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

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  Arab lawmaker criticizes exclusion of Arab lists from Israeli election

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Arab member of the Israeli Knesset Ayman Odeh on Thursday criticized the Central Elections Committee’s decision to bar Arab electoral lists from running in the Oct. 27 parliamentary election, Anadolu reports. Israeli Army Radio quoted Odeh as saying: “All the Kahanists are allowed (to run the elections), but representatives of the Arab population are prohibited from competing.” Palestinian citizens make up around 21% of Israel’s population of more than 10 million. The term “Kahanism” refers to a far-right Israeli ideology associated with Meir Kahane, an Israeli-American rabbi and politician who founded a movement known for its extremist views. On Wednesday, the Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify the Joint Arab List and the United Arab List, or Ra’am, as well

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  Israel uproots 400 olive trees in occupied West Bank as harvest season approaches

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  The Israeli army uprooted 400 olive trees and bulldozed 31 dunams (3.1 hectares, 7.6 acres) of Palestinian-owned land Thursday in Beit Rima in northwestern Ramallah in the occupied West Bank as harvest season approaches, Anadolu reports. Sources told Anadolu Agency that bulldozers cleared the land and uprooted the trees, two days after Israeli authorities issued a military order targeting two areas of land in the town. They added that the military order demanded “removing wild vegetation and uprooting olive and other trees from the targeted areas.” The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said Tuesday that Israeli authorities issued five military orders targeting the uprooting of trees and removal of wild vegetation from 533.5 dunams of Palestinian land in the

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  Gaza and the dystopian future of AI-powered war | Palestine This Week

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  In this week’s Palestine This Week, Nasim Ahmed and Muhammad Shehada discuss allegations that Israel is destroying evidence of war crimes in Gaza, the growing use of AI to select targets and the disturbing revelations in the documentary NAZA. They also examine genocidal rhetoric and Israeli exceptionalism, plans for Gaza’s reconstruction, state-backed settler violence in the occupied West Bank, the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran and the political weaponisation of Iran’s protest death toll.     WATCH: 9/11 at 25 — Why Israel Fuels Islamophobia | Palestine This Week

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  With Netanyahu ostracized, his US visit will be very short, with Trump unwilling to meet him: Israeli analysts

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Israeli analysts and figures criticized the global standing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel as he visits New York this week to address the UN General Assembly, saying he will hold few meetings during his short stay, as he is now internationally shunned, Anadolu reports. One analyst said US President Donald Trump – a longtime ally of the Israeli leader – would rather not meet with Netanyahu. Barak Seri, an Israeli military intelligence analyst and former officer, said Netanyahu’s visit to New York was “very unusual, very short, and almost devoid of meetings.” “Netanyahu is now ostracized, and Trump does not want to meet him,” Seri told local radio station 103 FM. Eli Ohana, a former soccer star and

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  Iraq has important role in strengthening collective Arab security: Egyptian president

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed the importance of Iraq continuing to play a “constructive role” in strengthening the collective security of Arab countries Thursday and safeguarding the resources of the region’s peoples amid ongoing regional tensions, Anadolu reports. Sisi made the remarks during a meeting with Ammar al-Hakim, leader of Iraq’s Hikma Movement, in the presence of Egyptian General Intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and Iraqi Ambassador to Cairo Qahtan Taha Janabi, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency. The meeting came amid regional tensions stemming from the US-Iran war that erupted in late February, during which Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq launched attacks against Arab countries — moves that Baghdad condemned and began investigating. The presidency said the

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  28% of Israeli police officers resigned since Ben-Gvir took office: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Twenty-eight percent of Israeli police officers have resigned since Itamar Ben-Gvir became national security minister in December 2022, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Thursday. The newspaper said the figures were presented and documented during closed-door discussions held against the backdrop of a manpower shortage in the Israeli police force. The data also showed an increase in police recruitment during Ben-Gvir’s tenure, but more than a quarter of the new recruits were assigned to the Border Police or the so-called National Guard, which falls under the National Security Ministry, Haaretz said. READ: Israeli election committee rejects bid to bar extremist Ben-Gvir’s party from Knesset elections Despite the recruitment drive, there is still a shortage of around 2,000 officers at police stations and in

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  More than 308,000 displaced from Sudan’s Kordofan since October 2025: UN migration agency

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  More than 308,000 people have been displaced from Sudan’s three Kordofan states since late October 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday, Anadolu reports. The IOM said teams recorded 308,179 people displaced from 1,327 locations across North, West and South Kordofan between Oct. 25, 2025, and Sept. 1, 2026. Field teams reported 118 incidents that triggered displacement in the region during that period, said the UN agency. The largest number displaced from Kordofan was recorded in Khartoum state, where 123,509 were staying. Another 66,575 were recorded in North Kordofan and 40,237 in White Nile state. READ: Sudanese army says it has taken control of 11 areas in north Kordofan About 219,319 people were displaced from the Kordofan states between

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  Netanyahu’s plane flies through Greek, Italian, French airspace en route to US despite ICC warrant

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  The plane carrying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States to attend the UN General Assembly again used the airspace of Greece, Italy, and France despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court, Anadolu reports. According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, Netanyahu’s plane left Israel early Thursday for the United States to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and crossed the airspace of European countries that are members of the International Criminal Court. All three countries are parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and are generally required to cooperate with the court’s requests to arrest and surrender wanted individuals found on their territory. The treaty, however, does

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  Israeli election committee rejects bid to bar extremist Ben-Gvir’s party from Knesset elections

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Israel’s Central Elections Committee on Thursday upheld the participation of the far-right Jewish Power party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in the upcoming election and rejected requests to disqualify it, according to media reports. Channel 13 reported that the committee decided to allow the party to participate in the Oct. 27 elections, with the decision in a 19 – 10 vote, with one member abstaining. The opposition Democratic Party, led by Yair Golan, had submitted a request to the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Jewish Power, citing “incitement to racism.” The party said its request was based on grounds including “harming democracy and incitement to racism.” Channel 13 quoted Knesset member Gilad Kariv of the Democrats party, who

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  Government, opposition fear our voice as alternative to racist rhetoric: Israeli lawmaker

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Israeli lawmaker Ofer Cassif criticized the government and opposition Thursday after being barred from the upcoming Knesset elections, saying they fear his voice because it “constitutes a true alternative to the ruling racist, militaristic, and bloodthirsty discourse,” Anadolu reports. Cassif, a Knesset member from the Joint List, made the remarks in a post on US social media platform X, commenting on the decision Wednesday by the Central Elections Committee to bar him from running in the election. “The Kahanists [priesthoods] in both the government and the ‘opposition’ alike fear the power of our voice and its consistency,” he said. It is “the only voice that constitutes a true alternative to the ruling racist, militaristic, and bloodthirsty discourse.” Cassif is known for

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  Gaza economy has entered world’s ‘most severe crisis on record’: UN report

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Gaza’s economy has entered the world’s “most severe crisis on record,” with recovery and reconstruction needs reaching $71.5 billion amid widespread destruction of productive capacity, according to a UN report. The report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said the assessment was based on the peak-to-trough decline in real GDP per capita and the projected duration of recovery. Gaza’s annual real GDP per capita stood at just $212, or $0.58 per day, in 2025, equivalent to just 17% of its already low 2022 level. Israeli military operations since October 2023 have left 92% of Gaza’s economic establishments damaged or destroyed, “bringing productive activity to a near-total halt across all sectors,” the report said. Agricultural and industrial output

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  Saudi-led coalition for Yemen says it intercepted 6 ballistic missiles launched by Houthis

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  The spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition for Yemen said Thursday six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi rebels were intercepted and destroyed, thwarting an attempt to target the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu, Anadolu reports. Air defenses “intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia,” Turki al-Maliki said in a statement. He added that the air defense interceptions thwarted an attempt to target Taif and Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia. “The escalation and violations of the Houthi terrorist militia will be dealt with firmly,” he warned. Maliki did not immediately provide details on whether the interceptions caused any damage. READ: UN condemns continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, urges restraint

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  Hamas says ready to implement Gaza roadmap, accuses Israel of blocking ceasefire deal

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Hamas said Thursday it is ready to implement the Gaza roadmap agreed with the Board of Peace, accusing the Israeli government of obstructing both the plan and the ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, Anadolu reports. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement that the group was “fully ready to implement the roadmap agreed with the Board of Peace concerning the peace plan in the Gaza Strip,” adding that it had taken all necessary steps to do so. Qassem held the Israeli government responsible for the complete obstruction of the ceasefire agreement and its associated roadmap. He accused Israel of refusing to meet its commitments while escalating attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. He also accused the Board of Peace and

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  Iran cancels all flights to United Arab Emirates

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  All flights operated by Iranian airlines to the United Arab Emirates have been canceled since midnight, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported Thursday, citing a spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, Anadolu reports. It also reported that a Tehran-Dushanbe flight was forced to return to Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran after Turkmenistan did not grant permission for Iranian airlines to fly through its airspace. The spokesman said the flight was unable to land at its destination because Turkmenistan had not issued permission for Iranian airlines to cross its airspace, forcing it to return to Tehran. READ: Shin Bet expected to extend restrictions on Israeli airlines flights to UAE

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  Iran says possible new war with US could expand to Indian Ocean

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  A possible new war with the US could spread as far as the Indian Ocean if Iran comes under renewed attack, a senior Iranian military adviser warned Thursday, Anadolu reports. Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader on military affairs, said the country’s armed forces had prepared plans for a range of scenarios, according to remarks carried by Iran’s Fars News Agency. “We do not know what is going on in the minds of (US President) Trump and (Israeli Premier) Netanyahu,” Safavi said. He said Iranian forces had prepared for the worst-case scenarios in the event of further US or Israeli attacks on the country’s facilities or national interests. In that event, he warned, the scope

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  Israeli army detains more than 150 Palestinians in West Bank raids

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  The Israeli army continued raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, detaining more than 150 Palestinians before releasing them and raiding homes in the city of Qalqilya and the town of Azzun, according to local sources. The sources told Anadolu Agency that about 15 military vehicles accompanied by more than 30 soldiers entered Azzun and raided several homes in different neighborhoods and areas. During the raid, the Israeli army detained more than 150 Palestinians, gathering some of them inside a home that it turned into a military barracks and subjecting them to field interrogations before gradually releasing them, the sources said. In Qalqilya, the Israeli army continued a raid that began Wednesday evening, sending military reinforcements to several areas

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  Israeli strike hits vehicle carrying body for burial in Gaza

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  According to field reports, Israeli forces targeted a vehicle carrying the body of the deceased, Jaber Moqbel, near the American port in the Sheikh Ajleen area, south of Gaza City. His family had managed to transport his body from the southern city of Deir al-Balah toward Gaza City, where they intended to bury him. Upon reaching Gaza City, the vehicle was directly targeted again by Israeli forces. The strike critically injured several of the victim’s relatives and completely burned the body of the deceased. Images: Water station owners hold a sit-in to warn of shortages of oil, spare parts, and filters

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  Remains of 101 Palestinians recovered from rubble in Gaza City, civil defence says

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Palestinian Civil Defence teams have recovered the remains of 101 people from the rubble of destroyed homes in the Al-Taj residential block in Gaza City’s Al-Yarmouk neighbourhood, the agency said on Wednesday. The Civil Defence said five sets of remains were recovered on Wednesday, bringing the total found during the operation to 101. Its teams have now concluded search and recovery operations in the Al-Taj block after completing work across the targeted area, according to the statement. The operation lasted 17 days and was conducted in cooperation with an Egyptian relief committee working in the Gaza Strip, the Civil Defence said. The agency said funeral ceremonies would be held for those whose remains were recovered, with the date expected to

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  38 rights groups back legal challenge to US sanctions on International Criminal Court

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Thirty-eight international civil society organisations have backed a lawsuit challenging US sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the measures impede human rights work and victims’ access to international justice. The organisations, including Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), submitted a brief to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in support of the legal challenge. The lawsuit was filed on August 11 by four US-based organizations — the American Friends Service Committee, Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch and Open Society Institute — against the Trump administration’s sanctions regime targeting ICC officials and others working with or assisting the court. The case challenges an executive order signed by

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  Israeli settlers burn Palestinian vehicles, spray racist slogans near Ramallah

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Israeli occupiers burned two vehicles and sprayed racist and hostile slogans on property during an attack on the village of Attara, north of Ramallah, on Thursday, according to local sources. Attara has been subjected to a series of occupier attacks, amid the establishment of a settlement outpost near Palestinian homes in the village in recent months, according to the same sources. Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the occupied West Bank, alongside a rise in occupier attacks. The escalation has killed 1,206 Palestinians, including 254 children, injured about 13,350 and led to the arrest of more than 26,000, according to official Palestinian figures. READ: Israeli army blows up

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  A reading of the General Assembly speeches: Justice for Palestine and the decline of unipolarity

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  The General Assembly speeches reveal a dual crisis in the international system. The first concerns the absence of justice, manifested most clearly in Palestine; the second relates to a shift in the international balance of power, evident in the wars in Iran and Ukraine. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned of violence, displacement, settlement expansion and the spectre of ethnic cleansing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, citing the Palestinian question as a stark example of the crisis of legitimacy and the selective application of international law. He spoke explicitly of the need to comply with the International Court of Justice’s legally binding provisional measures in the genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa and other states. Guterres described the

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  Lieberman proposes Jordanian role in West Bank Areas A and B, drawing Netanyahu criticism

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Israeli opposition politician Avigdor Lieberman proposed that Jordan assume administrative and security responsibility for Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank under what he described as an “Israeli-Jordanian confederation,” drawing sharp criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government figures. Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former defence minister, made the proposal during an interview with the Israeli outlet Besheva. During the interview, Lieberman initially referred to Jordan assuming responsibility for Areas B and C. He subsequently issued a clarification saying he had meant Areas A and B, while Area C should remain under full Israeli control. “You have to reach an understanding with the Jordanians,” Lieberman said, arguing that Jordan should assume

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  Israel continues artillery fire, airstrikes in southern Lebanon

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Israeli ceasefire violations continued in southern Lebanon on Thursday, involving artillery fire and airstrikes alongside large explosions and machine-gun fire in several towns, according to the Lebanese state news agency, Anadolu reports. The National News Agency reported that the Israeli army carried out a large explosion around the city of Bint Jbeil, while Israeli artillery targeted the outskirts of Kfara, Beit Yahoun and Shaqra in the Bint Jbeil district of Nabatieh province in southern Lebanon. Israeli artillery also targeted the area between the towns of Mifdoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, as well as Wadi Salouki, according to the agency. The towns of Baraachit and Beit Yahoun were also subjected to heavy and medium machine-gun fire. In Baraachit, the agency reported that

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  Israeli army strikes shepherd, runs over sheep in southern Syria’s countryside

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  The Israeli army assaulted a shepherd and ran over several of his sheep, killing them, during an incursion into the countryside of Quneitra in southern Syria on Thursday, Anadolu reports. Syrian news agency SANA said an Israeli occupation force “assaulted a shepherd during its incursion between Al-Asha village and Al-Rafid town in the southern Quneitra countryside.” “The force beat the shepherd and ran over several of his sheep, killing them, before withdrawing from the area,” it added. SANA noted that Israeli occupation forces arrested a civilian Tuesday while he was herding sheep west of Al-Rafid town before releasing him the following day. Quneitra province, which borders the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, has witnessed repeated Israeli incursions involving searches of homes

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  Amnesty accuses France of ‘double standard’ over Netanyahu plane

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Amnesty International on Wednesday accused France of applying a “double standard” after it allowed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane to cross its airspace while President Emmanuel Macron was calling for respect for international law, Anadolu reports. “Does France not contribute to impunity when it allows access to its territory to the Israeli prime minister, who is wanted for crimes against humanity?” Amnesty said on US social media company X. The rights group said Macron had made “fine statements” at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday about defending international law and justice, while France had that same day authorized Netanyahu’s plane to fly over its territory for the fifth time. Netanyahu is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the

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  Israeli army blows up Palestinian home in West Bank amid escalating occupier attacks

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  The Israeli army blew up the home of a Palestinian prisoner in the occupied West Bank early Thursday, according to local sources. The sources told Anadolu that Israeli forces raided the town and surrounded Dawas Hassoun’s home before blowing it up, causing material damage to the building. On Wednesday evening, Israeli forces raided the Hassoun family home and forced its residents to evacuate, while closing side roads leading to the house in preparation for its demolition, according to the sources. Hassoun was arrested in March 2026 and is accused of killing an occupier about six months ago. READ: Israeli army blows up Palestinian man’s home weeks after his killing  In a separate incident early Thursday, occupiers burned two vehicles and sprayed

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  What is the extent of the UN’s impunity when it comes to the two-state politics?

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Once again, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed that there is no other option to the two-state paradigm. Speaking at a meeting hosted by France, Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Guterres noted that there was a contradiction between diplomatic support for the two-state politics and actions on the ground that threaten its implementation. And yet, “There is simply no alternative,” Guterres declared. Even while Israel is blatantly creating an alternative that involves a prolonged genocide and ongoing settlement expansion. For several years Guterres has been denying the possibilities of other political solutions for Palestine. A single democratic state, which many Palestinians have spoken in favour of, is not an option

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  Sanchez accuses Netanyahu of continuing mass killing in Gaza at UN

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of continuing to carry out mass killing in Gaza in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. Sanchez said he had come to defend the principles and aspirations that inspired the founding of the United Nations, adding that these principles and aspirations were being ignored or undermined by various governments represented at the assembly. He said peace, sustainability and equal opportunities were under attack from political forces and governments seeking to return to a dark past. Sanchez stressed the need to reform the UN Security Council, saying some governments and political forces described the United Nations and multilateral organisations as ineffective. He said the position of those forces

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  From Najaf to Hormuz: The forty-seven-year road that brought Iran’s revolution to the Gulf’s doorstep

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  A missile fired from Iranian soil struck the United Arab Emirates on March 16, 2026. It was not a stray consequence of a distant war. It marked the culmination of a project that began in a Paris suburb in January 1979, when Ruhollah Khomeini boarded a plane for Tehran carrying a doctrine never intended to stop at Iran’s borders. To understand why Gulf states have spent this year defending their territory from Iranian fire, and why the region is now rewriting its security architecture in response, it is necessary to trace the full arc. Forty-seven years is a long time. Yet the direction has barely changed. 1979: A Doctrine Built for Export Khomeini returned from 14 years of exile, most

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  Fierce rhetoric and cowardly pragmatism in the Iranian theatre

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Nothing exposes the fragility of totalitarian diplomacy quite like the panic that precedes submission. When one reads leaks from media outlets affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—chief among them Tasnim—lamenting the fury of “hardliners” over Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s meetings in New York with envoys of the Trump administration, the reaction is less shock than a profound sense of boredom with a thoroughly rehearsed script. It is the predictable, desperate media spectacle designed solely to appease a traumatized ideological base and conceal a state of total strategic exposure. The claim that meeting U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was a “free gift” to Washington or an “unauthorized breach” of Supreme National Security Council orders is devoid of

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  NAZA, Israel’s war on witnesses, and media complicity

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  When Israel barred international journalists from Gaza in October 2023, the explanation was for their “safety” claiming that reporters could not be protected in an active war zone. One year after the one-sided ceasefire, Israel’s excuse has been invalidated, yet the ban remains. Leaving behind, unchecked, the largest graveyard on earth, and an occupying army still refusing to let the world’s press see what is buried in it. In April 2026, the Foreign Press Association, joined by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and the Union of Journalists in Israel, petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to end the military’s ban on foreign reporters entering Gaza, arguing that a “ceasefire” was in place, all captives had been released, and there

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  Sudanese government rejects US remarks questioning its legitimacy

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  Sudan on Wednesday rejected US remarks questioning the legitimacy of its government, calling on Washington to engage positively with Khartoum. The United States withheld a visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ahead of his planned visit to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly, making his attendance conditional on his agreeing to a 90-day ceasefire, Reuters reported, citing sources. Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has displaced more than 14 million people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement ​on Tuesday that neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid

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  Bahrain’s energy connectivity paradox: Networked resilience or deeper dependence?

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  On 9 March 2026, Bahrain’s Bapco declared force majeure after an attack disrupted operations at its Sitra refinery complex. The incident came amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, as energy infrastructure and shipping routes across the Gulf were drawn directly into the conflict. Reuters reported that Bahrain was among the Gulf producers affected as the war disrupted regional energy flows. For Bahrain, this was more than a temporary refining disruption. It exposed a deeper reality: energy security cannot be separated from security geography. Bahrain’s role as host to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and its 2020 normalisation with Israel under the Abraham Accords are more than diplomatic facts. They embed the island deeply within the Gulf’s regional security architecture. The

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  Gaza winter nears as 162,000 tents become unusable, raising fears of humanitarian crisis

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  As winter approaches, concerns are growing that hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip could face a harsh season of cold, rain and flooding, amid deteriorating displacement camps, worn-out tents and shortages of shelter supplies. International organisations are preparing for winter conditions, but the needs in Gaza remain far greater than what is available on the ground, amid Palestinian and international calls to provide tents and other essential supplies before the weather worsens. Ismail al-Thawabta, director-general of the Gaza government media office, warned of severe humanitarian consequences threatening the lives of displaced people, describing the coming winter as a “catastrophic winter” if the current shelter crisis continues without urgent and fundamental action. In a press statement on

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  77 delegations leave UN hall before Netanyahu speech, drawing widespread reaction

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  The mass departure of 77 delegations from the UN General Assembly hall shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech sparked widespread reaction on social media, with users describing the scene as a major blow to Israel and a sign of its growing international isolation. Footage showed most delegations leaving the hall before Netanyahu began speaking, while the prime minister appeared visibly uncomfortable as only a limited number of people remained and protesters chanted slogans. According to Israeli reports, representatives of 77 countries were absent during Netanyahu’s speech, with several delegations leaving shortly before it began, while representatives of other countries had not been in their seats from the outset. The departure drew significant attention in the Israeli media. Channel

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  Cargo ship catches fire after being hit by ‘unknown’ projectile in Strait of Hormuz, one killed

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  A cargo ship was hit by an “unknown” projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, causing a fire and leaving two people injured, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). “The security officer onboard a cargo vessel reports the vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile. Vessel is now on fire and adrift,” UKMTO said, adding that all crew members had been evacuated with two injuries reported. Oman later said one crew member was killed and 27 others evacuated after the commercial vessel was targeted near Musandam Governorate, overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. The Omani Maritime Security Centre said in a post on X that “A Royal Navy of Oman vessel, in cooperation and coordination with the

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  Sudan: About 3,650 people displaced from Umm Bader amid rising security tensions

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  About 3,650 people have been displaced from Umm Bader town in Sudan’s North Kordofan state over three days due to deteriorating security conditions in the area, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday. The displaced people have moved towards Sheikan locality in North Kordofan and the city of Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum. The IOM said security conditions in the area remained tense and volatile and that it was continuing to monitor developments closely. The displacement followed allegations by the Dar Hamar Emergency Committee, a local civil society group, that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed five civilians and wounded 27 others in an attack on the Umm Bader market on Monday. The committee said RSF forces

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  Is Israel’s reign ending? Macklemore and the cultural war over Palestine

  by Marwa A on September 24, 2026

  ‘Page Six Hollywood’ recently declared: “War of Open Letters Erupts Between Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine Factions in Hollywood.” Only a few years ago, a headline like this would have seemed unthinkable. The article described an increasingly open struggle between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel forces within the entertainment industry.  On one side are artists and other industry figures taking a clear stand against Israel’s genocide in Gaza; on the other are defenders of Israel attempting to deny that genocide in the face of irrefutable evidence. Yet even this framing failed to tell the whole story. What is unfolding is far more consequential than a quarrel among celebrities or a “war of open letters.” It is part of a brewing cultural revolution in American

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  AI isn’t a future threat—it is already erasing Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 24, 2026

  Much is being said right now about the dangers posed by AI and the possibility that it could ultimately wipe out humanity. Some exp erts, such as Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s Alignment Science Lead and one of the AI industry’s leading safety researchers, have gone much further, warning publicly that there is more than a 10 percent chance that AI could kill all humans within the next decade. When senior executives from some of the world’s leading AI companies met in San Francisco for Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference, held 15th–17th September 2026, they differed sharply over the seriousness of the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI and over how those risks should be managed. They did, however, share a fundamental belief: that

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  ‘A big victory’ – Palestine Chronicle wins two-year legal battle

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  A US federal court dismissed the lawsuit against the Palestine Chronicle and its editor, Dr. Ramzy Baroud, after the three plaintiffs asked to withdraw it, according to Palestine Chronicle. Almog Meir Jan filed the case in July 2024. Shlomi Ziv and Andrey Kozlov joined an amended complaint the following year. The suit sought to link the Chronicle to their captivity in Gaza through its publication of reports by Palestinian journalist Abdallah Aljamal. The Chronicle rejected the accusations throughout the proceedings. The plaintiffs moved to withdraw their case in July, and US District Judge Tiffany Cartwright granted the request on September 15. The court record closed the case after more than two years of litigation. “After a struggle of over 2

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  Israeli election authority bars United Arab List party from Knesset race

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted Wednesday to bar the United Arab List party, or Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, from running in the Oct. 27 Knesset election, Anadolu reports. The committee approved Ra’am’s disqualification by 18 votes to five, accepting petitions that alleged “the party rejects Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incites racism and expresses support for an armed struggle against the country or actions of a terror organization against Israel.” Earlier Wednesday, the committee also voted 19-5, with two abstentions, to disqualify Knesset member Ofer Cassif from running as part of the Joint List on grounds that he allegedly “denied Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state.” The panel also voted to disqualify Balad party chairman

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  French activist files complaint alleging torture during 2025 Gaza flotilla

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  French political scientist and activist Thomas Guenole said Wednesday that he had filed a complaint in France alleging torture by Israeli individuals whom he says detained and mistreated him during the 2025 Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza, Anadolu reports. “I filed a complaint today … for acts of torture against the Israeli individuals who kidnapped me and inflicted mistreatment on me during the 2025 flotilla for Gaza, including Minister Ben Gvir,” Guenole said on US social media company X. He said the complaint was filed with France’s Central Office for the Fight Against Crimes Against Humanity. Guenole thanked the French gendarmes who received his complaint for their “remarkable professionalism.” “I encourage all French veterans of the 2025 and 2026 flotillas

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  Libya seeks balanced partnerships, rejects foreign dependency: Al-Menfi

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  Libya seeks balanced strategic partnerships that preserve its sovereignty and will not replace one form of foreign dependency with another, Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “We do not seek to replace one influence with another, one axis with another or one dependency with another,” al-Menfi said. He said Libya had previously “paid a heavy price” for struggles among foreign powers on its territory and now seeks strong relations with Arab countries, particularly its neighbors, based on common interests, mutual respect, non-interference and respect for national sovereignty. Al-Menfi said sovereignty also means protecting the rights and dignity of Libyans from violations, regardless of the perpetrators, and ensuring that no one is above

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  The Iran War and representation beyond election day

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  On 21st September, Republican Senate candidates Mike Rogers in Michigan and Ashley Hinson in Iowa called for a swift end to the Iran war after previously supporting President Donald Trump’s authority to conduct the campaign. Both cited economic pressures on households. Hinson’s statement followed her vote against a House measure seeking to curb the president’s authority to continue the conflict. Their statements form part of a wider debate about political representation during the war. That debate involves several distinct questions: what Americans want, how elected officials respond, and which institutions can change policy. Public opinion surveys, congressional votes and political spending provide evidence about different parts of that process. None measures the whole of it. Public dissatisfaction is documented in

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  US does not want to see ‘additional flashpoint’ in West Bank, Rubio says

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that President Donald Trump “really doesn’t think the world right now needs a West Bank crisis,” warning that the Middle East does not need an “additional flashpoint” amid ongoing regional tensions, Anadolu reports. “It’s not my view. The president has made it clear … that we don’t want to see additional flashpoints there, given everything that’s going on in the region now, the difficulties in implementing the agreements made with regard to Gaza, the tenuous situation in Lebanon, obviously now the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, the ongoing friction and conflict with Iran,” Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. “The last thing this region needs

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  Iranian president rejects Trump’s terrorism accusation, says Iran ‘victim of terrorism’

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected US President Donald Trump’s characterization of Iran as a sponsor of terrorism Wednesday, saying Tehran is itself a victim of terrorism, Anadolu reports. “Yesterday, Trump said we are terrorists. We are not terrorists — we are victims of terrorism,” Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly, referring to Trump’s address a day earlier in which the US president described Iran as the “number one sponsor of terror.” Pezeshkian said Iran’s leader had been killed “without any justification,” referring to the US-Israeli military attacks against Iran that began earlier this year. He also accused Israel of targeting neighborhoods across Iranian cities and provinces and carrying out assassinations, describing such actions as “true terrorist” behavior. “The people of

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  Golan will remain Syrian, annexation decisions null under UN resolutions, says president Sharaa

  by Mehdi Editor on September 23, 2026

  Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Wednesday that the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel, will remain Syrian territory and that all annexation measures are null and void under UN Security Council resolutions, Anadolu reports. Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sharaa said attempts to impose facts on the ground cannot undermine Syria’s sovereignty, the rule of law or the applicability of international law. “The Golan will remain Syrian land,” he said, adding that all annexation measures are invalid under UN Security Council Resolution 497. Sharaa also referred to a UN General Assembly vote in December 2025 in which 123 countries backed a resolution concerning the occupied Syrian Golan, thanking countries that supported it and urging

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  Israeli government’s policies jeopardizing country’s security: French foreign minister

  by Marwa A on September 23, 2026

  French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Wednesday that policies pursued by the Israeli government were jeopardizing the country’s security, citing what he described as Israel’s refusal to fulfill its responsibilities under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and developments in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. “Our position is known. Our commitment to Israel’s existence and security is unwavering,” Barrot said. “But the policy pursued by the current government of the State of Israel jeopardizes Israel’s security,” he added. Barrot said this was reflected in what he described as Israeli authorities’ “refusal” to fulfill their responsibilities under Trump’s peace plan, as well as in the buffer-zone strategy being pursued in Lebanon and Syria. He also pointed to the occupied

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  16% of Israel’s 1st-time voters back Eisenkot’s party: Poll

  by Mehdi Editor on September 23, 2026

  An Israeli public opinion poll showed Wednesday that 16% of young people voting for the first time support the opposition Yashar party, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, compared with 14% who support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, Anadolu reports. The poll, conducted by Israel’s Channel 12 in coordination with Midgam, a private research institute, surveyed 1,521 people and had a margin of error of 4.4%. The channel said the survey focused on young people eligible to vote for the first time, a group of about 550,000 men and women age 18-22. Overall, 39% of first-time voters said they favored opposition parties, compared with 37% who favored parties in the governing coalition, while the remainder supported other parties.

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  Palestine issue featured prominently at UN General Assembly despite US visa refusal

  by Mehdi Editor on September 23, 2026

  Preventing President Mahmoud Abbas from attending the UN General Assembly in New York “proved to be a failure,” as the Palestinian issue featured prominently in speeches by Arab and international delegations, a Palestinian official said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. In a statement cited by Palestinian news agency WAFA, Palestinian Presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said attempts to prevent the Palestinian delegation from participating in the General Assembly and delivering its speech had failed to sideline the Palestinian cause. For the second consecutive year, the US refused to grant Abbas and Palestinian officials visas to attend the General Assembly meetings, he said. That forced Abbas to participate through a recorded video. Under the UN Headquarters Agreement signed between the organization and Washington