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

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  France bans Israeli Cabinet Minister Ben-Gvir over treatment of Gaza flotilla activists

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  France has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering French territory over what Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described as “unacceptable actions” against activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla, Anadolu reports. Barrot said Saturday that the move followed incidents involving French and European citizens participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla. “France cannot tolerate French nationals being threatened, intimidated, or brutalized,” he said, particularly by a serving government minister. “I note that these actions have been condemned by a large number of Israeli government and political figures. They follow a long list of shocking statements and actions, incitements to hatred and violence against Palestinians,” Barrot wrote on the US social media platform X. He added: “Like my Italian colleague, I call

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  German court classifies Jewish Voice as “extremist”

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  The German organisation Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (JV) may, for the time being, continue to be classified as “extremist” by Germany’s domestic intelligence service. This was decided by a court in Cologne last Wednesday. The organisation describes itself as anti-Zionist and is among the most prominent Jewish voices in Germany advocating for Palestinian rights. It characterises what has been taking place in Palestine for more than 100 years as settler colonialism, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing. Its members appear publicly at demonstrations and as speakers, and support initiatives such as the global BDS movement and the German “Kufiyas in Buchenwald” campaign. While JV has faced a mixture of systematic ignorance and defamation as “self-hating Jews”

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with CIA analyst Larry Johnson: Who is winning this war?

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Avi Shlaim: The journey of a moral historian from Baghdad to Israel to Oxford

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  Has the Flotilla finally exposed the West’s moral double standard?

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  The image that ricocheted across the world was not a missile strike, nor another skyline collapsing into Gaza’s dust. It was far quieter than that. Dozens of civilians — aid workers, doctors, parliamentarians, students and activists from 44 countries — kneeling on the deck of a seized flotilla in the eastern Mediterranean, hands bound behind their backs, surrounded by armed Israeli personnel. Then came the video posted by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir himself: taunting detainees, waving a flag, reducing human vulnerability into spectacle. For many watching from Canberra to Ottawa, something fundamental appeared to rupture. The interception of the Global Sumud flotilla in May may ultimately be remembered not simply as another Gaza confrontation, but as a geopolitical

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  Iran says 25 ships passed through Strait of Hormuz in past 24 hours

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  Twenty-five ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours in coordination with Iranian authorities, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said Saturday, Anadolu reports. The vessels included oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships that transited the strategic waterway “after obtaining permission with the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy,” the navy’s public relations department said in a statement carried by state-run broadcaster IRIB. Regional tensions have remained high since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February. Tehran later retaliated with attacks targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes. A

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  AOHR UK to EU and UK Gov’t: Hold  Israel accountable for its maritime piracy

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) has addressed a series of letters to international institutions and officials, including the European Union, the European Parliament, and the UK Foreign Office, regarding the escalating crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the repeated acts of maritime piracy targeting humanitarian aid flotillas in international waters, as well as the documented assaults against international human rights activists. In its letters, AOHR UK highlighted that on 29th April 2026, Israeli occupation forces carried out an act of piracy in international waters off the coast of Crete, during which they detained 345 activists from 39 countries aboard the Sumoud Flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip. Only weeks

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  Israel pounds Gaza, Lebanon in daily breaches of ceasefires

  by Marwa A on May 23, 2026

  The Israeli army on Saturday continued to pound the Gaza Strip and Lebanon despite ceasefires in effect, Anadolu reports. Two Palestinians were injured when an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on a group of civilians in the town of Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, a medical source told Anadolu. Witnesses also said that an Israeli quadcopter drone fired a bomb at the camp, which houses displaced people east of Jabalia. Separately, the Israeli army demolished Palestinian homes and structures within the areas it controls east of the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. According to witnesses, a loud explosion was heard as a result of the demolition. Heavy artillery shelling also targeted areas north and east of Beit Lahia in the

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  Situation worsening in West Bank, warn Italy, UK, France, Germany

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Italy, Britain, France and Germany warned Friday that the situation in the occupied West Bank has “deteriorated significantly” in recent months amid rising settler violence and Israeli policies they said are undermining stability and prospects for peace, Anadolu reports. In a joint statement, the four European countries said Israeli settlement activity — including a proposed development in the so-called E1 area — would violate international law and further fragment the territory, jeopardizing the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. E1 is a roughly 12-square-kilometer (4.6-square-mile) area in the occupied West Bank between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim. Israeli authorities have long promoted plans to build thousands of housing units and related infrastructure there to strengthen links between

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  70,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa amid Israeli restrictions

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  More than 70,000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem despite Israeli restrictions imposed since October 2023, according to Islamic authorities. The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said more than 70,000 Muslim worshippers were able to access the mosque compound for prayers. Dozens of Israeli police officers were deployed across the Old City, including near the compound’s external gates and surrounding alleyways, an Anadolu correspondent reported. Israeli police stopped several young Palestinians in the area, checked their identification documents, he added. Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented tens of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from entering Jerusalem and accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers.

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  The world cannot contain Iran forever outside the global order

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  For months the world has remained fixated on a single number: 450 kilograms. That figure — referring to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium — has become the center of international negotiations, military threats, and diplomatic deadlock between Tehran, Washington, and Israel. American officials continue to insist that Iran must surrender or remove the material. Iran continues to refuse. The result is a dangerous equilibrium where neither side appears willing to retreat and where every ceasefire feels temporary. But the deeper crisis exposed by the recent war is not simply nuclear. It is structural. The war revealed something many governments were unwilling to publicly acknowledge for years: Iran can no longer be treated merely as a containable regional actor operating

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  Israeli army admits to killing 3 Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  The Israeli army acknowledged on Friday that it had killed three Palestinians in the northern and southern Gaza Strip in the latest violations of a ceasefire which is supposed to have been in effect since last fall, Anadolu reports. A military statement claimed that army forces spotted two Palestinians crossing the “Yellow Line” boundary in the northern and southern parts of the strip before killing them. It added that forces from the 454th Fire Brigade, operating in the northern Gaza Strip, spotted a person last night “moving suspiciously near the Yellow Line,” claiming that he posed an “immediate threat” to troops, before carrying out an airstrike targeting him. READ: ‘Board of Peace’ plan accused of turning Gaza disarmament into Israeli land grab

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  Iran not seeking ‘any concessions’ from US, calls for sanctions relief: Foreign Ministry

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Iran said Friday it is not seeking “any concessions” from the United States, insisting that Tehran only wants its rights restored and sanctions lifted, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. “We do not want any concessions from the United States; we are only seeking our rights,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to the report. The spokesman said Iran was demanding “an end to America’s criminal actions against the Iranian people.” “Sanctions must be lifted, Iran’s frozen assets must be released and made available to the country,” he said. “For the past five decades, we have been subjected to what they themselves call ‘crippling sanctions,’” he added. Baghaei said the sanctions were imposed under various pretexts, primarily over

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  Pakistan army chief heads to Tehran to discuss US-Iran talks

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir departed for Tehran on Friday to discuss the Iran-US talks, Anadolu reports. During the visit, Munir will meet key senior Iranian figures, the sources added. It would be the second such trip to Tehran by Munir amid Pakistani mediation efforts to end the war which began on Feb. 28 when Israel and the US launched military strikes on Tehran. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency also confirmed that the Pakistani army chief had left for Tehran. During his visit to Iran, Pakistani sources said, Munir will discuss Iran-US talks, regional peace and stability, and other “important issues.” The sources did not disclose details about the duration of the visit. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has

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  Indonesia’s foreign minister didn’t defend the flotilla detainees. He defended Israel’s language

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  For years, Indonesia has wrapped itself in the moral vocabulary of anti-colonialism and Palestinian solidarity. Its leaders lecture the world about justice, occupation and humanitarian principles. They speak as if Indonesia occupies a unique ethical position among nations — a Muslim-majority democracy supposedly unafraid to confront power on behalf of the oppressed. Then nine Indonesians were detained by Israeli forces in international waters. And Indonesia’s foreign minister chose to argue about semantics. Following a meeting with Commission I of Parliament in Jakarta on May 20, Foreign Minister Sugiono insisted that the detention of Indonesian citizens aboard the Sumud flotilla should not be described as “kidnapping” or “hostage-taking.” “This is not a case of kidnapping or hostage-taking,” Sugiono said. “This is

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  Over 18,000 firms registered in Damascus, 1.5M refugees returned since sanctions lifted: US Embassy

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  The US on Friday said more than 18,000 companies have registered in Damascus and 1.5 million refugees have returned to Syria since Washington lifted sanctions on the country a year ago, Anadolu reports. In a statement on the US social media company X, the US Embassy in Syria said the US had decided “to give Syria a chance at greatness by lifting sanctions and opening the door to investment.” “The results speak for themselves: 18,000+ companies registered in Damascus, 1.5 million refugees returned, and billions of dollars in investment pledged,” the embassy said. The embassy also announced the launch of “comprehensive Syria Investor Guides,” describing them as “the most detailed publicly available market intelligence report for Syria.” It said the guides

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Col. Wilkerson: Is Pax American in decline?

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Avi Shlaim: The journey of a moral historian from Baghdad to Israel to Oxford

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  ‘Impossible for us to leave’: Palestinian family faces escalating Israeli occupier harassment in West Bank

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  The home of a Palestinian resident in the Al-Mu’arajat Bedouin community in the occupied West Bank has turned into a “daily siege point” amid repeated Israeli occupier presence around the property aimed at forcing the family to leave their land, Anadolu reports. Eid Abu Fazzah al-Kaabneh told Anadolu that Israeli occupiers regularly gather for hours near the family’s home, bringing flocks of sheep and camels into the surrounding agricultural land and olive groves. “We wake up every day to occupiers and their livestock around our home,” he said, describing what he called ongoing pressure and intimidation against residents of the community east of Ramallah. The “Abu Fazzah” Bedouin community is located near the Al-Mu’arajat road east of the village of Al-Taybeh

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  ‘First apartheid, then transfer’: Israeli columnist warns of West Bank expulsion plan

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Israel is clearing Palestinians from the illegally occupied West Bank village by village, using state-backed settler violence to drive communities from their land and prepare the ground for mass expulsion, a veteran Israeli columnist has warned. Writing in Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, Nahum Barnea said the violence of the so-called “hilltop youth” is not random lawlessness, but part of a state-backed project to remove Palestinians from their land. He described them as “an armed militia that is working for the government, with its authorisation and funding.” The aim, wrote Barnea, is to empty outlying Palestinian areas, force the rural population into cities, trigger economic collapse and lawlessness and then present expulsion as the final outcome. “The current plan aims to

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  ‘Slight progress’ made on Iran, Strait of Hormuz situation: US Secretary of State

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday there had been “some slight progress” regarding the situation involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. “There’s been some slight progress, I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio told reporters ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Rubio said the “fundamentals remain the same,” adding: “Iran can never have nuclear weapons, it just cannot make them.” He said Washington was awaiting the outcome of ongoing discussions related to Iran while underlining that issues surrounding uranium enrichment and Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would have to be addressed. Rubio also accused Iran of attempting

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  Saudi Arabia deploys drones, AI to enhance security during 2026 Hajj pilgrimage

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Saudi authorities are deploying drones, artificial intelligence, and advanced surveillance technologies during the 2026 Hajj season to monitor crowds, detect violations, and prevent unauthorized entry into the holy sites, the Saudi newspaper Okaz said on Friday. The report said the technologies form part of an integrated security and organizational system aimed at ensuring the safety of millions of pilgrims who gather annually in the holy sites. Saudi authorities are using drones to track and apprehend violators of Hajj regulations, alongside fixed-wing aircraft tasked with monitoring illegal entry attempts into the holy sites under the slogan “No Hajj without a permit,” according to the report. The newspaper said drones help security forces monitor large areas quickly and efficiently, allowing field teams

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  ‘Board of Peace’ plan accused of turning Gaza disarmament into Israeli land grab

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  A proposed roadmap for Gaza has been condemned as an attempt to give Israel through diplomacy what it failed to achieve through more than two years of genocide: the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, without guaranteeing a full Israeli withdrawal from the besieged enclave. The plan, circulated Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, comes despite Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire and its failure to complete even the first phase of the agreement. Critics say Washington and Tel Aviv are now trying to force Palestinians into surrendering their weapons while Israel expands its military control inside Gaza, including along the so-called Yellow Line. READ: Board of Peace envoy says there is ‘no recovery’ in

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  Israel: From neutralizing the frontline states to neutralizing the Axis of Resistance

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Israel’s occupation of Arab states does not necessarily have to take a physical form, as happened in the past with the rest of Palestine, the Syrian Golan, Egypt’s Sinai, and Lebanon’s Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills. It may also take other forms, as later envisioned in Israeli strategy. Following that period of occupation, Israel managed to penetrate several Arab states through normalization policies. This process did not stop at political or security dimensions. It also expanded into the economic sphere. Israel continues to pursue its expansion and formalization with other Arab states, despite maintaining its grip over Palestine and denying legitimate Palestinian rights. Israel’s strategies toward Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon intersect within an integrated framework. These strategies remain tied

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  UNRWA warns of surge in disease and skin infections across Gaza

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warned on Thursday of a severe deterioration in public health conditions in the Gaza Strip, announcing that more than 125,000 cases of skin infections linked to rodents and parasites had been recorded during the first five months of 2026. According to UNRWA, the destruction caused by the war has led to a major increase in rodents and parasites, while the collapse of water and sanitation infrastructure has accelerated the spread of disease. The agency stated on X that “rodents and parasites are on the rise” and warned that the risk of disease outbreaks continues to increase. UNRWA said its medical teams are currently treating around 400 cases daily but stressed

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  Palestine ex-FM accuses Fatah leadership of weakening the movement’s national role

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Former Palestinian foreign minister Nasser al-Qudwa sharply criticised the leadership of Fatah, accusing it of stripping the movement of its national content and turning its eighth conference into a controlled gathering designed to serve the current leadership. In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, al-Qudwa said the conference lacked a clear legal and organisational basis, both in determining membership and shaping the political programme. He argued that Fatah has gradually lost its historic role in leading the Palestinian national project and confronting the Israeli occupation. According to al-Qudwa, the crisis within Fatah has been developing for more than 15 years and deepened as the movement became increasingly intertwined with the institutions of the Palestinian Authority. He said President Mahmoud Abbas

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  Israeli strike causes heavy damage to hospital in southern Lebanon

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  A hospital in southern Lebanon has sustained significant damage from an Israeli airstrike in the town of Tebnine, as Tel Aviv continued its daily attacks despite an ongoing ceasefire, Anadolu agency reported. Two people were killed and a third was injured when a fighter jet struck near Tebnine Hospital on Wednesday, the state news agency NNA said. According to an Anadolu reporter, the attack has caused heavy damage to the hospital. At least 16 hospitals have been damaged in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since 2nd March, figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry showed. Official data also revealed that at least 116 people have been killed and 263 wounded in attacks targeting medics and ambulance crews during the same period.

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  WHO warns of collapse of health and humanitarian systems in Palestinian territories

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  The World Health Organization warned on Thursday of the worsening collapse of the health and humanitarian sectors in the Palestinian territories, describing conditions in Gaza Strip, the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as a “severe tragedy.” In a statement issued by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Regional Director Hanan Balkhy said that since October 2023 more than 72,000 people had been killed and around 182,000 injured, with nearly 26,000 additional deaths reported during 2025 alone. Balkhy said that despite the ceasefire announced in October 2025, civilians continue to be killed, humanitarian access remains restricted and health services remain severely disrupted. According to the WHO, no hospital in Gaza is currently fully operational, while northern Gaza no

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  US missile stocks depleted in defence of Israel, says report

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  A large portion of US defensive and offensive capabilities were depleted during the war with Iran, particularly in the defence of Israel, according to The Washington Post. “The US military has depleted much of its inventory of advanced missile-defence interceptors after expending far more high-end munitions defending Israel amid hostilities with Iran than Israeli forces used themselves,” Defence Department assessments described to The Washington Post.  The newspaper, citing Pentagon assessments and US officials, reported that the US military fired more than 200 THAAD missile interceptors during the conflict to defend Israel. This is roughly half of the Pentagon’s total stock of the system. The Washington Post also quoted three US officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive

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  Report: Khamenei orders enriched uranium to remain in Iran as Putin proposes transfer to Russia

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly ordered that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain inside the country, according to a report by Reuters citing two Iranian sources. The sources said the directive prohibits exporting Iran’s stockpile of weapons-grade enriched uranium, reflecting what they described as a broader consensus within the Iranian leadership. Meanwhile, Russian media outlet Interfax reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping the idea of transferring and storing Iranian enriched uranium in Russia. The issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains one of the central disputes in negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. According to the Reuters report, Iranian officials believe removing the uranium from the country

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  Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri reiterates calls for Syrian division and thanks Israel

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the Druze spiritual leaders in Syria’s southern Sweida province, has renewed his calls for the partition of Syrian territory and separation from Damascus, in remarks that also included clear attempts to seek Israel’s sympathy and seek its strength.  In a recorded speech on Thursday, he said: “Our choice of freedom and self-determination is not subject to bargaining or conditional loyalties. The dignity of this mountain (referring to the Druze-majority Jabal al-Druze area in southern Syria) is above all considerations, and its rights are derived from the authenticity of its history and the strength of its present.” He added: “No matter how much de facto powers try to impose guardianship through coercion and misinformation, they will find

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  Houthis warn against Somaliland-Israel normalisation, threaten continued fighting

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi-affiliated Supreme Political Council in Sanaa, criticised moves by Somaliland towards normalising relations with Israel, calling it a “serious mistake” that threatens Yemen and regional stability. He also warned against any new “American or Zionist aggression” against Yemen and the wider region. Al-Mashat said his forces were ready to continue fighting until the “liberation of the last inch” of Yemeni territory, while reaffirming Sanaa’s support for Palestine, Lebanon and Iran. In a speech marking the 36th anniversary of Yemeni unity, he said the “US-Israeli enemy” was no longer hiding what he described as the “Greater Israel” project, adding that the war on Iran aimed to remove the “main obstacle” to Israeli plans in the region.

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  Jordan condemns Israeli seizure of properties near Al-Aqsa Mosque

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  The Palestine Committee in the Jordanian parliament has condemned Israeli measures to seize Palestinian properties and Islamic endowments in the Bab al-Silsila area adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a statement, committee chairman MP Suleiman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud said the committee completely rejected all Israeli measures, describing them as a clear violation of international law and the historical and legal status quo in occupied Jerusalem. He said the “illegal practices” represented a blatant breach of international law, a direct attack on the identity of the city and its holy sites, and a dangerous attempt to impose a new reality by force. Al-Saud warned of the seriousness of the escalating measures and their potential to inflame tensions further, saying they posed a

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  Hamas accuses Mladenov of adopting Israeli narrative over Gaza

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that a call by Nikolay Mladenov, head of the so-called Board of Peace in Gaza, for the UN Security Council to pressure Hamas “by all means” to fulfil its commitments reflects continued adoption of the Israeli narrative and an attempt to justify escalating Israeli attacks on Gaza residents and tightening the blockade on the territory. In a press statement on Thursday, Qassem added that Mladenov’s continued talk about increasing aid contradicts the reality on the ground, which he said shows Israel is continuing to restrict the entry of aid and reshape its policy of starvation. READ: Board of Peace envoy says there is ‘no recovery’ in Gaza despite ceasefire gains

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  Despite blackout, satellite images reveal damage to Israeli military bases during Iran war

  by MI on May 22, 2026

  An analysis by satellite imagery company Soar has revealed the extent of damage caused to Israeli military bases during March by Iranian strikes and attacks by Hezbollah. According to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, an analysis of satellite images published by Soar showed damage to several Israeli military bases across the country following the latest round of fighting, before a ceasefire came into effect last month. Images from the Sentinel-2 satellite showed that the Ramat David Airbase was damaged in two areas during the war with Iran. The images indicated that one of the damaged areas appeared to be used for support vehicles and equipment, while the second area was used for refuelling and maintenance of fighter jets. The images

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  UN reports nearly 50 illegal Israeli occupier attacks across West Bank in 1 week

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  The UN reported on Thursday at least 49 illegal Israeli occupier attacks across the West Bank in a single week. Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference that between May 12 and 18, Israeli occupier attacks “caused casualties or damage, including a rise in arson attacks against homes, farmland, vehicles and a mosque.” “With this, over 870 settler attacks across more than 220 communities have caused casualties or property damage this year alone,” he said. Dujarric addressed an Israeli High Court ruling affecting international non-governmental organizations operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stressing that “international NGOs are indispensable to the overall humanitarian operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”

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  Board of Peace envoy says there is ‘no recovery’ in Gaza despite ceasefire gains

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  A senior Board of Peace official said Thursday that there is “no recovery” in Gaza despite some progress under a ceasefire deal, Anadolu reports. Nickolay Mladenov, high representative for Gaza, told the UN Security Council that mass destruction, displacement and humanitarian challenges continue to define conditions on the ground. “When I last appeared before you, the framework for the decommissioning of weapons in Gaza had been agreed among the guarantors and presented to the parties, and I told you the engagement was serious. The first written report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025) of the Board of Peace is now before you,” he said. Noting that there had been limited but important improvements since the ceasefire took hold,

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  Trump says US opposes Strait of Hormuz tolls, vows to get uranium from Iran

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US opposes any tolls on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and vowed that Iran will not be allowed to retain highly enriched uranium, Anadolu reports. “We don’t want tolls. It’s an international waterway. They’re not charging tolls right now,” Trump told the reporters at the White House. Trump claimed Iran is suffering major financial losses because of restrictions on shipping activity. Asked whether Iran could retain its stockpile of highly enriched uranium under any future arrangement, Trump answered bluntly. “No, we get the highly enriched; we will get it,” Trump said. “We don’t need it. We don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let

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  UN official says renewed Gaza war would have ‘disastrous consequences’ for civilians

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  A senior UN official said Thursday that a return to full-scale war in the Gaza Strip would have “disastrous consequences” for civilians, while cautioning that worsening violence and illegal Israeli settlement expansion across the occupied Palestinian territory are deepening instability, Anadolu reports. “As I brief you today, the situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory is increasingly precarious,” Ramiz Alakbarov, UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said at a UN Security Council session to discuss the latest report of the Board of Peace for Gaza. He said tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continue to intensify as “settlement expansion, settler-related violence, and incitement continue to drive tensions.” Turning to Gaza, Alakbarov said momentum generated by

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  US intelligence believes Iran quickly rebuilt military industrial base, producing drones: Report

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  US intelligence believes that Iran resumed parts of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire with Washington that started in early April, signaling a rapid recovery of some military capabilities damaged by US-Israeli strikes, CNN reported Thursday. Intelligence assessments suggest Iran’s military is rebuilding far more quickly than expected, said the report, which cited US intelligence officials. The effort includes restoring missile sites, launch systems and manufacturing capacity for critical weapons that were damaged or destroyed during the conflict. Officials reportedly warned that the rapid recovery means Iran could still pose a major threat to regional allies if US President Donald Trump decides to resume military operations. READ: Iranian parliament speaker warns of “strong response” to any new US attack The

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  France rejects any possible NATO role in Strait of Hormuz

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  France rejects any possible NATO role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that the alliance’s mandate does not extend to the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday, Anadolu reports. During a press briefing, Pascal Confavreux said Paris opposes NATO involvement in operations aimed at securing navigation in the strategic waterway after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz. “Our position is clear and consistent: the North Atlantic Treaty applies to the North Atlantic; it is neither the vocation nor the right alliance for a subject in the Middle East and Hormuz,” Confavreux said. The remarks came two days after NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said the alliance was “considering” a possible contribution to maritime security

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  Italy requests EU to sanction Israeli minister Ben-Gvir over treatment of Gaza flotilla activists

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced Thursday that he had requested the EU to impose sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over his treatment of Global Sumud Flotilla activists, Anadolu reports. Tajani said through US social media company X that he had formally asked EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to include the adoption of sanctions against Ben-Gvir on the agenda of the next meeting of EU foreign ministers. He noted that the request comes in response to “the unacceptable acts committed against the Flotilla, seizing the activists in international waters and subjecting them to harassment and humiliation, in violation of the most basic human rights.” Jurgen Hardt, a senior German lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU),

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  ‘Unacceptable’: Denmark condemns Israeli treatment of Gaza flotilla detainees

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  Denmark on Thursday voiced concern over the treatment of detainees intercepted during a Gaza flotilla mission, after footage shared by Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared to show activists zip-tied and forced to kneel following their detention by Israeli forces in international waters, Anadolu reports. “Deeply concerned about the Israeli security minister Ben-Gvir’s unacceptable treatment of detainees from the Gaza flotilla. It is absolutely crucial that detainees are treated with respect, and that their rights are upheld, which Denmark has also made clear to Israel,” Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wrote on the US social media company X. The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla said Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been seized by Israel following

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  Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia call for presidential, parliamentary elections in Libya

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia on Thursday called for accelerating the holding of simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya following a ministerial meeting in Cairo under a trilateral mechanism by Libya’s neighbors, Anadolu reports. In a joint statement, the three countries stressed “the importance of advancing the political process in Libya under UN auspices and creating suitable conditions for holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously.” The statement was issued after a meeting of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia held within the framework of the “Tripartite Neighboring Countries Mechanism on Libya” to discuss the latest political and security developments in the country. The three countries also called on all Libyan parties to “avoid escalation” and prioritize the country’s “supreme

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  Kuwait sends IRGC-linked suspects to court over ‘illegal entry’

  by MI on May 21, 2026

  Kuwait said Thursday it referred suspects accused of affiliation with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to court on charges of crossing the country’s maritime border and infiltrating a prohibited military zone, Anadolu reports. Kuwaiti authorities said May 13 that they had detained IRGC members who “tried to infiltrate” its territory after a “clash” with the army. Kuwait also summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Toutounchi and handed him a protest note. The Public Prosecution said the IRGC-affiliated members were arrested after unlawfully entering the country, crossing its maritime border and infiltrating a prohibited military zone, according to local newspapers, including Al-Nahar and Al-Anbaa. The suspects were detected by armed forces assigned to secure the site and were intercepted inside the military zone

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  Senior barristers accused of misusing legal status in pro-Israel campaign against Palestine activists

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  Three of Britain’s most senior barristers have been accused of lending the weight of their professional status to a pro-Israel lawfare campaign targeting Palestine solidarity activists, charities, student groups, teachers and cultural workers. The allegation forms part of a formal complaint submitted to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) by the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC). The complaint names Lord David Pannick KC, Lord Anthony Grabiner KC and Stephen Hockman KC in their roles as patrons of UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). The BSB regulates barristers in England and Wales. The complaint asks the regulator to examine whether the three barristers’ names and senior legal status were used in UKLFI correspondence in a way

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  Pro-Israel commentator warns critics face ‘buzzsaw’ of ‘Jewish money’ after Massie defeat

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  Leading neoconservative commentator and staunch defender of Israel, John Podhoretz, has turned the defeat of US Representative Thomas Massie into a warning to every candidate who challenges the pro-Israel lobby, declaring that “Jewish money” should be used openly to force such politicians through a political “buzzsaw”. Speaking at a meeting, Podhoretz celebrated the role “Jewish money” played in the defeat of Massie and issued what is likely to be regarded as a direct threat to other candidates who challenge Israel’s influence in American politics. John Podhoretz celebrates the role that “Jewish money” played in defeating Rep. Thomas Massie: “We have to use what means there are at our disposal, and…that is Jewish money!” “This is an existential issue for Jews!”

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  The bell tolls in Beijing: Xi’s warning and the shadow of Thucydides

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  “It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable.” Two thousand five hundred years on, the trap is being set again — and this time the stakes are nuclear. When Xi Jinping stood on Chinese soil and asked Donald Trump whether America and China could “transcend the Thucydides Trap,” he was not extending an olive branch. He was issuing a veiled warning, the kind that comes not in thunder, but in the low, measured tremor of a man who believes the fault line has already shifted beneath his rival’s feet. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War. In 2014,

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  Legal centre: Israeli forces subjected flotilla activists to severe physical and psychological abuse

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  The Arab legal rights centre in Israel, Adalah, said it had documented severe violence, including electric shocks, physical and psychological abuse, and broken ribs, against detainees from the Global Sumud Flotilla by Israeli forces. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening and received by Anadolu Agency, the centre said its legal team had “provided legal consultations to hundreds of detainees” who took part in the flotilla, amid testimonies of “severe violence,” humiliation and serious injuries allegedly inflicted by Israeli forces. The statement came after widespread anger and condemnation following a video showing far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir overseeing what was described as the mistreatment of detained activists. The video showed detainees kneeling with their hands tied behind their

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  The geopolitics of energy algorithms: Who will control oil markets in the age of Artificial Intelligence?

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  From oil wells to data power For decades, power in the global energy market was defined by oil reserves, production capacity, pipelines, shipping routes and geopolitical geography. States that controlled strategic chokepoints, export corridors and vast hydrocarbon resources were considered the central actors of the international energy order. Yet recent developments suggest that the world is gradually entering a new phase in which data, algorithms and artificial intelligence are becoming part of the infrastructure of energy power itself. Today, competition over energy is no longer confined to oil fields in the Gulf or gas pipelines in the Eastern Mediterranean. Increasingly, it is taking place inside data centres, predictive systems and AI-driven analytical platforms. Major energy companies, investment banks, sovereign wealth

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  Dehumanisation, colonialism and its accomplices

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  Colonialism is dehumanising. It is something akin to a spectacle that several world leaders and ministers have partially woken up to that fact, after a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir humiliating the kidnapped Global Sumud Flotilla activists generated much negative attention on social media. Israeli ambassadors were summoned, while the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that Ben Gvir “betrayed the dignity of his nation. Ben Gvir did not betray dignity. He exposed Israel’s disregard of dignity. In colonialism, dignity does not exist. The outrage was merely controlled diplomatic theatrics, as dehumanisation spilled over to non-Palestinians. When images of Palestinians, detained, bound, and held in pits first emerged on social media during the genocide, Israel’s security

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  Israel’s High Court gives aid groups 30 days to submit employee lists or cease operations

  by Marwa A on May 21, 2026

  Israel’s High Court has rejected a petition filed by international aid organizations operating in Palestine and gave them one month to submit employee lists to the government or cease operations, according to an Israeli government statement on Wednesday. The government said the petition was filed by AIDA, an umbrella group representing 19 international non-governmental relief organisations working in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. According to the statement, the petition came after the organisations refused to provide Israel with lists of their local employees “as required under NGO registration and security screening procedures.” Dozens of international aid groups have opposed new Israeli requirements that include submitting names of local staff members, identifying aid beneficiaries, and refraining from criticising