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

• Hamas says it submitted response to US envoy’s proposal seeking permanent ceasefire in Gaza

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  The Palestinian group Hamas announced on Saturday that it has submitted its response to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff through mediators Egypt and Qatar, Anadolu...

  Hamas says it submitted response to US envoy’s proposal seeking permanent ceasefire in Gaza

  

  The Palestinian group Hamas announced on Saturday that it has submitted its response to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff through mediators Egypt and Qatar, Anadolu reports. In what appeared to be a list of demands, Hamas issued a statement calling for “a permanent ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and guarantees for the continuous flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in the territory.” Under the framework of the proposal, the movement proposed releasing 10 Israeli captives and handing over the bodies of 18 others in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners. However, Hamas did not explicitly announce its approval of the Witkoff proposal. The group said the response
• 1 killed in Israeli air strike targeting vehicle in southern Lebanon

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  A Lebanese was killed on Saturday in an Israeli air strike targeting a vehicle in the town of Deir El-Zahrani in southern Lebanon, marking a new violation of the ceasefire...

  1 killed in Israeli air strike targeting vehicle in southern Lebanon

  

  A Lebanese was killed on Saturday in an Israeli air strike targeting a vehicle in the town of Deir El-Zahrani in southern Lebanon, marking a new violation of the ceasefire agreement between the two sides, the Health Ministry said, Anadolu reports. The ministry’s Emergency Operations Center said the man was killed in the strike on a vehicle in Deir al-Zahrani in the Nabatieh district. Despite a November ceasefire, Israeli forces continue to carry out attacks in southern Lebanon almost daily, claiming to be targeting the Hezbollah group’s activities. READ: Israel army infiltrates southern Lebanon town The truce ended months of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which had escalated into a full-fledged conflict in September. Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000
• Israeli forces raid West Bank, military vehicle rams into bus carrying Hajj pilgrims in Jenin

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Israeli forces launched a series of raids across the occupied West Bank early Saturday, arresting two Palestinians and damaging a bus transporting Hajj pilgrims in the northern city of Jenin,...

  Israeli forces raid West Bank, military vehicle rams into bus carrying Hajj pilgrims in Jenin

  

  Israeli forces launched a series of raids across the occupied West Bank early Saturday, arresting two Palestinians and damaging a bus transporting Hajj pilgrims in the northern city of Jenin, Anadolu reports. A military vehicle rammed into the bus in front of the Jenin governorate building as it was preparing to depart en route to the Karama border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan. The passengers, many of them elderly, were Palestinians on their way to Saudi Arabia via Jordan to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Israeli military vehicle “hit the bus deliberately,” though no injuries were reported. Jenin Deputy Governor Mansour al-Saadi condemned the act, saying: “The occupation vehicle deliberately
• Saudi foreign minister visits Syria for high-level talks

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah arrived in Damascus on Saturday for an official visit, accompanied by a high-level economic delegation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced, Anadolu...

  Saudi foreign minister visits Syria for high-level talks

  

  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah arrived in Damascus on Saturday for an official visit, accompanied by a high-level economic delegation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced, Anadolu reports. During the visit, Prince Faisal is scheduled to meet with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. The trip represents a significant step in the ongoing normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria after years of diplomatic estrangement. The accompanying Saudi delegation is set to hold consultations with Syrian officials to explore potential areas of cooperation. Talks will focus on supporting Syria’s economic recovery, strengthening governmental institutions, and addressing the needs and aspirations of the Syrian population, the ministry said. READ: Syrian minister says indirect
• Syrian minister says indirect talks with Israel ongoing

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Syrian Information Minister Hamza Al-Mustafa said Friday that indirect negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv are continuing, Anadolu reports. He said talks remain in progress and Syria continues to uphold...

  Syrian minister says indirect talks with Israel ongoing

  

  Syrian Information Minister Hamza Al-Mustafa said Friday that indirect negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv are continuing, Anadolu reports. He said talks remain in progress and Syria continues to uphold the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israeli and Syrian Forces. Al-Mustafa, speaking at a news conference in Damascus after a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, said his government is working to revitalize its diplomatic presence abroad, noting the Foreign Ministry is launching efforts to reopen embassies and establish new consulates. Several reforms were discussed during the meeting, he said, including measures to boost investment, improve coordination among ministries, and combat corruption. READ: Israel strikes ‘storage facilities’ in Syria’s Latakia, Tartus The 2025 state budget would be announced soon and public
• Palestine is demand for global justice: British academic

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Palestine is a demand for greater justice throughout the world, according to British academic Salman Sayyid from the University of Leeds, Anadolu reports. Speaking to Anadolu at the Reorienting Resistance,...

  Palestine is demand for global justice: British academic

  

  Palestine is a demand for greater justice throughout the world, according to British academic Salman Sayyid from the University of Leeds, Anadolu reports. Speaking to Anadolu at the Reorienting Resistance, the fourth Critical Muslim Studies conference in Istanbul, Sayyid emphasized that the event united academics and researchers from around the world. Sayyid described the purpose of the conference as rethinking the knowledge produced about Islam and Muslims in light of current global circumstances. Sayyid said that what is happening in Palestine reveals the limits of the ability of Muslims to influence the world and their own governments, and added that having little power to respond raises serious questions about governance and exposes the failure of the liberal international order to
• Israel forcibly displaces 250,000 Palestinians from northern Gaza’s Jabalia: Report

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  The Israeli army has forcibly displaced over 250,000 Palestinians from the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza to designated “humanitarian zones,” according to a report on Friday by the Hebrew...

  Israel forcibly displaces 250,000 Palestinians from northern Gaza’s Jabalia: Report

  

  The Israeli army has forcibly displaced over 250,000 Palestinians from the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza to designated “humanitarian zones,” according to a report on Friday by the Hebrew news site Walla, as reported by Anadolu. The outlet cited unnamed security officials who said the mass displacement, part of the military’s “Gideon’s Chariots” operation, is to “prevent Palestinian fighters from returning to underground and above-ground infrastructure.” While Walla did not specify the “humanitarian zone” locations, Israel previously designated coastal areas between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah as those places, despite carrying out deadly strikes there that killed hundreds of displaced civilians in recent months. The report suggested the army’s operation could last months, with plans for the “complete evacuation
• Arab-Islamic delegation condemns Israel’s refusal to allow its visit to Ramallah as ‘flagrant violation’

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  An Arab ministerial delegation on Gaza has condemned Israel’s refusal to allow their visit to Ramallah as a “flagrant violation” of its responsibilities as an occupying power under international law,...

  Arab-Islamic delegation condemns Israel’s refusal to allow its visit to Ramallah as ‘flagrant violation’

  

  An Arab ministerial delegation on Gaza has condemned Israel’s refusal to allow their visit to Ramallah as a “flagrant violation” of its responsibilities as an occupying power under international law, Anadolu reports. In an official statement issued on Saturday, the delegation said Israel’s decision to prevent their visit to Ramallah reflects “the extent of the Israeli government’s arrogance, its disregard for international law, and its continued implementation of illegal measures and policies that besiege the Palestinian people.” On Friday, Israeli officials confirmed that Tel Aviv prevented a scheduled visit by a delegation of Arab foreign ministers to Ramallah, where they intended to discuss support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. The delegation includes
• Israel strikes ‘storage facilities’ in Syria’s Latakia, Tartus

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  The Israeli army carried out air strikes in Latakia and Tartus in northwestern Syria on Friday, targeting “storage facilities” containing “missiles,” resulting in one fatality and property damage, Anadolu reports....

  Israel strikes ‘storage facilities’ in Syria’s Latakia, Tartus

  

  The Israeli army carried out air strikes in Latakia and Tartus in northwestern Syria on Friday, targeting “storage facilities” containing “missiles,” resulting in one fatality and property damage, Anadolu reports. An Israeli military statement said it “targeted components of surface-to-air missiles and weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles,” on claims that those targets “posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation.” Israeli warplanes carried out three air strikes targeting sites in the countryside of Latakia and Tartus, according to the Syrian state news agency, SANA One civilian was killed in the strikes that targeted an area between the villages of Zama and Burj Islam in southern Latakia, while another targeted the outskirts of Tartus port, causing property damage. READ: Syria,
• Saudi foreign minister to make rare, landmark visit to Ramallah amid push for Palestinian statehood

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will lead a delegation representing the Arab-Islamic ministerial committee to visit Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Sunday as international efforts...

  Saudi foreign minister to make rare, landmark visit to Ramallah amid push for Palestinian statehood

  

  Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will lead a delegation representing the Arab-Islamic ministerial committee to visit Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Sunday as international efforts for Palestinian statehood intensify, Anadolu reports. The Saudi-run Al-Arabiya television reported that Prince Faisal will lead the committee, tasked to mobilize international efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza and create political horizon for ending Israeli occupation, to meet top Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas. His visit also comes as preparations intensify for a UN conference in New York next month. The conference, to be chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, will discuss the prospect of a two-state solution to the conflict. His visit marks the first-ever visit
• The Madeleine ship: A message of solidarity with Gaza and resolve to break the blockade

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Tomorrow, Sunday, June 1st,  a small ship from the International Freedom Flotilla Coalition will set sail from the port of Catania in Sicily (Italy). The coalition named the ship “Madeleine”...

  The Madeleine ship: A message of solidarity with Gaza and resolve to break the blockade

  

  Tomorrow, Sunday, June 1st,  a small ship from the International Freedom Flotilla Coalition will set sail from the port of Catania in Sicily (Italy). The coalition named the ship “Madeleine” in honour of Palestinian fisherwoman Madeleine Kullab, the youngest professional fisherwoman in the world and the only one in Palestine.  The ship also carries a number of international activists and a cargo of symbolic humanitarian aid intended to be delivered to Gaza. Most importantly, it carries a message of solidarity with Gaza, a message of defiance and determination to continue popular efforts to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, and an affirmation of the Palestinians’ fundamental right to communicate with the world by sea and their right to
• Trump strikes upbeat tone on Gaza ceasefire, Iran nuclear deal

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  US President Donald Trump was optimistic Friday when asked about the potential for concluding an agreement to end Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip, as well as a long-elusive...

  Trump strikes upbeat tone on Gaza ceasefire, Iran nuclear deal

  

  US President Donald Trump was optimistic Friday when asked about the potential for concluding an agreement to end Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip, as well as a long-elusive pact over Iran’s nuclear program, Anadolu reports. “They’re very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we’ll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow, and we have a chance of that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think we have a chance of making a deal with Iran also. They don’t want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal. And I think that could happen in the not too distant future.” Hamas said Friday that it is holding consultations with other
• Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian olive fields near Ramallah in occupied West Bank

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Illegal Israeli settlers on Friday set fire to Palestinian olive fields north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, while establishing a new settlement outpost to the east, according...

  Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian olive fields near Ramallah in occupied West Bank

  

  Illegal Israeli settlers on Friday set fire to Palestinian olive fields north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, while establishing a new settlement outpost to the east, according to local media, Anadolu reports. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that illegal Israeli settlers set fire to olive groves in the Ras al-Deir area near Sinjil, with the extent of the damage being assessed. Simultaneously, illegal Israeli settlers erected a tent approximately 500 meters from homes in Al-Mughayir village, the first step toward establishing an illegal settlement outpost in the Al-Qale’ area. In related violence, Israeli forces raided Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya village south of Nablus, firing live ammunition and tear gas shells that left scores of Palestinians suffering from
• Germany mulls limiting arms exports to Israel over Gaza military campaign

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Friday that he intends to review and possibly restrict German arms deliveries to Israel over its brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip,...

  Germany mulls limiting arms exports to Israel over Gaza military campaign

  

  German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Friday that he intends to review and possibly restrict German arms deliveries to Israel over its brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. One of the questions is “whether what is happening in the Gaza Strip is compatible with international humanitarian law. We are examining it, and based on this review, we will approve further arms deliveries if necessary,” Wadephul said in an interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. When asked whether this could lead to a partial halt in deliveries, he replied: “That’s what the wording says.” Wadephul warned that the aid deliveries arriving in the Gaza Strip are just a drop in the ocean. “This is about ensuring basic
• Tunisian court toughens sentences in US Embassy attack case after 13 years

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  A Tunisian appeals court on Friday toughened the sentences against 20 defendants accused of being involved in the 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Tunis, Anadolu reports. Court spokesperson...

  Tunisian court toughens sentences in US Embassy attack case after 13 years

  

  A Tunisian appeals court on Friday toughened the sentences against 20 defendants accused of being involved in the 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Tunis, Anadolu reports. Court spokesperson Habib Tarkhani told the country’s official news agency that the sentences ranged from 8 years and 3 months imprisonment, showing a significant increase from the original suspended two-year sentences issued in 2013. Tarkhani said the court’s Criminal Chamber convicted the defendants for storming and vandalizing the embassy compound during the Sept. 14, 2012, protests against an anti-Islam film produced in the US. READ: Tunisia jails 3 civil servants for forging citizenship documents  During the incident, the assailants, described by Tunisian media as “Salafists and extremists from the banned Ansar al-Sharia group,”
• Children of Gaza: Growing up amid war and hunger

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  A stolen childhood at the heart of war Childhood is supposed to be a time of innocence, laughter, and dreams that stretch as far as the sky. But in Gaza,...

  Children of Gaza: Growing up amid war and hunger

  

  A stolen childhood at the heart of war Childhood is supposed to be a time of innocence, laughter, and dreams that stretch as far as the sky. But in Gaza, childhood has been reduced to ashes—burned by sorrow and shaped by cruelty. The children of Gaza, who should be chasing butterflies and learning the alphabet, are instead surrounded by the debris of war and the echo of explosions. Since the war broke out in 2023, blood, destruction, and hunger have become the daily reality for Gaza’s children. These wounds will not heal with time; they are carved into the soul. Since the beginning of the war, approximately 20,000 babies have been born in Gaza—one child every ten minutes. But these
• Israeli military operations killed at least 20 captives in Gaza: Haaretz investigation

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Israeli military operations endangered the lives of at least 54 Israeli captives in Gaza, 20 of whom were killed, according to a Haaretz investigation published Friday, Anadolu reports. The report...

  Israeli military operations killed at least 20 captives in Gaza: Haaretz investigation

  

  Israeli military operations endangered the lives of at least 54 Israeli captives in Gaza, 20 of whom were killed, according to a Haaretz investigation published Friday, Anadolu reports. The report said that during 601 days of conflict, starting Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army’s actions, including airstrikes, led to captives’ deaths either directly or “executed by their captors due to military activity close to their whereabouts.” Hamas is yet to comment on the newspaper’s claim of killing Israeli captives. Haaretz said that while hundreds of strikes were avoided due to hostage proximity concerns, the army does authorize strikes within a “safe distance” of several hundred meters. “The more strikes there are, the greater the risk,” a military source told Haaretz.
• ‘Catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst’ since beginning of Israeli attacks: UN

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  The UN said Friday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached its most “catastrophic” level since the start of Israeli military operations, with ongoing strikes, mass displacement, and severe...

  ‘Catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst’ since beginning of Israeli attacks: UN

  

  The UN said Friday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached its most “catastrophic” level since the start of Israeli military operations, with ongoing strikes, mass displacement, and severe aid restrictions, Anadolu reports. Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that “the catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst it has been” since start of Israeli military operations in October 2023. He said Israeli strikes have intensified across the enclave, particularly in North Gaza, where the Al Awda hospital — the last partially functioning hospital in the area — was forced to evacuate following repeated attacks. “Displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last
• Hamas holds consultations with Palestinian groups over Witkoff ceasefire proposal

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Hamas on Friday said it is holding consultations with Palestinian groups over the recent ceasefire proposal it received from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Anadolu reports. Hamas is “holding...

  Hamas holds consultations with Palestinian groups over Witkoff ceasefire proposal

  

  Hamas on Friday said it is holding consultations with Palestinian groups over the recent ceasefire proposal it received from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Anadolu reports. Hamas is “holding consultations with Palestinian factions regarding the ceasefire proposal it recently received from Mr. Witkoff through mediators,” the group said in a brief press release, without giving further details. Hamas confirmed on Thursday that it has received a new proposal from mediators for a new Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal. Following the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he accepted Witkoff’s outline for the truce. The 13-point US plan outlines a 60-day truce, mutual hostage and prisoner releases, and structured talks on Gaza’s future, along with the Hamas’ release
• US forces have completed 99% of their mission in fighting ISIS, says special envoy to Syria

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, said President Donald Trump assigned the US army in Syria with a single goal of fighting ISIS (Daesh) terror...

  US forces have completed 99% of their mission in fighting ISIS, says special envoy to Syria

  

  Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, said President Donald Trump assigned the US army in Syria with a single goal of fighting ISIS (Daesh) terror group and the US forces have successfully completed 99% of this mission. The basis of the US military and political presence in Syria is to ensure the security of the people of the region and eliminate the threat of terrorism, Barrack told Syria TV in an interview published on the channel’s Facebook account on Thursday. Trump’s goal is not to be the government in Syria, but to “enable the government,” he said, adding: “Good way for you to think about it is we wanna be the dessert, the baklava.” Referring
• Israel detained 12,000 Palestinians from Gaza since October 2023: Prisoners’ group

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  The Israeli army has detained more than 12,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in the course of its genocidal war that has been taking place since October 2023, a Palestinian...

  Israel detained 12,000 Palestinians from Gaza since October 2023: Prisoners’ group

  

  The Israeli army has detained more than 12,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in the course of its genocidal war that has been taking place since October 2023, a Palestinian prisoners’ affairs group said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement, the Prisoners’ Media Office, affiliated with Hamas, said at least 3,500 of them are still held by the Israeli army in its detention facilities, including dozens of medical staffers, civil defense personnel, and journalists. It added that the Israeli army detained 700 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in May. The statement said the Israeli army opened new detention facilities under its supervision, where soldiers “practiced all forms of torture and abuses that are internationally prohibited.” Israeli authorities, the
• Humanitarian camouflage: The debut of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

  by MI on May 31, 2025

  What a nasty thing it has turned out to be.  It involved subversion – Israel’s desire to ignore international tenets of humanitarian aid in favour of expediency and security –...

  Humanitarian camouflage: The debut of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

  

  What a nasty thing it has turned out to be.  It involved subversion – Israel’s desire to ignore international tenets of humanitarian aid in favour of expediency and security – and the naked show of violent desperation.  Via the shoddy US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation company, distribution of necessaries in the Gaza Strip through the organisation’s delivery arm, Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), has been inadequate and selective.   SRS is a disreputable outfit, one lacking a résumé in humanitarian aid.  Its prowess, rather, lies in the realm of military intelligence.  A report from Ynet News describes its functions as “operating roadblocks, processing visual data from cameras, drones and satellites and using it to identify Hamas operatives and armed individuals.”  In
• Sarajevo Declaration of Gaza Tribunal condemns Israel’s genocide of Palestinians

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  The Sarajevo Declaration of the Gaza Tribunal, a “people’s tribunal” established as an independent initiative to investigate Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza, yesterday condemned the Israeli “regime” and its...

  Sarajevo Declaration of Gaza Tribunal condemns Israel’s genocide of Palestinians

  

  The Sarajevo Declaration of the Gaza Tribunal, a “people’s tribunal” established as an independent initiative to investigate Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza, yesterday condemned the Israeli “regime” and its actions. Over the last three days, sessions have been held at the International University of Sarajevo on the political economy of genocide and Gaza’s destruction, the crime of starvation, the role of the international system in the age of genocide, people’s tribunals, and the criminalisation of student protests. Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has levelled almost the entire territory and led to shortages of food and other basic necessities, increasing the risk of famine. The Sarajevo
• Gaza: IOF attacks aid seekers, killing one and injuring many others

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  One Palestinian civilian was killed and at least 20 others were injured this morning when Israeli occupation forces opened fire at people seeking food aid near US-run distribution points in...

  Gaza: IOF attacks aid seekers, killing one and injuring many others

  

  One Palestinian civilian was killed and at least 20 others were injured this morning when Israeli occupation forces opened fire at people seeking food aid near US-run distribution points in the Gaza Strip. A reporter for the Palestinian Information Centre (PIC) said that Rateb Jawda was shot dead when Israeli forces opened fire at desperate civilians seeking aid in the northwest of Rafah. According to local sources, tens of thousands of citizens started at dawn to head for the distribution point, which was established by the Israeli army in the Tel As-Sultan area in western Rafah, only to be surprised that the US company had placed just one aid box inside the centre. As a result, all the citizens started to leave
• Israel subcontracts new starvation mechanism through US-backed contractors and collaborators

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  In a move universally condemned by humanitarian organisations, Israel has begun constructing a parallel regime of control and aid distribution in Gaza, outsourcing food supplies to foreign security firms and...

  Israel subcontracts new starvation mechanism through US-backed contractors and collaborators

  

  In a move universally condemned by humanitarian organisations, Israel has begun constructing a parallel regime of control and aid distribution in Gaza, outsourcing food supplies to foreign security firms and fringe local collaborators after the UN and established Palestinian institutions refused to legitimise what critics describe as a system of militarised starvation and forced displacement. A US military contractor, Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), has signed an agreement with a little-known Palestinian company, “Three Brothers”, to run one of four Israeli-approved aid distribution hubs, the Financial Times reported. The scheme — developed under the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — has been rejected by nearly all major aid groups, with former GHF chief Jake Wood resigning days before launch, citing ethical
• OPEC+ may discuss oil output hike larger than 411,000 bpd for July, sources say

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  OPEC+ may discuss an increase in oil output for July at its meeting Saturday larger than the 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) increases it made for May and June, sources...

  OPEC+ may discuss oil output hike larger than 411,000 bpd for July, sources say

  

  OPEC+ may discuss an increase in oil output for July at its meeting Saturday larger than the 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) increases it made for May and June, sources familiar with OPEC+ talks told Reuters. Eight OPEC+ countries have been raising output more rapidly than earlier planned, even though the extra supply has weighed on prices. The strategy of group leaders Saudi Arabia and Russia is partly to punish over-producing allies and to win back market share, Reuters has reported. On Saturday, the eight members may decide to increase output by 411,000 bpd for July, OPEC+ sources have told Reuters. Two more sources familiar with OPEC+ talks and two OPEC+ delegates said they could also discuss a larger increase. Kazakhstan’s
• Italy willing to receive sole survivor of Israeli strike that claimed 9 siblings

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  Italy has announced its readiness to receive Adam, the only surviving child of Palestinian paediatrician Alaa Al-Najjar, who lost nine of her children in an Israeli air strike on Gaza...

  Italy willing to receive sole survivor of Israeli strike that claimed 9 siblings

  

  Italy has announced its readiness to receive Adam, the only surviving child of Palestinian paediatrician Alaa Al-Najjar, who lost nine of her children in an Israeli air strike on Gaza last week, Safa reported. In a statement issued yesterday, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is closely following the case of Dr Alaa Al-Najjar, whose family was targeted in an Israeli attack in recent days.” The ministry added that the doctor’s husband was seriously injured, while nine of their ten children were killed. Adam, the only child to survive, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The statement continued: “The Italian government is prepared to transfer Adam
• Thousands of Palestinian Bedouins protest home demolitions in Negev

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  Thousands of Palestinian Bedouins demonstrated yesterday in the city of Bir Saba’ in southern Israel against the occupation state’s policies of demolition and uprooting Palestinian villages in the Negev. Protesters...

  Thousands of Palestinian Bedouins protest home demolitions in Negev

  

  Thousands of Palestinian Bedouins demonstrated yesterday in the city of Bir Saba’ in southern Israel against the occupation state’s policies of demolition and uprooting Palestinian villages in the Negev. Protesters gathered around the Israeli Bedouin Settlement Authority in Beersheba (Bir Saba’) as part of a general strike organised to protest the Israeli demolition policy in the city. Approximately 15,000 people participated in the protest making it one of the largest demonstrations witnessed in the Negev in recent years. Demonstrators from various Arab villages and towns joined the protest expressing united popular anger and a firm rejection of the policies of demolition, uprooting, and displacement. Demonstrators raised black flags and held banners bearing slogans opposing the racist policies targeting the Palestinian presence in the Negev.
• Israel claims ‘suspicious envelopes’ sent to embassies in France, Belgium

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday that “suspicious envelopes” had been sent to the Israeli embassies in France and Belgium. The spokesperson said the envelopes arrived at the...

  Israel claims ‘suspicious envelopes’ sent to embassies in France, Belgium

  

  An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday that “suspicious envelopes” had been sent to the Israeli embassies in France and Belgium. The spokesperson said the envelopes arrived at the two embassies and were subjected to security checks to verify their contents. A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Paris announced the police examined the “suspicious letter” and confirmed that everything is fine. Last month, Israel claimed a suspicious envelope had arrived at the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem, the Hebrew-language Walla news website reported at the time. Citing unnamed sources, Walla said the protocol for handling dangerous materials was activated including calling in an explosives unit, examining the package, and closing the entrances to the site as a
• Hamas confirms receipt of US envoy’s new ‘permanent’ ceasefire proposal

  by MI on May 30, 2025

  Hamas yesterday announced that it had received US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff’s new proposal for a permanent ceasefire and prisoner exchange with Israel. In a brief statement on its...

  Hamas confirms receipt of US envoy’s new ‘permanent’ ceasefire proposal

  

  Hamas yesterday announced that it had received US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff’s new proposal for a permanent ceasefire and prisoner exchange with Israel. In a brief statement on its Telegram channel, Hamas said the movement’s leadership had received the new proposal and is studying it responsibly, in a way that serves the Palestinian people’s interests, including achieving a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Witkoff had previously promised to propose a new framework for resolving the crisis in the Gaza Strip, and details of this initiative were revealed yesterday. According to the proposed agreement, presented to Israel last night, the first phase begins with a 60-day ceasefire, during which ten living captives and the bodies of 18 others will