transfer of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, in a new 150-page report focused on Bedouin and herding communities in Area C of the territory, Anadolu reports. “Over the past three and a half years Israeli authorities have accelerated a state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, uprooting, dispossessing and forcibly transferring Palestinian communities,” Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general, said in a statement. “This is not the work of rogue actors or what the international community has repeatedly labelled as extremist settlers, organizations or one or two ministers. What we are witnessing is deliberate, state-led annexation, in complete violation of international

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  The Mladenov distraction: Behind the screen, Netanyahu is annexing Gaza ‘step-by-step’

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Gaza requires urgent international attention.  What is happening in the besieged and devastated Strip at the moment by far exceeds an unfolding humanitarian disaster; it is a calculated geopolitical reshaping. Israel is actively executing a plan to permanently occupy the vast majority of Gaza, with consequences that require little elaboration considering what we already know about the ongoing genocide.   Currently, much of the international debate centers on a single official: Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov. The former United Nations Special Coordinator has been designated by the United States as the Executive Director of the Trump administration’s newly established ‘Board of Peace’—an international council founded to oversee the implementation of Washington’s 20-point Gaza roadmap.   The issue, however, is much bigger than a

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  Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian attacks on Gulf neighbors, says assaults undermine efforts to restore security

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Saudi Arabia strongly condemned “blatant Iranian attacks” and violations of the sovereignty and airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, Anadolu Agency reports. “The continued attacks threaten regional and international security and undermine efforts to reduce escalation and restore security and stability in the region,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It reiterated the kingdom’s “full solidarity” with Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan and all measures they take “to protect their sovereignty, security and stability, as well as the safety of their citizens and residents.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early Wednesday that it had launched retaliatory attacks on 21 American military targets at US air and naval bases across the region, including those in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

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  Qatari delegation arrives in Iran for talks on bilateral ties, regional developments

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks on bilateral relations, regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts related to ending the conflict between Iran and the United States, Iranian media said. The delegation is expected to hold discussions with Iranian officials on issues of mutual interest as well as recent developments in the region, the state broadcaster IRIB reported. The two sides are also expected to exchange views on the latest diplomatic efforts aimed at ending what Iranian officials describe as the US-imposed war. The visit comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following overnight exchanges of fire between the two countries. The latest escalation followed months of regional tensions that began on Feb. 28, after Israeli

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  Imran Khan and the Islamophobia industry that buried him

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  There is a peculiar genius among certain Muslim intellectuals in the West: they can detect Islamophobia everywhere except where naming it might cost them something. In Paris, they are forensic. In Delhi, incandescent. In Gaza, thunderous. In Washington, fluent in the grammar of empire. But when Muslim political agency is crushed in Pakistan, when Imran Khan is imprisoned and millions of his supporters are treated as civic contamination, the vocabulary collapses. The seminar goes quiet. The footnotes flee the scene. The prophetic tradition, so frequently invoked in safer venues, is quietly folded into hand luggage until the next fundable outrage. Khan need not be romanticized to recognize the betrayal. One can criticize him, reject parts of his politics, even dislike

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  Products from Israeli settlements reach Europe under false Israeli origin labels: report

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Agricultural products originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the occupied Syrian Golan continue to enter European markets under false Israeli origin labels, according to a new investigation published on Wednesday, Anadolu reports. The report, Importing Occupation, published by the Global Echo Litigation Center, alleges that products from settlements are routinely exported to Europe as products of Israel despite longstanding EU policies requiring a distinction between Israel and the territories it has occupied since 1967. “Retailers and food manufacturers responsible for labelling their products are involved in consumer deception by falsely labelling the origin of agricultural settlement goods exported to the EU, labelling them as ‘from Israel’, rather than from Israeli settlements in occupied territory, e.g., ‘West Bank

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  Former European leaders urge tougher EU action against Israel over Gaza and West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  A group of more than 460 former European political figures has written an editorial calling on the EU to take tougher action against Israel over its military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. The signatories include former Irish leaders Leo Varadkar and Eamon Gilmore, as well as former European Parliament President Pat Cox. Other former prime ministers include Italy’s Massimo d’Alema and Romano Prodi, Slovenia’s Robert Golob and Sweden’s Stefan Lofven, according to a report by Irish broadcaster RTE on Wednesday. The op-ed comes ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg next week and an EU summit in Brussels, where proposals to curtail trade with Israel and suspend parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement

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  Trump says Iran took ‘too long to negotiate a deal, will have to pay the price’

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran took “too long to negotiate a deal” to end the hostilities between Washington and Tehran, warning that Iran “will have to pay the price,” Anadolu reports. “Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” His remarks came after overnight exchanges between Iranian and US forces that came after several

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  Settlers, sanctions and impunity

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  From 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2025, Israeli settlers killed 61 Palestinians and injured 3,778. The findings of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which partly discusses settler violence, note that “Israeli authorities have consistently acknowledged settler violence as a problem, while promoting structural conditions that enable it.” The recently published report details the overt nature of Israeli settler violence – the claiming of responsibility for settler attacks on Palestinians as part of the process to ‘Greater Israel’, the unequivocal assertion that attacks are unprovoked, and the indoctrination of settler children by family members and settler organisations. Supporting the entire spectrum of settler-colonial violence is the Israeli government, with

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  Israeli prime minister to seek re-election, his party says after Trump raises doubts

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party said Wednesday he will be a candidate in Israel’s upcoming elections, a day after US President Donald Trump questioned his re-election, Anadolu reports. “Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the next elections — and, hopefully, will win,” the party said on the US social media platform X. During an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on Tuesday, Trump questioned whether Netanyahu intends to remain in office after the war with Iran. “I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career,” he said, according to an X post by Karl. “Does he want to continue? Because, you know he’s a wartime prime minister. We will very shortly win the war one way or the other,

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  Ben-Gvir calls for Israel to take Lebanese women and children hostage

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has called for the seizure of Lebanese “women and youth” to exert pressure on Hezbollah. Ben-Gvir made the proposal during a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to Israeli media, as ministers discussed expanding Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon despite a US-mediated ceasefire announced in April. “Let’s start thinking outside the box about Hezbollah,” Ben-Gvir said, according to the Jerusalem Post. “Conquering territory and killing many terrorists, but also detaining their women and youth and taking them to terrorist prisons. That’s what hurts them the most.”  The comments are seen as an explicit call for collective punishment against Lebanese civilians and family members of Hezbollah fighters. Under international humanitarian law, civilians may not

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  100 Days In: Palestine, Iran, and the War Remaking the Middle East | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  With the Iran war passing its 100-day mark, we take a bird’s-eye view of what this war has truly revealed. From its roots in the unresolved question of Palestine, to the limits of US power, fractures in the US-Israel relationship — including reports of Israeli intelligence spying on American negotiators — and the crisis of Zionism itself, we ask whether this war has backfired on its instigators and made Palestine more central than ever. Get your copy of ‘Gaza Apocalypse’ by Mouin Rabbani: https://orbooks.com/catalog/gaza-apocalypse/   WATCH: The Iron Dome of Lies: Rape, Ruin & Plunder | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

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  Palestine urges international steps to halt illegal Israeli settlement activity, Palestinian displacement

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin called Wednesday on the international community to take practical steps to stop illegal Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and displacement targeting Palestinians, Anadolu reports. Her appeal came during a field visit to the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin community east of occupied East Jerusalem. She was accompanied by members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations, including Consul General of Türkiye Ismail Cobanoglu, as well as a Palestinian ministerial delegation. “Israel understands only the language of action on the ground and the international community must therefore take practical measures,” Shahin told Anadolu. “Our message is clear. There is international law, and everyone knows the violations the Palestinian people are facing daily,” she

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  The cowards’ playbook: Why today’s prisoners expose the political cowardice of Muslim regimes

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  There is a pathetic, recurring sickness plaguing the halls of power across the Muslim world. Insecure regimes terrified of the ballot box and hollowed out by their own economic incompetence, have defaulted to the ultimate cowards’ weapon: the prison cell. From North Africa to South Asia and into the fragmented heart of Syria, Muslim regimes are locking up their most popular leaders, journalists and dissidents under the delusional belief that concrete walls can kill a political idea. Instead of this demonstrating any strength, though, these regimes are broadcasting their vulnerability to the entire world. They have abandoned even the pretence of governance, converting their courtrooms into theatres and their prison cells into monuments of state fear. In Tunis, for example,

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  Iran’s president says Tehran seeks path beyond ‘no war, no peace’ amid regional tensions

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that Iran must move beyond the current “no war, no peace” situation, as efforts continue to revive negotiations with the United States amid heightened regional tensions, Anadolu reports. “We must move beyond the state of neither war nor peace,” Pezeshkian said during an event in Tehran, as cited by the state news agency IRNA. “War is certainly not in the country’s interest, but if they seek to violate our dignity, our land and our territory, we will not surrender,” he added. The Iranian president said managing the country during war and crises “was difficult” and stressed the need for unity and cooperation among all segments of society to overcome challenges facing Iran. “We must move

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  Russia says ‘possible restructuring’ of military facilities in Syria under discussion

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Russia said on Wednesday that the “possible restructuring” of its military facilities in Syria is being discussed, Anadolu reports. In remarks to journalists at a media briefing in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia’s military presence in Syria is a topic of discussion in contacts with Damascus, including in the context of a “possible restructuring of the functionality” of Russian military facilities. “However, this, again, falls under the purview of our security apparatus – the Ministry of Defense,” Zakharova said. Zakharova added that bilateral cooperation is developing “very actively,” and that government agencies and business circles from the two countries are involved in efforts aimed at expanding ties. Russia maintains two key military facilities in Syria: a naval logistics

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  Iran says repeated US ceasefire violations harming diplomatic process

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday that repeated US ceasefire violations, contradictory messages, and shifting demands are undermining diplomatic efforts, Anadolu reports. “Diplomatic processes do not take place in a vacuum,” Baghaei told reporters. “To advance any negotiation or diplomatic process, a minimum level of conducive conditions is required to allow diplomacy to move forward,” he said. Baghaei said the US was damaging the diplomatic track through what he described as contradictory messages, frequent changes in positions and demands, and repeated violations of the ceasefire. “Unfortunately, the United States, through the contradictory messages it sends, the repeated changes in its positions and demands, and, worst of all, repeated violations of the ceasefire, is harming the diplomatic process,” he said.

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  Israel places detained Gaza hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya in solitary confinement

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Israeli authorities have moved Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, into solitary confinement after holding him for more than 500 days without charge. Abu Safiya, 53, was detained by Israeli forces on 27 December, 2024 while working at Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had continued operating through more than 80 days of siege and repeated Israeli attacks. According to details first reported by The Guardian, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) received information that Abu Safiya had been transferred from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison, part of the Ganot prison complex, where he was placed in solitary confinement. PHRI said it had not been informed of the reason for the move. His son, Elyas

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  Danantara and the Gulf could finally turn Indonesia’s renewable energy ambition into reality

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Indonesia has no shortage of renewable energy ambition. What it lacks is capital, execution and, above all, trust. For years, successive governments have promised a green transition. The targets have become increasingly ambitious, culminating in President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to accelerate Indonesia’s energy transition and build up to 75 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in the coming decades, a plan that could require at least US$235 billion in investment.  Yet the reality remains sobering. Indonesia’s renewable energy mix remains far below the national target. The government originally aimed for renewable energy to contribute 23 percent of the national energy mix, but the figure remains stuck at around 16 percent. Even that number includes geothermal energy, which, while classified as renewable,

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  Christian leaders in Lebanon’s Tyre urge international intervention after Israeli evacuation warning

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  Christian religious leaders in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre have called for urgent international action to prevent an attack on the city’s Christian quarter after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings covering the coastal area. In a joint statement on Tuesday, senior church leaders appealed to the international community and Lebanese authorities to intervene amid growing fears that military operations could expand into parts of the city that have so far avoided direct attacks. The appeal was signed by Archbishop George Iskandar of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Elias Kfoury of the Greek Orthodox Church of Tyre and Sidon, and Maronite Archbishop Charbel Abdullah. Their statement came after Israeli evacuation warnings prompted hundreds of residents to flee the

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  Hamas warns of escalating Israeli demolitions across the occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on June 10, 2026

  The Palestinian group Hamas has warned of Israeli demolition operations across the occupied West Bank, following new demolition notices affecting dozens of residential and commercial structures in the Hebron area, in the southern occupied West Bank. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamas said the demolitions form part of a broader effort to undermine the Palestinian presence in the occupied territory. “The widespread and escalating demolitions in the West Bank, which aim to displace our people from their land, will not succeed thanks to the steadfastness and resilience of our people,” the movement said. Hamas argued that the demolition campaign is intended to force Palestinians from their homes and communities but said such measures would not weaken Palestinian attachment to