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

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  Tunisia court sentences former Ennahda leader’s office director to 14 years in prison

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  A Tunisian court sentenced Faouzi Kamoun, the former office director of Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi, to 14 years in prison after convicting him on “money laundering” charges, according to media reports. The Mosaique FM radio station said the criminal chamber specializing in “financial corruption cases” at the Tunis Court of First Instance issued the ruling Thursday. The report did not provide details about the case. An indictment chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of Appeal previously upheld an investigating judge’s decision to detain Kamoun pending an investigation on charges related to “money laundering.” READ: Former Tunisian justice minister sentenced to 20 years in prison On Feb. 16, 2023, the public prosecutor at the Tunis Court of First

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  US, Iran may resume talks next week in Islamabad: WSJ

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Talks between the US and Iran could resume as early as next week in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Journal said the two sides are working with mediators to formulate a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding that would set the parameters for a month of talks aimed at ending the war. The draft is said to include discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible handling of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country, though key issues remain unresolved. READ: US vice president meets Qatari premier on Iran war at White House The extent of any sanctions relief, however, remains up for

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  US vice president meets Qatari premier on Iran war at White House

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  US Vice President JD Vance held a closed-door meeting on Friday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani at the White House to discuss ongoing negotiations with Iran, Anadolu reports. “During the meeting, they reviewed the close strategic cooperation relations between the State of Qatar and the United States of America, along with ways to support and enhance them across various fields, and discussed the latest developments in the regional situation, as well as the Pakistani mediation aimed at de-escalation to contribute to bolstering security and stability in the region,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The prime minister stressed the importance of all parties responding constructively to mediation efforts, the ministry added. He expressed

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  US opposes Israeli annexation of West Bank, diplomat tells UN

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A US diplomat reaffirmed Friday that the US opposes Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank and remains committed to pursuing peace and stability in the region, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking during an Arria-formula session at the UN headquarters, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the US representative for UN Management and Reform, said Washington continues to work closely with regional and international partners to advance security and prosperity in the Middle East. “The United States remains committed to working in close partnership with Israel and key Arab nations and the international community to bring peace, prosperity, security and dignity to the region,” Bartos told diplomats and Security Council members. Bartos said the Trump administration opposes unilateral Israeli annexation of territory in the

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  Israel continues to bar Red Cross representatives from meeting Palestinian detainees

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Israel has decided to continue preventing representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from meeting Palestinian detainees, despite allowing visits to prisons for the first time since October 2023, Haaretz daily reported Friday. “The Israeli government informed the Supreme Court Thursday that it would allow the ICRC representatives to visit prisons holding Palestinian security detainees for the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, while continuing to prevent the organization from meeting with prisoners individually,” the newspaper said. According to Haaretz, the decision was made on the instructions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The report said Red Cross representatives would be allowed to tour prison facilities and meet prison staff but would not be permitted to hold private

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  UN experts demand release of Gaza aid flotilla activists detained by Israel

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  UN experts on Friday called for the immediate release of activists detained after Israeli forces intercepted a humanitarian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza in international waters in late April, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement, the experts said they were “seriously concerned” by the seizure of 22 civilian boats and the detention of 180 people about 500 nautical miles off Israel’s coast on April 29. “The attack against a civilian flotilla engaged in a peaceful and strictly humanitarian mission to deliver life-saving goods to the Palestinian people is further evidence that Israel is determined to continue its genocidal policy of suffocating the population of Gaza by any means necessary,” the experts said. They described the interception as “a blatant violation

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  25 women killed, 109 injured in Lebanon since April 17 ceasefire, UN Women says

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  At least 25 women have been killed and 109 injured in Lebanon in the three weeks since a ceasefire took effect on April 17, highlighting the continuing risks faced by civilians despite the truce, a senior UN Women official said Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking from Lebanon via video link to reporters in Geneva, Moez Doraid said women and girls remain exposed to violence as they attempt to return to their homes “under the perceived safety of the ceasefire.” He said many women he met this week described widespread destruction in villages south of the Litani River, with one woman saying her village had become “completely unrecognizable.” READ: Lebanon committed to full ceasefire before talks with Israel: President Doraid said continued

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  Hamas’ al-Hayya says Israel using force to impose terms after son killed in strike

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, said on Thursday that Israel is trying to impose its conditions at the negotiating table through military force, adding that targeting leaders and their families would not achieve its goals. His remarks came in a recorded speech following the martyrdom of his son, Azzam, who died from severe wounds suffered in an Israeli air strike targeting the al-Daraj neighbourhood east of Gaza City on Wednesday. “Praise be to God, who honoured me further through the martyrdom of my son Azzam,” al-Hayya said. He described the incident as “part of the ongoing targeting by the Zionist enemy of our people and families”. Al-Hayya said Israel “has become accustomed to negotiating

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  China’s Legal Shield Against U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Oil

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  On May 2, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a landmark prohibition order under its 2021 Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures, commonly known as China’s Blocking Rules. The order bars the recognition, enforcement, or compliance inside China with U.S. sanctions imposed on five Chinese refineries accused of buying Iranian crude: Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, and Shandong Shengxing Chemical. This was not just another diplomatic complaint from Beijing about U.S. “long-arm jurisdiction.” It was the first formal use of China’s Blocking Rules and marked a sharper legal response to Washington’s secondary sanctions. By invoking the measure, Beijing signaled that it is prepared to

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  US says it is blocking more than 70 tankers from Iranian ports

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The US military is blocking more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday. CENTCOM said the commercial ships have the capacity to transport more than 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated “$13 billion-plus,” in a post on the US social media platform X. The US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz since April 13. According to CENTCOM, more than 15,000 troops, 200 aircraft and 20 warships are executing the mission. The blockade has added to pressure on regional shipping and energy flows as security risks remain elevated around the strategic waterway, a key chokepoint for global crude shipments. The latest figures

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  Britain quietly approves $11.85m arms licence to Israel despite Gaza ban

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has granted two new licences for the export of military equipment to Israel, including an £8.7 ($11.85) million licence covering “components and technology for targeting equipment”, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has revealed. The licences were issued despite the British government’s September 2024 suspension of such exports over fears they would be used in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. CAAT’s analysis of UK export licensing statistics for the fourth quarter of 2025, published on 30 April, found that the UK issued export licences worth £20.5 ($27.9) million in total for transfers to Israel during the quarter. The most significant of the new approvals was an Open Individual Export Licence for “components and

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  Iran says still reviewing US proposal to end war

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Iran said Friday that its response to a US proposal aimed at ending the war remains under review. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that Tehran is still examining the proposal and will announce its final position once the review process is completed. Baghaei also described the US action overnight as both a “clear violation of international law” and a breach of the ceasefire. He said Iranian armed forces had delivered a “strong slap” to the enemy and repelled what he described as hostile actions “with full force.” “We are in a nominal ceasefire situation,” Baghaei said, adding that Iran’s armed forces remain fully prepared and are closely monitoring developments. “Wherever necessary, they will respond

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  Lebanon committed to full ceasefire before talks with Israel: President

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Lebanese president stressed Friday that his country remains committed to a comprehensive and complete ceasefire and a halt to all military operations as a basis for launching negotiations with Israel, Anadolu Agency reports. Joseph Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with European Union Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib at the Baabda Presidential Palace, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement. Aoun told the European official that the EU’s support for Lebanon should help press Israel to abide by the ceasefire, the statement said. “Pressure must be applied on Israel to prevent it from blowing up and bulldozing homes in the villages it occupies in the south, as well as targeting medics, journalists and Civil Defense workers,” Aoun

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  US secretary of state says Washington expects response from Iran today on negotiations

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington is expecting a response from Iran on renewed negotiations over the ongoing conflict, Anadolu Agency reports. “We should know something today. We’re expecting a response from them. We’ll see what the response entails. The hope is that something that it can put us into a serious process of negotiation,” Rubio told reporters during his visit to Rome, where he met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Referring to reports of Iranian plans to establish an agency to control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said it would be problematic and unacceptable. He urged other countries to not normalize Iran controlling an international waterway, warning that this would set an precedent

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  Turkiye becomes UAE’s 5th largest non-oil trading partner, Emirati trade minister says

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Turkiye has became the UAE’s fifth-largest non-oil trading partner globally as trade volume between the two nations reached $45.2 billion in 2025, the UAE foreign trade minister said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. The UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi highlighted the strengthening economic ties at the UAE-Turkiye Business Forum organized by Turkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in Istanbul. The non-oil trade volume saw a 15.5% growth compared to the previous year and nearly tripled the figures recorded in 2022. Al Zeyoudi stated that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which entered into force on Sept. 1, 2023, had a profound impact on doubling the value of non-oil intra-trade. The minister credited the record success to the

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  Understanding the EU Blocking Statute: Spain’s legal strategy to shield the ICC from US sanctions

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  on 6 May 2026, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s called for the European Union to activate its Blocking Statute in response to U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). This call is not merely a diplomatic gesture; rather, it constitutes a legal mechanism that may be employed to shield the ICC from U.S. sanctions and to uphold the rule of law. It may also be regarded as a genuine test of Europe’s credibility as a defender of international law. Sánchez called for sanctioning those who uphold international justice threatens “the entire human rights system,” and Europe “cannot stand idly by” in the face of such pressure.” Slovenia has joined the call of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urging the European

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  Israeli fundraising platform ‘rebranding as American’ to dodge boycotts over genocide

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Israeli companies are pretending to be American to escape the shame of the Israel brand, Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine, has uncovered. GivingTech — a “global” philanthropy fintech marketed in the US and Europe is in fact the Tel Aviv-based IsraelGives, Biggar reported. The organisation is reported to have channelled donations to Israeli military units and illegal West Bank settlements. Biggar, the Irish founder of the developer-tools firm CircleCI, laid out his findings in a thread posted on X on 7 May. The two organisations, he wrote, were tied together by a shared chief executive, an identical logo, near-identical websites and a string of technical fingerprints, including the same Google Analytics codes and an identically-hashed stylesheet that he

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  Emergency declared at Libya’s Zawiya refinery amid clashes near facility

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A state of emergency was declared Friday at Libya’s Zawiya oil refinery amid armed clashes near the facility, local outlet Libya Al-Ahrar reported. The refinery, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is considered Libya’s largest operational refinery, with a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The facility is connected to the Sharara oil field, which produces around 300,000 barrels per day. Later on Friday, the Zawiya Security Directorate announced the launch of a broad security operation targeting what it described as “hideouts of outlaws,” according to a statement issued in coordination with security agencies and based on orders from the public prosecution. No immediate information was available about casualties or the extent of the

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  Lebanon says farmland area roughly size of Chicago destroyed in Israeli offensive

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry said Friday that Israel’s ongoing offensive has damaged more than 56,000 hectares of farmland — an area roughly the size of Chicago or about 78,000 football fields — and killed more than 1.8 million poultry and livestock, Anadolu Agency reports. The destroyed farmland includes more than 18,500 hectares in the south, where Israeli army jets and drones have carried out relentless airstrikes, the ministry said in a statement. The statement said the damage was largely concentrated in conflict zones in southern Lebanon, which account for 22.5% of all agricultural land damaged across the country. The damage in 64 southern towns affected farmland, irrigation networks and facilities linked to agriculture and food production. Small farmers were hit the

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  US opts for ‘reckless military adventure’ over diplomacy: Iran’s top diplomat

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Iran’s foreign minister on Friday accused the United States of resorting to military action whenever a diplomatic solution seems possible. “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure,” Abbas Araghchi said on US social media company X. “Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure,” he added. Araghchi also dismissed reported US intelligence assessments of Iran’s missile capabilities. “The CIA is wrong. Our missile inventory and launcher capacity are not at 75% compared to Feb. 28,” he wrote, referring to the day the US and Israel launched the war. “The correct figure is 120%.” “As for our readiness to defend our people: 1,000%,” he added. READ: ‘It’s all

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  ‘It’s all just bullsh*t!’: Kamala Harris takes aim at Trump over Iran war

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Former US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump over his administration’s ongoing war with Iran, saying: “It’s all just bullsh*t!,” Anadolu Agency reports. “When you look at this war in Iran, which the American people do not want, which was not authorized by (Congress) — but even if it was, it should not have been initiated,” Harris, who unsuccessfully ran against Trump in 2024, told a crowd in Las Vegas. “He talked about obliterating (Iran’s nuclear weapons), and then he said oh he did — It’s all just bullsh*t,” Harris said at an event organized by the Nevada Democratic Party, according to CNN. After the June 2025 US strikes on Iran, the official White House website posted:

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  Israeli occupiers torch Palestinian vehicle, spray racist graffiti near northeast Ramallah

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Israeli occupiers set fire to a Palestinian vehicle Friday and sprayed racist graffiti on the walls of homes northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said. Witnesses told Anadolu that occupiers entered the outskirts of Abu Falah village, torched a vehicle belonging to a Palestinian resident, wrote racist slogans on several homes and then fled the area. The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen a surge in Israeli military operations, including raids, arrests, shootings and excessive use of force, alongside rising attacks by the occupiers on Palestinians and their property. Attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers have killed at least 1,155 Palestinians, wounded about 11,750 and led to the arrest of nearly 22,000 since October

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  UAE Gulf Marine Services profit falls 24% after Gulf war disrupts vessel operations

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The earnings of UAE-based Gulf Marine Services fell 24% in the first quarter of 2026 after the war in Iran forced the evacuation of four vessels from an unnamed GCC country, the company said Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. The London-listed offshore energy services firm said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell to $19.5 million in the three months ending March 31, down from $25.6 million in the same period last year. Revenue declined 10% to $38 million from $42.3 million, while the company’s vessel utilization rate dropped to 74% from 89% a year earlier. Gulf Marine Services said it was instructed in early March to evacuate four vessels from one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as a

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  The prospect of peace remains murky

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Several pauses toward a potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran have taken place, even as intermittent flare-ups continue to erupt across the region. Yet any clear certainty about a durable peace still appears distant and deeply complicated. What is undeniable, however, is that the balance of physical power on the ground has changed dramatically. The Iran sitting at the negotiating table in Islamabad is no longer the Iran of previous years. After more than 13,000 strikes by the United States and Israel, Tehran’s defense-industrial capacity has suffered severe structural degradation. Available assessments suggest that more than two-thirds of Iran’s missile and drone production facilities have been destroyed. Most strikingly, Iran’s navy has effectively been wiped out, with

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  Man pleads guilty to assaulting US Representative Ilhan Omar

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty on Thursday after using a syringe to spray vinegar at Somalia-born Democratic House Representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting last January, Anadolu Agency reports. US Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, “pleaded guilty to one count of Assaulting a United States Officer in US District Court,” a statement by US Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota said. On Jan 27, Kazmierczak sat in the front row at an official Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by US Rep. Ilhan Omar, when he stood up, and approached Omar as she was speaking. “Kazmierczak sprayed Rep. Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Lab analysis

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  Palestine marathon kicks off after 2-year pause due to Gaza war

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The 10th edition of the Palestine International Marathon kicked off Friday in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, alongside a parallel race in the Gaza Strip, after a two-year hiatus due to Israel’s war on Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports. The full 42.195-kilometer marathon began at 6 am local time (0300GMT). Thousands of Palestinian and international runners gathered outside the Church of the Nativity in central Bethlehem, the starting point for the race. Marathon coordinator Itidal Abdul Ghani told Anadolu that this year’s edition calls for “the unity of the homeland.” A separate 5-kilometer marathon was also held in central Gaza from Wadi Gaza Bridge northward, she said. The organizers also held a virtual marathon in several countries between April 17

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  Epic nonsense: Trump shelves Project Freedom

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The waxwork figures of the Pentagon recently glowed with excitement with the announcement that the US military would be finally called upon to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.  With the ceasefire between Teheran and Washington barely holding, President Donald Trump, as far as his attention span would allow, gingerly put Operation Epic Fury to the side in favour of a new mission.  The effort to protect and navigate stranded and blocked vessels with US armed might would be dubbed Project Freedom. As with everything in this cerebrally cloudy and foolish conflict, descriptions and names are untethered to a discernible reality. Was Project Freedom separate from the blockade of Iran?  Yes, said certain administration officials.  Was it an annex to Operation

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  Egyptian fighter jets stationed in UAE, WAM reports

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday that Egyptian fighter jets are, for the first time, stationed on its territory, during a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Abu Dhabi, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported. The agency said President Sisi met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the visit, and the two leaders discussed regional developments and their impact on regional and international security and stability.  The agency added that the two leaders carried out an inspection visit to “the Egyptian fighter jet detachment stationed in the country, to review readiness and efforts aimed at strengthening operational capabilities and preparedness for various challenges”. READ: Egypt’s president visits UAE to show support after Iranian attacks

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  Germany’s moral reckoning in Lebanon

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Germany has long spoken of Israel not merely as a partner, but as a matter of Staatsräson — a reason of state, a moral obligation etched into the national conscience after the Holocaust. Angela Merkel declared in 2008 that Israel’s security was ‘never negotiable’. Annalena Baerbock echoed that sentiment after October 2023 with the stark phrase: ‘In these days we are all Israelis’. Yet history, when turned into doctrine without moral balance, can become not remembrance but blindness.  The question confronting Berlin today is no longer whether Germany should support Israel’s security. It is whether that support has become detached from the very universal principles Germany claims to defend. Nowhere is this contradiction more visible than in Lebanon and Gaza.

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  Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Washington to reopen probe into Shireen Abu Akleh killing

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday called on US authorities to reopen the investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead in the occupied West Bank in May 2022. In a letter addressed to the US Department of Justice — which oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigation — and FBI chief Kash Patel, the committee said the FBI had opened an investigation into the incident in November 2022, “but no demonstrable progress” has been made. The committee added that “This troubling lack of concrete progress — four years after Abu Akleh’s death — represents a profound failure of the US government to respond promptly and impartially to the

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  Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it attacked US destroyers with missiles, drones

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced late on Thursday that it had attacked several US destroyers in response to what it described as a ceasefire violation, using ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drones carrying warheads. In a statement, the IRGC navy command said the operation followed what it described as a US attack on an Iranian oil tanker near Jask port and the approach of US destroyers towards the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran said amounted to a breach of the ceasefire. The statement said Iranian forces had launched “a very large and precise combined operation” using various anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, along with kamikaze drones carrying high-explosive warheads, targeting US destroyers in the area.  It added

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  Meshaal: Gaza to remain at forefront of resilience following historic sacrifices

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Head of Hamas abroad Khaled Meshaal said the Gaza Strip “has given the greatest of its sons and people”, stressing that the enclave “will remain at the forefront despite all the pain, siege and sacrifices”. His remarks came during a memorial speech for the martyr Azzam al-Hayya, the son of Hamas leader in Gaza Dr Khalil al-Hayya, who was killed in an Israeli air strike targeting him in Gaza City.  Meshaal said: “This is a moment of martyrdom and martyrs, and congratulations to our dear brother, leader Dr Abu Osama, on the martyrdom of his fourth son.” He added that “only people of faith and certainty can make such great sacrifices”. He said losing children “is not easy”, while praising

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  Iran accuses US of violating ceasefire by attacking tanker in Strait of Hormuz

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said the US military had violated the ceasefire and targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another Iranian vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state television meanwhile reported that the military launched missiles following what it described as a US attack on an oil tanker, after explosions were heard on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. State television also quoted a military official as saying: “Following the US military’s attack on an Iranian tanker, enemy units in the Strait of Hormuz came under Iranian missile fire and were forced to retreat after sustaining damage.” The broadcaster also reported, citing military sources, that three US destroyers were targeted by Iranian naval missiles and drones near the

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  Saudi source denies report Riyadh blocked US Strait of Hormuz operation

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A Saudi source has denied reports that Saudi Arabia intervened to halt a planned US military operation in the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Washington continues to have regular access to Saudi airspace and military bases. According to Agence France-Presse, the source rejected as “incorrect” an NBC News report claiming that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had pressured US President Donald Trump to suspend the operation. Trump announced on Tuesday that he was pausing Operation “Freedom”, one day after unveiling the plan, which aimed to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz following restrictions imposed by Iran after the US-Israeli war launched in late February. NBC reported that Riyadh had refused to allow US forces to use Saudi bases

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  Jerusalem governorate warns over Israeli plan for settlement centre at Qalandiya airport

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The Jerusalem Governorate has warned of an Israeli plan to establish a settlement-linked heritage centre at the site of the former Jerusalem International Airport in Qalandiya. According to a statement carried by WAFA, the project is expected to receive approval from the Israeli government and was initiated by Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu. The governorate said the initiative coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Entebbe military operation carried out by Israel in Uganda. The proposed project would convert the airport’s historic reception building—originally constructed during the British Mandate period in 1920 and later expanded under Jordanian administration—into what Israeli authorities describe as a heritage, tourism and educational centre. The governorate said the centre would promote the Israeli narrative

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  Hamas urges US to stop Israeli attacks on Gaza following deadly strikes

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Hamas on Wednesday accused Israel of escalating attacks in Gaza in violation of the ceasefire agreement and called on the United States and mediating countries to intervene to stop the offensive, Anadolu Agency reported. In a statement, Hamas said Israeli strikes on the Daraj and Zeitoun neighbourhoods of Gaza City and the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, which killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians, represented “a further violation” of the ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm el-Sheikh and an extension of an ongoing war. “The government of the terrorist (Israeli) occupation continues its brutal crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip under the cover of the ceasefire agreement, without facing any response capable of deterring these dangerous violations of

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  RSF commander affirms readiness to fight Sudanese army for decades

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, stated that his forces are prepared to fight for decades in their confrontation with the army, warning that his fighters remain stationed on the outskirts of the capital, Khartoum. In a speech delivered to a group of soldiers at an undisclosed location on Wednesday evening, Dagalo said, “We do not want this war to continue, but if they (the army) continue it for 40 years, it will continue until they are uprooted.” Dagalo added that “elements of the Rapid Support Forces have not left the capital, which the army recaptured in March 2025,” indicating that these elements “are still stationed on the outskirts of Omdurman, on the opposite

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  Khamenei adviser says Iran has ended policy of “strategic patience”

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei has announced that Iran has abandoned its policy of “strategic patience”, signalling a tougher stance amid ongoing tensions with the United States. In media remarks, Rezaei said Tehran would not return to the conditions that existed before last year’s 12-day war, accusing Washington of attempting to stage “theatrical scenarios” around the Strait of Hormuz. He claimed the United States was using the issue of reopening the strait as a show of force ahead of a broader withdrawal from the region, adding that Iran would not allow what he described as previous mistakes to be repeated. Rezaei also said the United States must compensate Iran for losses caused during the conflict, insisting that Tehran would obtain

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  Families’ committee accuses Palestinian Authority forces of torture in al-Junaid prison

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A committee representing families of detainees in the occupied West Bank has accused Palestinian Authority security forces of carrying out systematic torture and abuse against political prisoners held in al-Junaid Prison. The Committee of Families of Political Prisoners said it was deeply concerned over what it described as escalating violations against detainees, accusing Palestinian Authority security agencies of pursuing a policy of political arrests and repression targeting activists and resistance supporters. In a statement issued on Thursday, the committee said torture practices had reached “shocking levels”, citing the case of detainee Suleiman al-Shami, whose family alleged he was subjected to severe abuse that resulted in burns to his feet while in custody. The committee described the alleged abuses as a

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  Lebanon-Israel talks to resume in Washington next week: State Department

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Lebanese and Israeli officials will hold another round of talks in Washington as an extended ceasefire approaches its expiry on May 17, according to a State Department official. “There will be talks next Thursday-Friday,” the official told Anadolu on Wednesday, without providing further details on the participants or agenda. A Lebanese source told Anadolu earlier that the new round of discussions will take place at the US State Department headquarters in Washington. The two countries, which lack formal diplomatic relations, previously held two rounds of talks in Washington on April 14 and April 23 amid US efforts to advance diplomatic discussions between the two sides. READ: Israeli army chief says no limits on force in southern Lebanon operations The upcoming meetings

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  Saudi Arabia, Kuwait lift restrictions on US military access to bases, airspace: Report

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Saudi Arabia and Kuwait lifted restrictions on the US military’s use of their bases and airspace that were imposed after the launch of an American operation aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The move removes a significant obstacle for President Donald Trump’s effort to secure commercial shipping routes through the strategically vital waterway amid heightened tensions involving Iran. Citing US and Saudi officials, the newspaper reported that the Trump administration is preparing to restart naval escort operations for commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz with US naval and air support. The mission had reportedly been paused earlier this week after operating for 36 hours. Pentagon planners are now assessing timelines for resuming

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  UN warns foot, mouth disease increasing in occupied West Bank amid Israeli restrictions

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Cases of foot and mouth disease are on the rise in the occupied West Bank amid increasing Israeli restrictions on movement, jeopardizing public health in nomadic communities, the UN said Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. “Our humanitarian colleagues warn that foot and mouth disease is now increasing concerns for vulnerable Bedouin and herding communities whose livestock is their primary source of income and food,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the UN’s New York headquarters. “Partners say that movement restrictions and insecurity are complicating timely vaccination, and [the] veterinary response that is needed to treat this disease,” he added. The occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem have seen a surge in Israeli restrictions and attacks on Palestinians, including raids, arrests, shootings

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  Poland voices outrage over Israeli soldier’s ‘disrespect’ of Virgin Mary statue

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Poland’s Foreign Ministry expressed “strong concern” on Thursday over an incident involving an Israeli soldier in Lebanon who showed “disrespect” toward a statue of the Virgin Mary, saying such actions offend the religious sentiments of Christians, Anadolu reports. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland expresses strong concern regarding another incident involving a soldier of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Lebanon, who showed disrespect toward the figure of the Virgin Mary. Such actions offend the religious sentiments of Christians,” the ministry said in a statement on the US social media platform X. The statement reminded that every state has a responsibility to respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as outlined in Article

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  Iran urges UN members not to support ‘provocative’ US draft resolution on Hormuz

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged UN member states not to support what he described as a “one-sided and provocative” US draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday. In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China’s UN envoy Fu Cong and UN member states, Araghchi criticized the draft resolution over the situation in the strategic waterway and surrounding areas. Araghchi said the proposed resolution ignores what Tehran describes as the “root cause” of current tensions, namely the US and Israeli military actions against Iran. “The current situation is directly and exclusively the result of their unjustified and illegal war of aggression,” he said in the

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  German finance minister says Trump’s ‘irresponsible war’ on Iran is hurting economy

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Thursday blamed US President Donald Trump for an “irresponsible war” against Iran, saying the conflict and a resulting jump in energy prices are weighing on the country’s economy and public finances, Anadolu Agency reports. “The Iran war, which was triggered by Donald Trump — this irresponsible war and the resulting energy price shock — is slowing down our positive economic momentum,” Klingbeil told reporters in Berlin. The Social Democrat politician said the Iran conflict, along with Russia’s war in Ukraine and ongoing tariff disputes, is expected to reduce Germany’s tax take in coming years. He said projected tax revenue for 2027 is about €10.1 billion ($11.9 billion) below an October forecast.

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  Iran says no final decision yet on US proposal conveyed through Pakistan

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Iran has not yet reached a final decision on a US proposal conveyed through Pakistani mediation and remains in the review phase, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in an interview with Iran’s official IRNA news agency. “The most important foreign policy issue being discussed these days is the war, the ceasefire, and efforts to end the war and restore peace and stability in the region,” Baghaei said. He said recent discussions with Pakistani officials had focused on Iran’s proposed framework, described as a “14-point proposal,” which had been transmitted to the United States through Pakistan. READ: Trump sees potential Iran deal within ‘a week’: Fox News Baghaei said Iran is currently reviewing the proposal and would communicate its conclusions to

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  Hotel bookings in Israel’s Eilat canceled to accommodate US troops: Reports

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Hundreds of Israelis received messages canceling their hotel reservations in the Red Sea resort city of Eilat to make room for US soldiers, Israeli media reported Thursday. Israel’s Channel 24 said Israelis began receiving calls from hotels in Eilat late Wednesday informing them that “reservations from this month through November, including the summer holiday season, had been canceled.” The report said the cancellations came as operations at Ben Gurion Airport remain irregular, due to the repercussions of the war with Iran, limiting Israelis’ ability to plan vacations abroad and increasing reliance on Eilat as a domestic tourism destination. It quoted a source from a hotel chain, which it did not identify, as saying all rooms in affected hotels had been

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  Several Palestinian students suffer suffocation in Israeli military raid in occupied West Bank

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Several Palestinian students suffered temporary asphyxiation from tear gas fired by Israeli forces during a military raid Thursday in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah in the central West Bank, local sources said. The sources said Israeli forces, accompanied by military vehicles and bulldozers, raided the village, firing stun grenades and tear gas at the Al-Mughayyir Boys’ School while students were inside, causing several to suffocate. The Israeli army set up a military checkpoint at the village entrance, preventing entry and exit, and simultaneously fired tear gas canisters at residents, the sources added. In the southern West Bank, Israeli occupiers damaged trees and crops and chased away shepherds and farmers in various areas of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron,

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  Israel to build Jewish heritage center at abandoned Palestinian airport in occupied East Jerusalem: Report

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  The Israeli government is set to approve next week the construction of a Jewish heritage center on the grounds of the abandoned Jerusalem International Airport in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli media reported Thursday. Channel 7 said the government will meet next week to approve a proposal by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu to establish the center in the city’s northern part. Before Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, Jerusalem International Airport served as the only airport in the territory. Israel later seized the airport and converted it into a limited domestic airport before shutting it down completely in 2000. The airport was established in 1920, while British Mandate authorities began using it in 1924. It officially

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  EU lawmakers urge bloc to pressure Israel for media access to Gaza

  by MI on May 7, 2026

  Sixty-one members of the European Parliament (MEPs) urged top EU officials on Thursday to make foreign journalists’ access to Gaza a central demand in relations with Israel, calling for “all possible diplomatic and political means” to ensure independent reporting from the enclave, Anadolu Agency reports. In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the lawmakers said Israel’s continued restrictions on international media access to Gaza undermine press freedom and the public’s right to information. “We call on you to specifically make access for foreign journalists a key demand in your bilateral relations with Israel and to use all possible diplomatic and political means to ensure it is granted,” the