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

• 
  Israeli army plans to arm 10,000 reserve soldiers at home: Media

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  The Israeli army plans to arm about 10,000 reserve soldiers with firearms that will be kept permanently in their homes, a step described as a lesson drawn from the Oct. 7, 2023 events, local media said Sunday, Anadolu reports. According to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the move focuses on Division “David” (96), a formation established about a year ago that relies on older reservists – typically ages 40 to 60 – who volunteer to return to service after completing their reserve obligations. The soldiers “will receive an M4 or upgraded M16 rifle, magazines, a combat vest and a helmet,” delivered to their homes to enable immediate call-up to their battalion sector in the event of an emergency, the paper said.

• 
  Latin Patriarch leads Christmas mass in Gaza

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa announced on Sunday, Dec. 21, the start of this year’s Christmas celebrations during a mass at the Holy Family Church in eastern Gaza, which will be limited to prayers due to the ongoing conflict, Anadolu reports The… pic.twitter.com/LDK0TcVX07 — Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) December 21, 2025 Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa announced on Sunday, Dec. 21, the start of this year’s Christmas celebrations during a mass at the Holy Family Church in eastern Gaza, which will be limited to prayers due to the ongoing conflict, Anadolu reports The patriarch arrived in Gaza as part of his annual Christmas visit to assess the situation of Christians following two years of Israeli attacks.

• 
  UK lawyers launch legal case against Met police for failing to halt “Crusade” protest targeting Muslims

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  Legal Action for Peace (LAfP), an organisation of lawyers and human rights advocates, today announced a major step in its legal challenge against the Metropolitan Police Service. The lawyers acting for LAfP sent a pre-action letter to the Commissioner of the Met, challenging the force’s decision to permit UKIP’s protest on 25th October which was framed as a “crusade” to “reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists.” The lawyers claimed that although the Met allowed the protest to proceed, with a rerouted location, it failed in its statutory duties to protect the British Muslim community from hate speech and incitement to violence. Imran Khan & Partners said: “We have now served a Letter of Claim on the Metropolitan Police Service, putting them

• 
  America’s double game with international justice: When power poses as principle

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  The US likes to cloak itself in moral terms. It likes to envelop its policies with the trappings of “human rights,” “democracy,” and “a rules-based international order.” However, the disconnect between what America preaches around the globe and what America practices has become so wide that it cannot be obscured by statements at the podium or patriotic fiction. “From ignoring ICJ rulings to vetoing UN resolutions, Washington bends global justice to its will,” said Agnes Callamard of Amnesty International. In November 2024, when the International Criminal Court upheld arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, Washington did not applaud global accountability. The US did not hail the arrival of the law. They punished the judges. They punished the court. They labeled justice

• 
  Nuclear energy in the 2025 NSS: A policy correction or the strategic reawakening?

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  Nuclear energy has moved to the core of American strategic thinking, from being merely a peripheral climate policy tool to a central strategic concern. This manifests a strategic reawakening that aims to redefine the US role in a world surrounded by AI-driven, increased energy demands, supply chain pressures, and heightened geopolitical competition. The recently released National Security Strategy (NSS) 2025 encompasses the core national interests, the guiding principles, and the means at disposal to achieve them. It encompasses American national priorities, including military strength, technological leadership, and regional strategies across the Western Hemisphere, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. NSS 2025 not only highlights the importance of a reliable energy source but also its geopolitical potential to influence foreign

• 
  WHO chief warns progress against famine remains ‘extremely fragile’ in Gaza

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Sunday that the progress against famine in Gaza remains “extremely fragile” after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that no areas in Gaza are currently classified as facing famine, Anadolu reports. “This welcome progress remains extremely fragile as the population continues to struggle with massive infrastructure destruction, collapsed livelihoods and local food production, and restrictions to humanitarian operations,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on US social media platform X. Tedros noted that more than 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are still projected to suffer acute malnutrition through April next year while only 50% of Gaza’s health facilities are partially functional facing shortages of essential supplies and

• 
  Israeli minister proposes keeping Palestinian detainees in facility ’surrounded by crocodiles’

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has proposed establishing a “detention facility surrounded by crocodiles” to hold Palestinian prisoners, local media reported on Sunday, Anadolu reports. “The Israel Prison Service is examining an unusual proposal put forward by the National Security Minister (Itamar Ben-Gvir), which calls for setting up a detention facility for security prisoners surrounded by crocodiles in order to prevent escape attempts,” Channel 13 said. According to the channel, Ben-Gvir, who leads the far-right Jewish Power Party, presented his proposal during a situation assessment meeting he held last week with Israel Prison Service Chief Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi. It noted that the proposed site is located near the Hamat Gader area in northern Israel, near the occupied Syrian

• 
  Some Epstein documents, including Trump photo, reportedly removed from Justice Department website

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  More than one dozen files included in the release of investigative records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a photo showing US President Donald Trump, have been reportedly removed from the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s website, media reports said Saturday, Anadolu reports. “This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release,” Democrats on the House Oversight Committee wrote on US social media company X. They called on General Attorney Pamela Bondi to provide “transparency for the American public.” The removed files also included images of various artworks, some of which contained nudity, NPR reported. It comes after the Justice Department released thousands of records Friday related to

• 
  How Artificial Intelligence threatens human freedom and consolidates control in the hands of its controllers

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  US Senator Bernie Sanders, the well-known Democratic lawmaker, recently raised the alarm over the potential dangers that artificial intelligence (AI) poses to the United States. He did so in a speech broadcast in recent days, as well as in an opinion article published  earlier this month in the widely read British newspaper, The Guardian, under the title: “Artificial Intelligence Poses Unprecedented Threats. Congress Must Act Now.” Sanders’ intervention provides an important point of departure for a broader discussion about the risks associated with the global spread of artificial intelligence, whether in its popular, civilian form, exemplified by platforms such as ChatGPT, or in its security-driven, sovereign manifestation, represented by systems like Palantir. For societies beyond the United States, the consequences

• 
  2 Palestinians killed in Israeli attack in northern Gaza despite ceasefire

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  Two Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in the latest violation of the ceasefire agreement, medical sources said, Anadolu reports. The sources told Anadolu that an Israeli quadcopter drone dropped a bomb on civilians in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, killing two people. Witnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli attack took place in areas that the army forces withdrew from, noting that there have been no violations of the army-controlled yellow zone. Eastern parts of Gaza City have come under heavy fire from Israeli helicopters since early Sunday, according to local sources. Israeli military vehicles stationed in army-controlled areas opened fire toward the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, eastern Khan Younis,

• 
  Why Britain must designate the RSF a terrorist entity

  by Marwa A on December 21, 2025

  Last November, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia overran El-Fashir—the largest refuge for displaced families in Darfur—with chilling speed. Within days, thousands were slaughtered for no reason other than their ethnic identity. Women were raped in the open, their bodies turned into battlegrounds. Those who managed to flee found no safety beyond the city’s borders; they were hunted on the road, or stopped and forced to give blood to the very men who had destroyed their homes. The brutality did not end with the killing. In a desperate attempt to erase evidence, RSF fighters dug mass graves—an atrocity later exposed by independent experts analyzing satellite imagery. But El-Fashir’s final collapse was only the end of a far longer ordeal. Long

• 
  Lebanese premier says 1st phase of plan to place weapons under state control ‘days away from completion’

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Saturday that the first phase of the army’s plan to confine weapons to state control south of the Litani River is “days away from completion,” confirming that Lebanon is ready to move to the second phase of the plan, Anadolu reports. His remarks came during a meeting in Beirut with Simon Karam, head of the Lebanese delegation to the ceasefire monitoring committee with Israel, who briefed him on the details and outcome of the committee’s latest meeting. “The first phase of the plan to confine weapons south of the Litani River is just days away from completion,” he said in his comments cited by a statement from his office. Lebanon “is ready to move to

• 
  Russia’s Lavrov says ensuring security key condition for Africa’s development

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Saturday that strengthening peace and security in Africa is a key condition for ensuring the continent’s progressive, sustainable development and an important element in maintaining global stability, Anadolu reports. Speaking at the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Lavrov emphasized Russia’s commitment to supporting African countries in this regard. “We attach great importance to the issues of strengthening peace and security on the African continent. This is a key condition for ensuring progressive, sustainable socioeconomic development and an important element in maintaining global stability,” he said. Lavrov noted that Moscow provides assistance to African nations in clearing mines and improvised explosive devices and is expanding professional

• 
  Turkiye’s intelligence chief meets with Hamas delegation over Gaza ceasefire

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Turkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin on Saturday met with a delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas in Istanbul to discuss the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Anadolu reports. Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau and head of the negotiation team, led the delegation. During the meeting, the Hamas delegation said it is complying with the ceasefire terms and provided information on Israeli violations. The talks also focused on guarantor country Turkiye’s intensive efforts to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza and steps to prevent Israel’s violations. The two sides discussed the conditions needed to move to the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan and ways to address existing challenges. READ: Turkiye’s foreign minister attends Gaza talks with US,

• 
  Israeli settlers raid Hebron’s Old City under Israeli army protection

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  A group of illegal Israeli settlers stormed the West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports. Israeli soldiers provided protection and escorted the settlers during the raid on the Old City area, imposing heavy security measures. Such raids are a recurring practice, with Israeli settlers carrying out raids under the protection and escort of Israeli army forces. The Israeli army has escalated its attacks in the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,097 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian figures. In a landmark opinion last July,

• 
  Algerian parliament opens debate on bill criminalizing French colonization

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  The Algerian parliament on Saturday opened debate on a draft law that seeks to criminalize French colonial rule between 1830 and 1962, according to a statement by the People’s National Assembly, Anadolu reports. Speaker Ibrahim Boughali was authorized to formally present the draft bill during a plenary session of the lower house, according to the statement. Addressing lawmakers, Boughali said he is honored to present the draft bill criminalizing French colonization. He described the proposal as more than a legislative initiative, calling it a defining moment in modern Algeria through which the state, via its legislative institution, renews its commitment to national memory and the conscience of history. “This session is not a routine parliamentary procedure; rather, it is a

• 
  Swedish protesters denounce Israel’s violation of Gaza ceasefire

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday in Stockholm to protest Israeli plans to annex the occupied West Bank and its failure to comply with the ceasefire agreement, Anadolu reports. Protesters reacted to Israel’s actions, chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Murderer Israel, get out of Palestine,” and “No to the annexation of the West Bank.” Following calls from numerous civil society organizations, the crowd gathered at Odenplan Square and marched to the Swedish Parliament, carrying banners reading “Israel is not complying with the ceasefire,” “Stop the genocide,” and “Palestine forever.” During the demonstration, protesters called for peace and denounced the Israeli government’s policies. READ: Swiss Eurovision winner returns trophy in protest over Israel’s participation ‘Babies are freezing to death’ Speaking to

• 
  Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinian vehicles in central West Bank

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles Saturday in the village of Ein Yabroud, east of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. A group of illegal settlers blocked the path of Palestinian vehicles in the village and attacked them while Israeli forces were present, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The agency said the attack did not result in any injuries. Separately, the Israeli army closed the four entrances to the city of Jericho in the eastern West Bank, preventing passage and causing severe traffic gridlock and the accumulation of hundreds of vehicles, eyewitnesses told Anadolu without clarifying the reason for the closure. They added that some of the dirt roads drivers tried to use had illegal settlers

• 
  Gaza civil defense continues search for bodies under rubble in Khan Younis

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Civil defense teams in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis are continuing efforts to recover the bodies of Palestinians trapped beneath rubble following Israeli attacks, as the Gaza Strip remains under blockade, Anadolu reports. The bodies of those killed in the strikes and left buried under collapsed buildings throughout the war are being searched for by civil defense crews using heavy machinery. Remains recovered after prolonged periods beneath the rubble, including dismembered body parts and bones, are being collected by the teams for later identification. Israel has killed nearly 70,700 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 in Gaza since October 2023 and reduced the enclave to rubble. According to the latest data from Gaza’s Government Media

• 
  Turkiye’s foreign minister attends Gaza talks with US, Egyptian, Qatari officials in Miami

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  The US, Turkiye, Egypt and Qatar held talks on the Gaza situation in Miami on Friday, Anadolu reports. The Turkish side was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on US social media company X. “At the meeting, issues related to the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan were evaluated, and views were exchanged on the process of transitioning to the second phase,” Keceli said. “In the discussions, it was noted that the ceasefire achieved in the first phase has continued despite violations, the release of hostages has been completed, and the conflicts have largely been halted,” he said. “Regarding the second phase, arrangements to ensure that Gaza is governed by

• 
  Jordan confirms participation in US strikes on ISIS targets in Syria

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Jordan on Saturday confirmed that it took part in US airstrikes targeting the ISIS (Daesh) terror group positions in southern Syria, saying the operation was aimed at preventing the extremists from re-establishing a foothold that could threaten regional security, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Jordanian army said Royal Jordanian Air Force aircraft carried out precision airstrikes early Friday against several targets belonging to the terror group in southern Syria. The strikes were conducted in cooperation with the US as part of the international coalition against ISIS, the army said. The US launched a military operation in Syria in retaliation for a deadly Dec. 13 attack on American forces near the central Syrian city of Palmyra. The exact location, number

• 
  European countries concerned about new US sanctions on ICC judges

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Several European countries voiced concern Friday about new US sanctions imposed on two judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), reaffirming their support for the Court’s independence and ability to carry out its judicial mandate without political pressure, Anadolu reports. The Finnish Foreign Ministry said on US social media platform X that it “deeply regrets” the US decision to sanction the judges, stressing that the court must be able to function freely. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said Paris had taken note of the new sanctions targeting, as it urged Washington to withdraw all measures taken against the Court. “France condemns all forms of threats and coercive measures against the ICC, its staff and civil society organizations supporting

• 
  Lebanese PM meets Irish counterpart in Beirut, discusses bilateral ties

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday met with his Irish counterpart Micheal Martin in Beirut, where the two discussed developments in Lebanon, as well as bilateral relations, Anadolu reports. The Lebanese premier received Martin at the Grand Serail and reviewed the situation in the country, with a focus on the south, and covered relations between the two nations, according to a statement by Salam’s office on the US social media company X. Martin began a visit to Lebanon on Saturday ahead of the year-end holidays to visit Irish troops serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Lebanon’s National News Agency NNA reported. In October 2024, Ireland rejected an Israeli request to withdraw its troops from UNIFIL, according

• 
  US launches Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria targeting Daesh positions

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  The US launched an operation in Syria in retaliation for a deadly Dec. 13 attack on American forces in Palmyra, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday, Anadolu reports. “Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites,” Hegseth wrote on US social media platform X. The operation was described as a direct response to the attack, which targeted American personnel stationed in eastern Syria. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” said Hegseth, adding that the US “will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.” He said the US had “hunted and killed” several individuals during the strike and indicated actions

• 
  Europe’s high-stakes gamble

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Europe is faced with one of its most critical choices since the Russian attack on Ukraine. There are about €210 billion of Russian sovereign assets frozen across the entire European Union, of which €183 billion are held by Euroclear, headquartered in Brussels. This choice aims to assess Europe’s financial solidity over the next few years. The Europeans were very divided, confused, and terrified of the Russian response when they met at the Brussels session on 18 December. Hence, they delayed their much-hyped plan to tap the Russian frozen assets. The strategic appeal Ukraine faces a significant funding gap, and this year it needs $51.5 billion to finance its budget deficit, which accounts for 25 per cent of its 2025 budget.

• 
  UN chief warns Gaza hunger gains are ‘fragile’ as 1.6M still face extreme food insecurity

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday warned that while famine in the Gaza Strip has been averted, the humanitarian situation remains extremely fragile, with more than 75% of the population facing acute food insecurity and critical risks of malnutrition, Anadolu Agency reports. “Famine has been pushed back. Far more people are able to access the food they need to survive,” Guterres told a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York. “Gains are fragile, perilously so.” He said 1.6 million people in Gaza, more than 75% of the population, are projected to face “extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition risks.” “And in more than half of Gaza, where Israeli troops remain deployed, farmland and entire neighborhoods are

• 
  Egypt, Russia stress need to sustain Gaza ceasefire agreement

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  The top diplomats of Egypt and Russia stressed Friday the importance of implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement and ensuring its sustainability amid continued Israeli violations, Anadolu Agency reports. Addressing a joint press conference held in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Egypt is exerting intensive efforts to stabilize the ceasefire and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, emphasizing the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803, as well as the need to reopen the Rafah crossing in both directions. He also highlighted the depth of Egyptian-Russian relations across various fields, noting that he discussed with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the strategic partnership between Cairo and Moscow and ways to increase bilateral trade. They also discussed

• 
  US wants increased aid flow into Gaza as it works toward next phase of ceasefire

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Washington wants to see an increase in humanitarian aid flowing into the Gaza Strip, including areas still under Hamas control, Anadolu Agency reports. “We want to continue to see the flow of aid increase into those parts of Gaza that are still under Hamas control,” Rubio told reporters at a news conference at the State Department. He said a ceasefire is currently in place, and large-scale hostilities have subsided compared to earlier phases of the war, but significant challenges remain. Rubio said the focus is on fully implementing phase one of the ceasefire to transition to phases two and three. He said there is “relative peace right now, for the most

• 
  Syrian president thanks Turkiye, US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar for lifting of Caesar Act sanctions

  by MI on December 20, 2025

  Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Friday thanked the leaders of Turkiye, US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar for their role in lifting the Caesar Act sanctions on the country, Anadolu reports. This came in a short video posted on his account on the US social media company X after President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, formally ending the sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act during the rule of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime. “Great Syrian people, I address you today from the slopes of Mount Qasioun (in the capital Damascus) with congratulations and thanks for the lifting of sanctions on Syria. Today will be the first day of Syria without sanctions, by the grace of God Almighty, and then

• 
  Israeli forces injure 3 Palestinians, detain 4 in occupied West Bank

  by Marwa A on December 19, 2025

  Three Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire and four others detained in military raids in the occupied West Bank on Friday, medics and witnesses said, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its teams treated two Palestinians who were wounded in Al-Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah in central West Bank. According to witnesses, Israeli forces raided the camp and took positions among residential buildings, firing live bullets and tear gas canisters. The Red Crescent said a third Palestinian was injured in the leg by Israeli fire near a separation wall in the town of Al-Ram, northeast of Jerusalem. In the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus in the northern West Bank, Israeli forces arrested four Palestinians

• 
  4 Gazans injured in Israeli artillery shelling in new ceasefire violation

  by Marwa A on December 19, 2025

  Four Palestinians were injured on Friday in Israeli artillery shelling in Gaza City, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, medical sources said, Anadolu reports. The four were rushed to the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in central Gaza after Israeli forces shelled a school-turned shelter in Al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. The targeted area is among the locations from which the Israeli army had withdrawn under the ceasefire agreement in force in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 10. Palestinians have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire deal that halted a two-year war that has killed nearly 70,700 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023. According to the Health Ministry, at least 395

• 
  UN chief ‘strongly condemns’ latest detention of 10 personnel by Houthis in Yemen

  by Marwa A on December 19, 2025

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday “strongly” condemned the latest detention of 10 UN personnel by the Houthis in Yemen, bringing the total number of detained staff to 69, Anadolu reports. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that “these detentions render the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance in Houthi-controlled areas untenable,” affecting “millions of people in need and limits their access to life-saving assistance.” Guterres, according to Dujarric, also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained personnel from the UN, non-governmental and civil society organizations and diplomatic missions, urging the “Houthis to rescind the referral of UN personnel for prosecution.” “He further calls for the respect of international law, including the privileges and immunities of

• 
  Famine conditions offset in Gaza, but 1.6M to still face crisis-level hunger: IPC

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Famine conditions in the Gaza Strip have been temporarily offset following a reduction in hostilities and improved access for humanitarian and commercial food deliveries, but the overall situation remains critical, according to new findings released on Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Anadolu reports. Between Oct. 16 and Nov. 30, 2025, around 1.6 million people, or 77% of the population analyzed, experienced high levels of acute food insecurity classified as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or worse, the analysis said. This included more than half a million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and over 100,000 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), the most severe classification. While recent developments amid the fragile ceasefire, including a proposed peace plan and

• 
  Indonesia’s incremental re-engagement with Libya

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  A low-profile diplomatic meeting in Jakarta this month offered an instructive glimpse into how Indonesia is refining its engagement with North Africa and the wider Middle East. The Second Indonesia–Libya Joint Committee Meeting, held on 15 December 2025, did not produce dramatic announcements or sweeping pledges. Instead, it reflected a carefully calibrated effort by both countries to rebuild momentum after years of regional instability — and to do so in ways that align with Indonesia’s broader approach to the MENA region. The session brought together delegations led by Indonesia’s vice minister for foreign affairs, Anis Matta, and Libya’s vice minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation for migration and overseas citizens, Mohamed Saeed Zidan. Officials from relevant ministries on both

• 
  Saudi Arabia welcomes US decision to lift Caesar Act sanctions on Syria

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Saudi Arabia on Friday welcomed the US decision to lift sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act, Anadolu reports. This came a day after US President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, formally ending the sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act during the rule of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime. Commenting on the move, a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said that Washington’s decision will “contribute to supporting stability, prosperity, and development in Syria, in a manner that fulfills the aspirations of the Syrian people.” It also commended Trump’s “positive” role in this regard. The ministry congratulated the Syrian government and people on the lifting of all sanctions and expressed appreciation for the steps taken by the government

• 
  Lebanese, Egyptian premiers discuss bilateral relations in Beirut meeting

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met on Friday his Lebanese counterpart Nawaf Salam in Beirut and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly economic cooperation, the latter’s office said, Anadolu reports. Official reception ceremonies took place at the Grand Serail with official honors that included the playing of the two national anthems. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and prospects for expanding cooperation in several sectors, with a focus on the economy, energy, industry and transport. Madbouly arrived in Lebanon on Thursday evening for a two-day visit. He is also expected to meet Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri. Earlier, during Salam’s visit to Cairo in November, Lebanon and Egypt signed 15 agreements and memorandums of understanding covering

• 
  US power, Israeli settler colonialism, and the UN: The political economy of impunity

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Breaking from most members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the United States declined to condemn illegal Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank and opposed briefings on Resolution 2334 — the legal instrument affirming the illegality of Israel’s settlement project under international law. This was not an episodic diplomatic choice or a lapse in judgment. It was a routine assertion of power by a state that treats international law not as a binding framework, but as an instrument to be activated or suspended depending on strategic need. What is at stake here goes far beyond moral inconsistency. It concerns the material architecture of global power — the way law, military force, capital, and political legitimacy are organised

• 
  Amnesty calls for blocking German-owned ship carrying arms components bound for Israel

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Amnesty International on Friday called on governments to prevent a German-owned cargo ship carrying military components bound for Israel from docking at their ports, warning that the shipment risks contributing to genocide and other serious crimes under international law, Anadolu reports. The Portuguese-flagged vessel, Holger G, is reported to be carrying around 440 tons of mortar bomb parts, projectiles and military-grade steel. According to Amnesty International, the cargo is destined for major Israeli defense companies, including Elbit Systems and its subsidiary IMI Systems, which supply large quantities of weapons to the Israeli military. Amnesty said it had verified that the ship is transporting metal alloys used in artillery shells, as well as items believed to be subsystems and components that could

• 
  Doctors Without Borders reports spike in respiratory infections in Gaza amid harsh winter

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Doctors Without Borders on Friday said that it is recording a sharp increase in respiratory infections in Gaza as harsh winter compounds already dire living conditions, posing a serious threat to young children, Anadolu reports. In a statement posted on the US social media company X, the medical charity said a 29-day-old infant died Thursday at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, just two hours after arriving at the MSF-supported pediatric ward early in the morning. Despite efforts, the staff were unable to save the child’s life. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the infant died as a result of a severe drop in body temperature. His death brought to 13 the number of people who have died after being admitted to hospitals due

• 
  The three narratives: Gaza as the last moral frontier against Israel’s policy of annihilation

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Three dominant narratives contend for the future of Gaza and occupied Palestine, yet only one is being translated into consequential action: the Israeli narrative of domination and genocide. This singular, violent vision is the only one backed by the brute force of policy and fact. The first narrative belongs to the Trump administration, largely embraced by the US Western allies. It rests on the self-serving claim that US President Donald Trump personally solved the Middle East crisis, ushering in a peace that has supposedly eluded the region for thousands of years. Figures like Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US-Israel Ambassador Mike Huckabee are presented as architects of a new regional order. This narrative is exclusive, domineering, and US-centric. It

• 
  WHO chief says over 10,600 patients evacuated from Gaza, warns many still waiting

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  More than 10,600 patients with severe health conditions have been medically evacuated from Gaza since October 2023, but thousands more remain trapped without access to life-saving care, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, Anadolu reports. In a post on US social media company X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that evacuations carried out by the WHO and its partners included more than 5,600 children, all requiring critical and advanced medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. “Yet, many more patients remain in Gaza awaiting evacuation to receive appropriate health care,” Tedros said. Citing figures from the Ministry of Health, he said at least 1,092 patients died while waiting for medical evacuation between July 2024 and Nov. 28, 2025, warning

• 
  UN says Sudan’s RSF killed over 1,000 civilians in Zamzam camp in April

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  More than 1,000 civilians were killed during a three-day attack by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Zamzam camp, the largest displacement camp in western Sudan, the UN Human Rights Office reported on Thursday. In April, the RSF stormed Zamzam camp as part of their siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. According to the UN report, hundreds of people were summarily executed during the attack. Displaced civilians were killed in house-to-house raids, in the main market, and inside schools and health facilities. The report also documented patterns of sexual violence, “including rape, gang rape and sexual slavery”. It said these acts amount to “a consistent pattern of serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross abuses of

• 
  New antisemitism is Islamophobia’s new apparatus

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  As a Muslim scholar of Islamophobia, I know how hate can be intensified when my identity as a Muslim is only seen as associated with a monstrous entity.  Despite the West’s well-documented role in the conditions that produced ISIS, ISIS appropriated Islam as a political identity and a vehicle for violence, is making Muslims in the West less safe. The 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack, where a far-right terrorist shot and murdered 53 Muslim worshippers, marked the catastrophic culmination of this Islamophobic climate in the West. Israel is reproducing a similar environment for Jews. While carrying out a live-streamed genocide in Gaza, Israel simultaneously asserts itself as the custodian of Judaism and the representative of Jews everywhere. In doing so, it

• 
  Egypt sets out ‘red lines’ on Sudan during Burhan’s visit to Cairo

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council chairman, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrived in Cairo on Thursday for a short official visit, as the Egyptian presidency announced what it described as “red lines” that it will not allow to be crossed in relation to the Sudanese crisis. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was among those who received al-Burhan at Cairo International Airport. In a statement, Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council said talks between al-Burhan and al-Sisi would focus on strengthening bilateral relations and expanding prospects for joint cooperation across various fields, as well as discussing the latest developments in Sudan. The Egyptian presidency said in a separate statement that Cairo is following with “grave concern” the ongoing escalation and extreme tension in Sudan, as well

• 
  Iran says missile production continued and strikes penetrated Israeli defences; says top general

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Iran has said it did not halt missile production after the last war and claimed that its missiles successfully penetrated Israeli air defence systems and struck their intended targets. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said on Thursday that Iranian missiles had destroyed what he described as vital targets inside Israel. According to Mehr News Agency, Shekarchi made the remarks during a speech at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran. He said that “Iran’s missiles, manufactured by our elite, penetrated all of the occupation’s expensive air defence systems and destroyed vital targets in Israel”. Shekarchi said that comprehensive defence against Israel extends beyond military action and includes security, political, economic and social

• 
  Fidan dismisses Israeli objection to Turkey’s participation in Gaza force

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has downplayed Israel’s objections to Ankara’s participation in the Gaza Stabilisation Force, saying that Tel Aviv “is not the only relevant actor” involved in the decision. Speaking in an interview with a Turkish television channel on Thursday, Fidan said that discussions over the force involve multiple stakeholders, adding that Turkey remains in continuous contact with them. He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had made it clear from the outset that Ankara is fully prepared to provide all necessary support to the peace process and to contribute to humanitarian, military, security, technical and infrastructure efforts in Gaza. Fidan said Turkey’s primary concern is identifying the urgent needs on the ground in Gaza, stressing that the

• 
  The unmasking of an illusion: Britain’s reckoning and America’s last stand

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  The masks are off. Eight decades of American support to maintain the myth of a virtuous Israel have finally come crashing down. September 2025 marked a new stage in this brutal saga when Britain, the original sinner behind the Balfour Declaration, took a tangible step of admitting its guilt by recognising the State of Palestine. Britain’s move was not a diplomatic gesture. In reality, this marked a pivotal moment in history. As confessed by Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, “We are acting with ‘the hand of history on our shoulders,’ mindful of Britain’s central role in the 1917 Balfour Declaration,”  One power stands alone in political delusion. The United States, which puts the support of evangelical Christian Zionists above human

• 
  US intelligence chief faces criticism over linking Sydney attack to claims of ‘Islamising Australia’

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has faced wide criticism after linking the terrorist attack in Sydney to what she described as an attempt to “Islamise” Australia. Writing on her account on X on Tuesday, Gabbard said: “The tragic Islamist terror attack against those at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia sadly should not come as a surprise to anyone.” She added: “This is the direct result of the massive influx of Islamists to Australia. Their goal is not only the Islamization of Australia but the entire world—including the United States.” Gabbard went on to say: “Islamists and Islamism is the greatest threat to the freedom, security, and prosperity of the United States and the entire world. It is probably

• 
  Gaza flood was ‘utterly preventable tragedy,’ says Amnesty International

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Devastation and suffering from heavy rainfall and storms that hit Gaza are the foreseeable consequences of Israel’s ongoing genocide and were an “utterly preventable tragedy,” Amnesty International said Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reported. In a statement, the international human rights group said the devastating scenes of flooded tents and collapsed buildings in Gaza that have emerged in recent days “cannot be blamed solely on bad weather.” “They are the foreseeable consequences of Israel’s ongoing genocide and deliberate policy of blocking the entry of shelter and repair materials for the displaced,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s senior director for research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns. Stressing how Israel has only allowed extremely limited supplies to reach the enclave’s people, the statement said

• 
  Israel’s finance minister threatens to confiscate additional Palestinian tax revenues

  by MI on December 19, 2025

  Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to withhold further Palestinian tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority, announcing the preparation of what he described as a “national emergency plan” over waste burning in the occupied West Bank. In a statement released on Thursday, Smotrich said he had held an “emergency meeting” with Israel’s defence minister, Yisrael Katz, to discuss what he referred to as the “threat of burning Arab waste in the West Bank”. He claimed the issue was “more widespread and dangerous than has been described so far”, describing it as a “serious and ongoing threat to environmental quality, quality of life and the health of the region’s residents”. Smotrich said he was committed to “eliminating the phenomenon