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

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  Israel issues 800 al-Aqsa expulsion orders since start of 2026

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  The Jerusalem Governorate said on Sunday that the number of Israeli expulsion orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque recorded since the start of 2026 had risen to 800, after around 15 orders were documented during the first six days of September. In a statement, the governorate said the number of orders recorded in the first six days of September was close to the combined total recorded in July and August, which stood at 23. It said Israeli authorities issued 17 expulsion orders in July and six in August. The governorate said the figures “reflect an acceleration in the use of the expulsion policy ahead of the Jewish holiday season”, which runs from mid-September to early October. READ: UN warns Israeli raid led by

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  Israeli army throws stun grenade at worshippers inside West Bank mosque

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  The Israeli army on Sunday threw a stun grenade at worshippers inside a mosque near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, in the third attack on places of worship since the start of September. Voice of Palestine radio said Israeli forces threw a stun grenade towards worshippers inside the Grand Mosque during a raid on Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem. The radio station posted a photograph of the grenade lying on the mosque’s carpet after evening prayers, without giving the exact time of the incident. READ: Israeli forces raid West Bank, Jerusalem as settlers cut water supply to Tubas community On Tuesday evening, Palestinian worshippers suffered breathing difficulties after Israeli forces fired tear gas inside a mosque in Madama village in

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  Lebanese parliament speaker accuses Israel of turning south into a “ballot box of blood”

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday condemned Israel’s continued escalation in southern Lebanon, saying attacks on civilians and the destruction of facilities, homes and villages amounted to acts of state terrorism. In comments carried by Sputnik, Berri said Israel had killed civilians, including children and women, in Mifdoun, Ramadiyeh and Mideon on Saturday and in Arab Salim early on Sunday. He also accused Israel of destroying Ghandoor Hospital in Nabatieh and targeting a Finance Ministry office in Nabatieh. He said the attacks, along with the continued destruction of homes and villages in Nabatieh, Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil and Tyre, were crimes that should be condemned because of their nature and scale. READ: UN says Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon continue to

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  Ben-Gvir proposes ministry to promote ‘voluntary emigration’ from Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said his Otzma Yehudit party would seek to establish a government ministry dedicated to promoting what he calls the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip if the party participates in Israel’s next government. Ben-Gvir said his party would demand control of the proposed ministry as well as the authority and funding needed to implement the policy. He argued that facilitating the departure of Palestinians who wish to leave Gaza would benefit both Israel and those seeking to relocate abroad. The proposal forms part of a plan unveiled by Ben-Gvir under the name “Disengagement 710.” According to figures presented by his party, the initiative aims to facilitate the departure of approximately 250,000

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  UN experts report more than 6,000 killed during RSF capture of El Fasher

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  More than 6,000 people were killed within days of the Rapid Support Forces’ capture of El Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region in October 2025, according to findings cited in a report by the UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Sudan. The report said approximately 260,000 civilians were living in El Fasher before the RSF took control of the city on October 26, 2025. By 1st March 2026, an estimated 138,000 people had been displaced from the city, while thousands of civilians remained unaccounted for, according to the panel. The experts based their assessment on eyewitness interviews and other information gathered during their investigation. Their estimates were broadly consistent with findings by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for

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  Iran airs footage purporting to show missile strikes on US warships

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  Iranian state television has broadcast footage it said showed ballistic missile attacks on a US aircraft carrier and destroyer, as Iran and the United States exchanged strikes on military and oil-related targets in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the two US warships were targeted with Iranian-made Qasem Basir ballistic missiles, alleging that the vessels had participated in a naval blockade of Iranian shipping. The IRGC claimed the missiles damaged both vessels and forced them to withdraw from the area. The footage broadcast by Iranian state media was presented as documenting the attacks, but the claims of direct hits and damage could not be independently verified. The Iranian military described the strikes as

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  11 killed, including 2 infants, in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  At least 11 fatalities, including two infants, along with five injuries, were reported in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon overnight, according to the Lebanese state news agency NNA on Monday. Israeli warplanes struck a three-story residential building in the town of Kafr Rouman, near Nabatieh, after midnight, completely destroying it, the agency reported. Emergency teams recovered nine bodies, including those of two infants, from the rubble, while five people were injured. READ: UN says Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon continue to affect civilians In a separate attack, an Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle in Kafr Rouman, killing two paramedics from the Islamic Risala Scout Association who were inside. Israeli warplanes also carried out a series of strikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa

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  Belgian migration minister opposes bringing 13 Palestinian students from Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  Belgium’s asylum and migration minister said Sunday she opposes allowing 13 Palestinian students from Gaza to enter Belgium despite having scholarships and visas to study in the country. Anneleen Van Bossuyt told Belgian public broadcaster VRT that authorities should consider the potential consequences of allowing the students to enter, warning of a “domino effect.” “It is presented as if it concerns only 13 people, but we must not forget the domino effect,” she said, noting that they could later seek family reunification or apply for asylum. Van Bossuyt questioned why similar arrangements would not then apply to people from other conflict-affected countries, including Yemen, Sudan and Afghanistan. READ: Belgium welcomes reported Gaza disarmament agreement, urges swift implementation “Why would that not

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  Algae bloom disrupts Israeli desalination plants, raising water supply concerns

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  Several desalination plants along Israel’s Mediterranean coast have been shut down or are operating at reduced capacity because of unusually high seawater turbidity linked to a proliferation of microscopic algae, according to Israeli media reports. Ynet reported that the algae bloom has affected most of Israel’s coastal desalination facilities, disrupting water production at a time of high summer demand. According to preliminary assessments cited in the report, the algae may have originated near the Nile Delta before being carried by Mediterranean currents toward the Israeli coastline. The precise origin of the phenomenon has not been established. READ: Study: Nearly 1,400 doctors left Israel for extended periods between 2023 and 2025 Desalination facilities provide approximately 70 percent of Israel’s water consumption, making

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  Study: Nearly 1,400 doctors left Israel for extended periods between 2023 and 2025

  by Mehdi Editor on September 7, 2026

  Nearly 1,400 doctors left Israel for periods of at least one year between 2023 and 2025, almost double the number recorded during the corresponding three-year period a decade earlier, according to a new study by researchers at Tel Aviv University. The study, based on data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and reported by Ynet on Sunday, found that 1,369 physicians left the country between 2023 and 2025, compared with 705 between 2013 and 2015 — an increase of approximately 94 percent. According to the figures, 419 doctors left Israel in 2023, rising to 530 in 2024, the highest annual figure during the period examined. An estimated 420 doctors left in 2025, although researchers noted that the figure remains preliminary.

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  Israeli army chief warns of ‘tense, volatile period’ across all fronts

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Sunday that Israel is facing a “tense and volatile period across all sectors,” as the military continues its attacks on several regional fronts, Anadolu reports. “We are in a tense and volatile period across all sectors, and are preparing for the upcoming holiday period,” a military statement quoted Zamir as saying during an assessment with the military’s top brass in a snap drill. “The baseline posture of the entire Israeli army is readiness for a surprise attack,” he added. Since October 2023, Israel has continued its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 73,000 people. Tel Aviv also fought two wars against Lebanon and Iran, and carried out attacks in Yemen

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  Israeli occupier spits at entrance of Christian monastery in occupied East Jerusalem

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  An Israeli occupier spat at the entrance of the Monastery of St. James in the Armenian Quarter of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, Palestinian authorities said Sunday, Anadolu reports. The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that the incident was part of a series of repeated attacks targeting churches, monasteries and Christian clergy in the Old City, including spitting, insults, physical assaults and vandalism. It also released a video showing the Israeli occupier spitting at the entrance of the monastery. The incident came a day after Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin met a delegation from Churches for Middle East Peace on Saturday to discuss Israeli attacks against Christians. During the meeting, Shahin briefed the delegation on the “deteriorating situation

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  Lebanese president condemns renewed Israeli strikes on Nabatieh, urges international action

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Sunday condemned renewed Israeli attacks on the southern city of Nabatieh and surrounding towns, saying the targeting of state institutions and health facilities marked a “dangerous escalation,” Anadolu reports. In a statement posted by the Lebanese presidency on US social media company X, Aoun said the attacks caused civilian casualties, severely damaged a Finance Ministry building and destroyed Ghandour Hospital. He said the attacks went beyond repeated violations of the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement and the framework agreement by attacking Lebanese state institutions, public service facilities, a hospital and health centers. Aoun said the attack on the Finance Ministry building, following an earlier strike on a State Security center that caused fatalities, demonstrated “a continuing pattern” of

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  Israel to hold large-scale military drill near Jordan border

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  The Israeli army said Sunday it will launch a large-scale military exercise in the Red Sea city of Eilat and the Arava Valley along the Jordanian border on Monday to simulate a surprise attack, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the army said the exercise will be led by its 80th Division, adding that increased movement of security forces, aircraft and naval vessels will be seen in the area starting Sunday. The forces will train for “a range of scenarios,” including a surprise attack and infiltration into Israeli territory by air, sea and land, it said. The army did not specify how long the exercise would last, saying only that drills would take place “over the coming days.” It said the

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  2 years after Israeli forces killed Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, family still waits for justice

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  Two years after Israeli forces killed Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank, her family says there has been virtually no progress toward accountability for her death, Anadolu reports. “It’s exactly where it was on day one,” Hamid Ali, Eygi’s husband, told Anadolu from his home in Seattle. “We’re still asking for the same thing, which is an investigation as a first step into getting justice for her.” Eygi, 26, a dual Turkish-US citizen, was killed Sept. 6, 2024, while participating in a protest against Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank town of Beita, near Nablus. The Israeli military said she was hit “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli military fire that “was not aimed at her” as its

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  Adidas faces boycott calls over Israeli veteran in single-shoe campaign

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  Adidas is facing calls for a boycott after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in a campaign promoting its Single Shoe Service, an initiative that allows customers who need only one shoe to buy a single shoe instead of a pair, Anadolu reports. Human rights activists and social media users have called for a boycott of Adidas, questioning the use of an Israeli military veteran to promote a disability-accessibility initiative against the backdrop of war in Gaza, where the World Health Organization estimates that more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations have occurred since October 2023. The inclusion of Biton, who lost his left leg after being wounded during fighting near Gaza in May 2021, has prompted questions about how Adidas

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  Gaza holds funeral for 100 Palestinians recovered from rubble of destroyed homes

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  Palestinians held a funeral procession on Sunday for 100 people recovered from under the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood following Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave, Anadolu reports. Thousands of Palestinians, including relatives of the victims as well as community and political figures, attended the procession, with the bodies and remains laid out in an area near the ruins of the destroyed homes and draped in Palestinian flags. The funeral includes memorial addresses by Gaza’s Civil Defense, whose teams carried out the recovery operations, as well as representatives of the victims’ families and community figures. The bodies and remains are expected to be buried at Al-Ahli cemetery in the Zeitoun neighborhood after funeral prayers. Civil Defense

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  Israel’s Game

  by Marwa A on September 6, 2026

  A few days ago, a very interesting article appeared in the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post. It was written by AJ Jaff, whose profile describes him as “a recognised expert in international security, crisis management, and geopolitical risk”. The “expert” began the article by acknowledging that the 6-month-long air war on Iran has failed to defeat Iran. Then, he provided some “out-of-the-box” ideas for the US to consider if it wants to “achieve its objectives” and win the war. According to him, the war will only be won when Iran’s institutional coherence is broken, resulting in its Balkanization. I will discuss Mr Jaff’s “out of the box” ideas in a bit, but first, I want to analyse the “expert” himself

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  Cyprus’s energy paradox: Gas beneath the sea, isolation on the grid

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  Cyprus presents one of the Eastern Mediterranean’s most striking energy contradictions. It possesses commercially promising offshore gas fields, yet its electricity system remains isolated from the European grid, dependent on imported fuels and increasingly unable to absorb all the solar power generated on the island. For Nicosia, therefore, the central question is not simply how much gas can be extracted. It is whether Cyprus can convert offshore resources, electricity cables and strategic geography into durable diplomatic influence—without allowing energy to deepen the political divisions already shaping the Eastern Mediterranean. Gas without an export system The discovery of the Aphrodite field in 2011 appeared to promise Cyprus a new geopolitical role. Estimated to contain approximately 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas,

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  US envoy to Israel visits occupied West Bank, calls occupiers attacking Palestinians ‘terrorists’

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the occupied West Bank on Saturday, calling occupiers staging attacks against Palestinian “terrorists,” Anadolu reports. “I know that’s an uncomfortable word for some people, but when you try to create an atmosphere in which people feel uncomfortable living in their own homes, their children playing in their own lawns and yards, and people feeling that they’re not safe and that they’re not secure because of the behavior, the actions, and the intimidation of others, that’s terrorism by any definition,” Huckabee said during a visit to Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah in the central West Bank. During his visit, the diplomat met with and heard testimonies from Palestinian-Americans about the challenges they face in

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  Saudi Embassy urges investigation after citizen stabbed in London’s Mayfair

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in the UK said Friday it was closely monitoring the condition of a Saudi citizen who was stabbed in London’s Mayfair district, Anadolu reports. In a post on US social media platform X, the embassy said it was coordinating with relevant British authorities and ensuring that the victim received necessary care and support. The embassy said it would continue monitoring the Saudi citizen’s health until he was safely discharged from the hospital. “The Embassy affirms that it is following up on the circumstances of the incident with the relevant security authorities, and emphasizes the importance of expediting the completion of the investigations, uncovering all details of the incident, and holding the perpetrator accountable in accordance with the

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  Tehran’s dangerous illusion of control

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  When Iran launched salvoes of drones and missiles at American bases, the message was clear. Strikes hit facilities in Kuwait, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates on September 3. Tehran wanted to signal that it retains complete dominance over the Persian Gulf. Yet behind these dramatic strikes lies a far more uncomfortable reality for Iranian leaders. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) faces a widening gap in its operational capabilities. Tehran seeks total leverage over the Strait of Hormuz during this ongoing conflict. However, its war machine is visibly stalling on the regional battlefield today. From the outset of this campaign, Iran’s political calculus depended heavily on economic coercion. Hardline strategists in Tehran openly targeted a global oil price spike

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  Dreams about Gaza: Israel’s ethnic cleansing proposals

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  Let’s be done with the pretence of decency and soggy references to just resolution in the face of extreme circumstances.  Be done with the hilarious stage acts of referring to legal doctrines that either do not exist or cannot exist in the bloodied context they are being forced to refer to.  The State of Israel is intent, with every arm, administrative faculty and office bearer of consequence, to achieve ethnic effacing and utopic bliss with the removal of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, with the former going first. Speaking on 2nd September at a conference organised by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz returned to a theme so rapidly hardening it is likely

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  Entry, clashes, fire: Israeli occupier violence in West Bank village shows familiar pattern

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  A familiar pattern of occupier incursions under Israeli army protection, followed by fighting and soldiers opening fire on Palestinians is occurring with increasing frequency in the occupied West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday, Anadolu reports. Three incidents occurred in the past week, with Israeli soldiers shooting at least seven Palestinians, killing two, while others were physically assaulted during incursions into the village. The attacks come amid escalating occupier violence across the West Bank, which US Ambassador Mike Huckabee described in August as “terrorism,” saying those responsible were damaging Israel’s image. The attacks follow a similar sequence: occupiers approach homes on the village’s western outskirts with their flocks in the presence of soldiers before reporting that

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  Palestinian football returns after nearly 3-year pause due to Israel’s genocide

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  Palestinian football returned on Friday with a club competition in the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and refugee camps in Lebanon after a nearly three-year suspension due to Israel’s genocidal war, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Football Association organized the competition, “Thousand Martyrs Cup,” with opening matches held simultaneously in the three areas. Jabal Al-Mukaber faced Shabab Al-Khalil at Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in the town of Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, while Khadamat Rafah played Shabab Rafah at Ittihad Deir Al-Balah Club’s stadium in the central Gaza Strip. In Lebanon, Al-Ansar faced Al-Nahda at Abu Jihad Al-Wazir Stadium in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp in the south. As many as 244 clubs from the West Bank, Gaza and the diaspora

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  US ‘administered’ polygraphs to military officers for Iran war leaks

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  US investigators in August administered polygraph tests to 50 military officers and civilian officials following leaks concerning depleted American munitions stocks, according to multiple media reports on Friday, Anadolu reports. The probe targeted personnel with the Joint Staff, a group of senior military leaders advising the president, focusing on leaks regarding shortages of long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors due to the war with Iran, The New York Times reported. A CBS News report revealed that the FBI was not involved in conducting the tests, as the military utilized its internal investigators. Not all senior leaders were tested, with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine being excluded from the sweep. US President Donald Trump is said

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  US missile hits Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island: Report

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  A US missile struck an Iranian oil tanker near Iran’s Kharg Island on Saturday, according to Iranian media, Anadolu reports. The tanker involved was a “small vessel,” Iran’s Student News Agency reported. It said no casualties were reported. Kharg Island is vital to Iran’s oil export system, handling roughly 90% to 95% of the country’s crude exports. US President Donald Trump previously threatened to take control of the island. Regional tensions have escalated since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began Feb. 28, with Tehran responding with missile and drone strikes against Israel and US interests across the region. Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 concerning freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but its implementation

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  Government forces recapture ‘strategic’ positions from Houthis in western Yemen, army says

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  The Yemeni army said Saturday that its forces had recaptured several “strategic” positions from the Houthi group in Taiz and Al-Hudaydah in western Yemen, Anadolu reports. Government forces “achieved battlefield victories on the Haifan front” along the administrative border between Taiz and Lahj provinces, the army’s September Net news outlet said. The website, citing a military source, said clashes on various fronts in Taiz and along the western coast killed and wounded dozens of Houthi members and destroyed dozens of vehicles belonging to the group. The source added that fighting was still ongoing across the Taiz and western coastal fronts. The army also said that its forces had thwarted a Houthi infiltration attempt in the Al-Qasr area east of Taiz

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  The Syria option: Rethinking Middle Eastern oil exports beyond Hormuz

  by Marwa A on September 5, 2026

  President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Syria as a possible alternative to the Strait of Hormuz has pushed an old energy-security problem back to the center of Middle Eastern strategy. On September 3, Trump reacted positively to a Washington Post report describing Syria’s effort to market itself as an overland corridor from Iraq to the Mediterranean. The interest is understandable. Before the 2026 conflict, crude oil and petroleum liquids moving through Hormuz averaged 21.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) in the fourth quarter of 2025. By the second quarter of 2026, flows had fallen to 4.9 mbpd as conflict sharply constrained shipping. The episode showed how quickly dependence on one narrow waterway can become a problem for producers, importers and the

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  2 killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Two young men were killed Friday in an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, Anadolu reports. The strike targeted the men riding a motorcycle near the Engineers’ Syndicate building in the city during the afternoon, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. The attacks come amid continued Israeli escalation against villages and towns across southern Lebanon despite an agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal as part of a US-mediated negotiating process. Since March 2, 2026, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 4,000 people and injured over 12,000 others, while forcing more than 1 million people from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some held

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  UN urges restraint in Yemen, warns of civilian risks in Gaza, West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The UN on Friday urged Yemen’s warring parties to exercise restraint amid a sharp escalation in fighting, while expressing deep concern over the safety of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Anadolu reports. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN was “deeply concerned by the ongoing military clashes across multiple front lines in Yemen, including Ta’izz.” “We call on the Yemeni parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and refrain from actions that could lead to further military escalation,” Dujarric told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. He warned that further escalation could have “devastating political, economic, and security ramifications for Yemen and all of its people.” “The parties must prioritize dialogue and engage constructively with the United

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  Trump says US might hit Pickaxe Mountain in Iran ‘very soon’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington could strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain site “very soon,” while describing the ongoing conflict with Tehran as “small potatoes” and saying the US is carrying out intermittent strikes, Anadolu reports. Asked whether the confrontation should be considered a war, Trump said he preferred to call it a “military conflict.” “A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump said the US has been conducting “intermittent strikes” and claimed there had been no active fighting for several days before a recent US attack that targeted Iranian radar systems. “We’re

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  Qatar rejects Iran claim strikes only targeted US military sites

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Qatar said Friday that official records it submitted to the UN show Iranian missiles struck civilian, commercial and residential areas in the country, rejecting Tehran’s attempt to cite a Qatari document as evidence that its attacks were limited to US military facilities, Anadolu reports. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari made the remarks in a statement responding to a post on US social media company X by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. Baghaei cited a safety and security risk assessment prepared by Qatar for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, claiming the document confirmed that Iranian strikes exclusively targeted US military facilities in Qatar and did not target civilian areas. “If the Iranian side wishes to reference official documentation, we invite it

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  US pressing for humanitarian truce in Sudan to allow unhindered aid access: Trump adviser

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The US is urgently pressing for a humanitarian truce in Sudan that will allow unhindered aid access and increased assistance to people in need, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump said Friday, Anadolu reports. Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said Washington is also pushing for a comprehensive peace plan aimed at ensuring the warring parties meet their humanitarian obligations. “We continue to urgently press for a humanitarian truce that allows unhindered humanitarian access and increased aid delivery to those most in need, as well as for a comprehensive peace plan that helps holds parties to their humanitarian obligations,” Boulos said on the US social media company X. He also condemned the growing number of

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  Iran says much of oil, gas refining capacity damaged in US-Israeli attacks rebuilt

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Iran said Friday that much of its oil and gas refining facilities damaged in US-Israeli attacks since Feb. 28 had been rebuilt, Anadolu reports. Speaking to Shana, the Iranian Oil Ministry’s news platform, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the country’s crude oil exports continued throughout the war. Addressing attacks on Kharg Island, home to Iran’s main oil export terminal, Paknejad said the island had been struck more than 550 times. “This island, which covers an area of between 23 and 24 square kilometers (8.9 and 9.3 square miles), was subjected to more than 550 attacks, but our colleagues continued loading oil onto tankers even under bombardment,” he said. Paknejad also provided an update on oil and gas refining facilities in

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  Israel orders ‘immediate’ seizure of Palestinian land in northern occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Israeli authorities issued a military order to immediately seize nearly 7.5 dunams (1.8 acres) of land in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin Governorate, northern occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said in a statement on Friday that the order was issued as “immediate and urgent” under “security and military” pretexts. The order targets 7.498 dunams of land in Qabatiya, with one dunam equal to 1,000 square meters, the commission added. The order is valid for 60 days, while the deadline for filing objections was set at only 24 hours from the date of issuance, it said. The stated purpose of the order is “urgent military purposes” and the construction of a security road,

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  Iran shifting military doctrine toward preemptive attack: Army spokesman

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Iran has been gradually shifting its military doctrine toward preemptive attack since the June 2025 war, an army spokesman said Friday. “When we face an American threat, we defend ourselves, and international law allows us to defend ourselves preemptively,” Mohammad Akraminia said during a program broadcast by Iran’s state television. Akraminia said Iranian forces targeted US bases stretching from Jordan to the United Arab Emirates in response to American attacks. Iran also destroyed air defense systems at US bases across the region, he claimed, warning that Tehran would respond “faster and more forcefully” if it faced another Israeli attack. “Some of these bases housed radar facilities and air defense systems, which were destroyed,” he said. “With the destruction of these

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  Israeli army blocks activists from aiding Palestinians besieged by occupiers

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The Israeli army on Friday prevented around 100 Israeli peace activists from delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians who have been under occupiers’ siege for 28 days in the town of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank, according to the Peace Now movement. Since Aug. 9, Israeli occupiers have besieged three Palestinian homes in Qusra, while the Israeli army has also prevented the families from entering or leaving them, claiming the area is a “closed military zone.” “Day 28 of the blockade on Qusra. ​About 100 activists arrived to deliver supplies to the besieged families,” the Israeli left-wing Peace Now movement said in a post on the US social media platform X. “The army blocked us at first, claiming Qusra

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  Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace member gives $1.5M to AIPAC-linked super PAC: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Marc Rowan, the billionaire CEO of Apollo Global Management, has donated $1.5 million since the beginning of the year to the United Democracy Project, a super PAC (Political Action Committee) affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to Federal Election Commission filings, Anadolu reports. Rowan, whose net worth exceeds $8 billion, is an executive member of Trump’s “Board of Peace,” a United Nations-approved body tasked with advancing Trump’s stalled Gaza plan. The donation, reported by The Intercept on Thursday, represents a small portion of Rowan’s wealth and supports a foreign policy centered on backing Israel and continued US weapons supplies to the country amid its war on Gaza. Speaking at a February gathering of President Donald Trump’s

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  US ambassador to Israel calls occupiers committing crimes in West Bank ‘terrorists’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Friday renewed his description of occupiers who carry out attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as “terrorists,” saying their actions harm Israel’s image. Speaking to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, Huckabee said occupier violence against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank damages Israel’s reputation worldwide. KAN said Huckabee again described perpetrators of hate crimes in the West Bank as “terrorists,” adding that their actions cause severe damage to Israel’s image in the US. “It hurts the image of Israel as a country and as a people, and I find that unfortunate because Israel desperately needs every friend it can get and does not need more enemies,” Huckabee said. His remarks came after

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  Japan says Iran used geography to impose heavy costs at relatively low military expense

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Japan’s Defense Ministry said Friday that Iran used its geographical advantage to “inflict unbearable costs at a relatively low military expense,” effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz by indicating that it had laid naval mines, Kyodo News reported. The ministry said Japan would strengthen its defense capabilities based on lessons from the US-Iran war, including by using defense equipment also operated by allies and like-minded partners to help ensure rapid supplies from other countries. It also stressed the need to maintain sufficient missile stockpiles and be prepared to quickly increase defense equipment production in an emergency, according to its first report analyzing the Iran war since February. The US-Israeli war against Iran began on Feb. 28, with attacks targeting military,

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  Israel claims it killed Hamas field commander in southern Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The Israeli army said on Friday that it killed a Palestinian man in the southern Gaza Strip, claiming he was a field commander in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian group Hamas, Anadolu reports. Muhammad Mahmoud Marshad al-Qadi was killed in an attack in the Khan Younis area, the army said in a statement. It claimed that al-Qadi took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on the Israeli military’s Sufa base near the Gaza Strip and later participated in holding Israeli captives in the Rafah area. Hamas has not yet commented on the Israeli statement. Since October 2023, Israel’s deadly offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000 others, while

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  Germany slams Israeli minister’s AI video mocking Palestinian prisoners

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  Germany on Friday strongly criticized an AI-generated video posted by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir depicting Palestinian prisoners being sent on a conveyor belt into a prison, with critics comparing the imagery to concentration camps, Anadolu reports. “I have taken note of this video. As far as I know, it’s been deleted by now, but that doesn’t make it any less terrible. Of course, this is completely unacceptable. It’s appalling,’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Giese told the media in Berlin. Giese said Germany “really rejects” Ben-Gvir’s politics and the way he expresses himself. “Our position on this is absolutely clear,” he added. READ: Germany approves nearly $930M in arms exports to Israel amid Gaza genocide Ben-Gvir recently deleted two videos

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  EU rejects any attempt at demographic, territorial changes in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The EU rejects any attempt to make demographic or territorial changes in the Gaza Strip, a European Commission spokesperson said Friday, Anadolu reports. Christian Wigand was responding during the commission’s daily press briefing to an Anadolu Agency question about statements by Israeli officials concerning plans to displace Palestinians from the enclave. In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2735, “we reject any attempt at demographic or territorial changes in the Gaza Strip,” Wigand said. He also reaffirmed the bloc’s support for bringing Gaza and the occupied West Bank under a unified Palestinian Authority. “There should be no forced displacement of Gazans. Gaza is part and parcel of a future Palestinian state,” he added. READ: Israel seeks Trump’s backing to ethnically cleanse

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  UN report raises concerns of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in 3 West Bank refugee camps

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  A UN report published Friday said Israel forcibly displaced the entire Palestinian populations of three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank and continues to prevent their return, raising concerns of forcible transfer and “ethnic cleansing,” Anadolu reports. The UN Human Rights Office report said Israeli forces displaced residents of the Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm refugee camps during Operation Iron Wall in January and February 2025. Israeli forces killed civilians, destroyed homes and infrastructure, cut water and electricity, and restricted humanitarian access during the operation, according to the report. More than 33,000 Palestinians were displaced from the three camps, with 33,362 still unable to return as of July, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. The report said

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  Poll shows Israeli opposition ahead of Netanyahu’s bloc after deadlock

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  A new opinion poll showed Israel’s opposition ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc in the Knesset, with 57 seats against 51 if general elections were held on Friday, Anadolu reports. The poll, conducted by the private Lazar Research Institute on a random sample of 600 Israelis with a 4.4% margin of error, came a day after a separate survey showed both camps tied at 53 seats each. According to the latest poll, neither camp would be able to reach the 61-seat threshold needed to form a government, Israeli daily Maariv reported. The results come ahead of general elections scheduled for Oct. 27, amid intense competition over the shape of political blocs and the premiership. Jewish opposition parties would win

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  Husband of slain Turkish American activist criticizes lack of US investigation

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The husband of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, killed by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank two years ago, criticized Friday the lack of progress in the US legal process over her death, Anadolu reports. Speaking to Anadolu Agency at Eygi’s graveside in the Didim district of Turkiye’s southwestern Aydin province, Hamid Mazhar Ali said: “The legal process in the US is at exactly the same point as the day she was killed.” “There has been absolutely no progress,” he said during a memorial ceremony marking the second anniversary of her death. “Despite our persistent requests over the past two years, no investigation has been launched.” Ali said the pain of losing his wife remains as intense as

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  EU joins US-led campaign to isolate Iran financially: Treasury chief Bessent

  by Mehdi Editor on September 4, 2026

  The EU has joined the US-led “Operation Economic Outcast” campaign aimed at increasing financial pressure on Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday, Anadolu reports. “The European Union has officially joined Operation Economic Outcast and we appreciate their strong and early stance,” Bessent said on US social media platform X. He said the US “stands firm with our allies” in seeking to prevent the Iranian government from using the global financial system “to fund its nuclear ambitions, weapons programs, and terror proxies.” Bessent said the international community was sending “a clear message” to Iran. “We will not stop until every remaining financial lifeline has been severed,” he said. READ: Ghalibaf tells US Treasury chief oil prices and bond yields have

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  Burnham apologised. Britain’s arms licences tell a different story

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  Andy Burnham said sorry. He didn’t stop the weapons. Britain’s new prime minister built his early image on contrition. In July, before he even reached Downing Street, he called Gaza’s suffering “a scar on our collective conscience.” He admitted Labor “didn’t get it right.” He promised more pressure on Israel. Palestinian advocates in Britain welcomed the words, cautiously. Adnan Hmidan, Chair of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, called Burnham’s recognition important. Then he added the caveat that mattered. “The scale of devastation, killing, starvation and forced displacement inflicted upon Gaza demands far more than acknowledgment,” he said. “It requires courageous political action.” Nine weeks into Burnham’s premiership, the arms keep moving. A loophole built to last In September 2024, Britain

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  Solidarity spreads across Brazil after US terrorism designation of Rawa Alsagheer

  by Marwa A on September 4, 2026

  The United States’ decision to impose counterterrorism sanctions on Palestinian activist Rawa Alsagheer and the Masar Badil movement has triggered expressions of solidarity across Brazil and Latin America, with activists condemning the measure as an attempt to criminalise Palestinian political organising and solidarity work. The US Treasury Department announced on August 26 that Masar Badil, also known as the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, had been added to its sanctions list under Executive Order 13224, Washington’s main legal framework for imposing counterterrorism-related financial restrictions. Alsagheer, a Palestinian activist based in Brazil, and Germany-based Zaid Abdulnasser were also designated on the grounds that they are leaders or officials of Masar Badil. The Treasury described Masar Badil as being linked to and