Israeli far-right minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, two days before the anniversary of Israel’s 1967 occupation of the city, according to Palestinian sources reported by Middle East Monitor. Wasserlauf, a member of Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered under heavy police protection, drawing condemnation from Palestinians and Arab states. →
A Palestinian teenager, Yousef Ali Yousef Kaabneh, 16, was killed by Israeli fire on Wednesday during a settler attack on the towns of Sinjil and Jiljilya north of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported four other injuries, including two from gunfire and two from beatings, as reported by Middle East Monitor. →
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Wednesday that he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed during the height of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late March, according to Middle East Monitor. The visit was not previously disclosed. Iran condemned the “collusion.” →
Turkey announced the immediate recall of its ambassador to Israel for consultations after the Israeli government formally approved relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Ankara called it a “flagrant violation of international law” and warned of further diplomatic downgrades, as reported by Middle East Eye. The Palestinian Authority welcomed the move. →
Hezbollah launched around 60 rockets into northern Israel on Thursday evening, triggering sirens in Safed and the Upper Galilee, in retaliation for an Israeli drone strike that killed a senior Hezbollah field commander near Tyre hours earlier. Israeli media reported no casualties but fires near settlements; Hezbollah warned of further escalation, according to Al Jazeera. →
Israel’s ruling coalition submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset on Wednesday, accelerating moves toward early parliamentary elections amid deep coalition infighting, reported Anadolu Agency and Al Jazeera Arabic. The election date will be determined by a Knesset committee. →
Three Republican U.S. senators — Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Rand Paul — broke ranks and voted with Democrats on Wednesday to advance a resolution limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military action against Iran without congressional approval. The motion failed 49-50, according to Al Jazeera English. →
Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission finalized a “smart management” strategy for the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to use Iran’s geographic position as “power-generating leverage,” reported Middle East Monitor. The announcement came as China-linked vessels transited the strait via an Iranian “safe corridor” during the Trump-Xi summit. →
UNRWA declared the “total collapse” of the healthcare system in northern Gaza, with all three remaining hospitals out of service due to fuel shortages, lack of supplies, and ongoing military operations. At least 10 patients, including children on life support, have died in the past 48 hours, reported Al Jazeera. →
A new three-stage ceasefire proposal drafted by Egypt and Qatar has received a “positive in principle” response from Hamas, though the movement insists on a permanent end to the war and full reconstruction. The plan includes a six-week truce, prisoner exchanges, and gradual Israeli withdrawal, as reported by Al Jazeera. →
Hundreds of Israeli settlers, including Knesset members, stormed the Al-Aqsa compound for a second consecutive day on Thursday under heavy police protection, performing Talmudic rituals and raising the Israeli flag. The Jordanian Waqf condemned the “dangerous escalation,” and clashes with Palestinian worshippers left 12 injured and 4 arrested, reported Middle East Eye. →
At least 15 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting residential buildings in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City early Friday. Rescue teams struggled to reach survivors amid ongoing bombardment and fuel shortages, according to Al Jazeera. →
The EU sanctioned “extremist” Israeli settler organizations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activity and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin hailed the move as an “important step toward accountability,” reported Middle East Monitor. →
Germany called for an investigation into alleged Israeli torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees following a New York Times report. “Sexual violence in all contexts” must be condemned, said a foreign ministry spokesman, according to Middle East Monitor. →
The convergence of the Gaza ceasefire freeze, the settler surge at Al-Aqsa, and Israel’s pending dissolution of the Knesset signals deep political instability in Tel Aviv while Netanyahu pushes forward with normalization visits (UAE) and war on Iran. The “Board of Peace” envoy’s admission that Hamas is not being asked to disappear as a political movement contrasts with Israeli demands for disarmament, revealing a fundamental impasse.
Turkey’s withdrawal of its ambassador over the Jerusalem embassy move reasserts a hard diplomatic red line, but the lack of broader collective action from the Islamic world underscores the limits of symbolic protest. Palestinian leaders welcomed Ankara’s step but called for Muslim states to follow suit, a test of unity that has repeatedly failed.
The US Senate’s narrow failure to limit Trump’s Iran war powers, with three Republicans defecting, indicates growing bipartisan unease with the conflict’s open-ended nature. The Pentagon’s rush to acquire 10,000 low-cost containerized missiles further suggests that the war is depleting stocks at an alarming rate, reinforcing the perception of a quagmire.
Iran’s finalized “smart management” plan for the Strait of Hormuz and the safe passage of China-linked vessels underline Tehran’s bid to weaponize geography. The UN Economic Commission for Europe’s update of trade codes for alternative Gulf routes highlights both the disruption to global oil flows (down nearly 30% in Q1) and the search for workarounds that bypass the strait.
The EU’s sanctions on Israeli settlers, while welcomed, remain largely symbolic; critics note that the bloc continues to fund entities that hire former Israeli intelligence officers. Germany’s call for a torture probe adds diplomatic pressure but lacks enforcement mechanisms, revealing a persistent gap between Western condemnation and meaningful accountability.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov’s accusation that US-led disputes over Iran, Greenland, and Canada are deliberately distracting from Palestine echoes a broader Global South sentiment. With the WFP scaling back aid in Syria and UNRWA declaring a health system collapse in Gaza, the humanitarian catastrophe deepens even as media focus shifts to the Trump-Xi summit and the Iran war.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) issued an emergency warning on Thursday that the healthcare system in northern Gaza has completely collapsed. All three remaining hospitals in the area are out of service due to fuel shortages, lack of supplies, and ongoing military operations. According to Al Jazeera, at least 10 patients including children on life support have died in the past 48 hours because generators failed. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini stated, “We are witnessing the gradual starvation and death of an entire population.” International medical groups have urged an immediate ceasefire to allow medical evacuations.
At least 15 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting residential buildings in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City early Friday, according to Palestinian medics. The strikes hit two multi-story homes without warning, causing mass casualties and trapping families under rubble. The Israeli military claimed the attacks were aimed at Hamas command centers but provided no evidence. Rescue teams struggled to reach survivors amid ongoing bombardment and fuel shortages, as reported by Al Jazeera.
A new ceasefire proposal drafted jointly by Egypt and Qatar has been presented to both Israel and Hamas. The plan envisages an initial six-week truce, exchange of prisoners and bodies, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. A Hamas official confirmed to Al Jazeera that the response to mediators was “positive in principle” but emphasized that any deal must include a permanent end to the war and full reconstruction. Israeli officials declined to comment publicly, but Israeli media reported that the security cabinet is divided on the proposal.
Separately, the Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov said at a news conference in Jerusalem, “We are not asking Hamas to disappear as a political movement,” while repeating demands for disarmament. Middle East Monitor reported that Mladenov acknowledged the ceasefire “is not perfect” and called for a sustainable political horizon.
Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israel’s Minister of Negev and Galilee Affairs and a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday, two days before the Hebrew calendar anniversary of Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem. According to Palestinian sources reported by Middle East Monitor, he entered under heavy police protection and performed rituals. Far-right organizations called on supporters to join the incursion to mark the occupation. The Jordanian Waqf condemned the act as a “dangerous escalation.”
On Thursday, hundreds of Israeli settlers, including several Knesset members and ministers from the far-right, entered the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police protection for the second consecutive day as part of Passover holiday provocations. Settlers performed Talmudic rituals and raised the Israeli flag inside the mosque courtyards. The Jordanian Waqf condemned the act as a “dangerous escalation” and a violation of the historical status quo. Palestinian worshippers clashed with police, resulting in 12 minor injuries and 4 arrests, reported Middle East Eye.
Yousef Ali Yousef Kaabneh, 16, was killed by Israeli fire on Wednesday during a settler attack on the towns of Sinjil and Jiljilya north of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it treated a child in critical condition with a chest wound and reported four other injuries, including two from gunfire and two from beatings after being beaten by settlers, according to Middle East Monitor. The attack is part of a spike in settler violence that has continued unabated since October 2023.
The European Union agreed on Monday to a new round of sanctions targeting “extremist” Israeli settler organizations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activity and violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin welcomed the decision on X, calling it “an important step toward accountability and upholding international law,” as reported by Middle East Monitor. However, critics, including Mondoweiss, described the sanctions as a “smokescreen” to avoid targeting Israel’s broader economic relationship with Europe.
Germany on Wednesday called for an investigation following a New York Times report about alleged Israeli torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees. Foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese said at a press briefing in Berlin, “As a matter of principle, the federal government condemns sexual violence in all contexts,” and stressed that allegations must be investigated and perpetrators held accountable. However, when asked about supporting independent access to Israeli prisons, he said the government must “first of all take a close look at the details of the matter,” indicating reluctance, according to Middle East Monitor.
Turkey announced the immediate recall of its ambassador to Israel for consultations after the Israeli government formally approved relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “Jerusalem is the red line for the Islamic world,” calling the Israeli move a “flagrant violation of international law.” The Palestinian Authority welcomed the decision but urged other Muslim states to follow suit, as reported by Middle East Eye. Threat of further diplomatic downgrades looms.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Wednesday that he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates during the height of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late March to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. The confirmation came via a statement on X, with no additional details provided, according to Middle East Monitor. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the UAE had been mediating between Washington and Tehran. Iran’s first vice president slammed the “collusion.”
The Israeli ruling coalition submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset on Wednesday, setting the stage for early parliamentary elections amid a deep political crisis. The election date will be determined by a Knesset committee, reported Anadolu Agency. Reporting in Arabic, Al Jazeera described escalating disagreements among coalition partners and a general deterioration of the political atmosphere.
A coalition of international legal and human rights organizations submitted a formal communication to the UN Human Rights Council urging immediate attention to proposed Israeli legislation commonly known as the “Execution of Palestinian Prisoners Law.” The groups warned that the legislation could provide domestic legal cover for executing Palestinian detainees and prisoners held under occupation, representing a serious escalation, as reported by Middle East Monitor.
A group of 72 Palestinian university students from the Gaza Strip arrived in Italy on Tuesday under an academic support initiative coordinated by Italian institutions. They were welcomed at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport by Italian University Minister Anna Maria Bernini and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The students will continue their education at 21 universities across Italy and the Republic of San Marino, reported Middle East Monitor.
A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday temporarily halted U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, after concluding that the Trump administration likely violated her right to free speech. The sanctions, imposed after she criticized Israel’s war on Gaza, blocked her from entering the U.S. and accessing financial assets. The ruling was reported by Al Quds Al Arabi.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the United States of trying to distract global attention from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by provoking disputes over Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland, and Canada. In an interview with RT India TV, Lavrov said, “All of the efforts that are being taken right now … are moving us away from settling the most protracted, the most negative crisis in the world – that is, the crisis around Palestine,” as reported by Middle East Monitor.
Hezbollah launched around 60 rockets into northern Israel on Thursday evening, triggering air raid sirens in Safed and the Upper Galilee, in retaliation for an Israeli drone strike that killed a senior Hezbollah field commander near Tyre hours earlier. Israeli media reported that several rockets landed in open areas, causing no casualties but sparking fires near settlements. Hezbollah stated the operation was “part of the ongoing support front for Gaza” and warned of further escalation, according to Al Jazeera.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said on Wednesday that Lebanon is seeking a lasting truce in direct talks with Israel, but that Tel Aviv is “demanding the prior disarmament of Hezbollah.” He made the comments in an interview with Anadolu Agency, adding that the ceasefire negotiated earlier remains fragile. The demand for Hezbollah’s disarmament has been a key sticking point in negotiations.
The head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Ebrahim Azizi, announced Wednesday that a strategic proposal on the “smart management” of the Strait of Hormuz has been finalized and uploaded to parliament’s system for review. Azizi stated that the proposal aims to use Iran’s geographic position in the strategic waterway as “power-generating leverage,” adding, “The missile triad, the people and the Strait of Hormuz destroyed the product of 50 years of US efforts,” as reported by Middle East Monitor.
Meanwhile, at least four China-linked vessels, including the crude oil tanker Yuan Hua Hu, transited the Strait of Hormuz via an Iranian “safe corridor” in the last 24 hours, according to MarineTraffic data cited by Anadolu Agency. The transit coincided with the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, where the Iran war and trade are key agenda items.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz declined nearly 30% in the first quarter of 2026, dropping to 14.6 million barrels per day of crude oil, condensate, and petroleum products, according to Anadolu Agency. The decline reflects the impact of the US naval blockade on Iran and heightened regional tensions.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday failed by a narrow 49-50 vote to advance a resolution limiting President Trump’s authority to continue military action against Iran without congressional approval. Three Republican senators — Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Rand Paul — joined nearly all Democrats in supporting the motion. Democratic Senator John Fetterman was the only member of his party to vote against. The vote marked the seventh congressional attempt to curb war powers, as reported by Al Jazeera English and Middle East Monitor.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday contracts with arms firms Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, Zone 5, and Castelion to acquire 10,000 low-cost containerized missiles (LCCM) and at least 500 Blackbeard hypersonic missiles per year. The deals come as the war against Iran is “badly eating into existing missile stocks,” reported Middle East Monitor.
US Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the United States is “making progress” on a deal with Iran, noting that progress has accelerated since talks in Pakistan. He reiterated President Trump’s red line that “Tehran must never have a nuclear weapon,” according to Anadolu Agency. However, reporting in Arabic, Al Jazeera cited analyses that Iran views the US as an unreliable negotiating partner after the withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
The war’s economic toll is becoming clearer: US military sources told the New York Post and New York Times that the conflict is giving China leverage and depleting US weapon stocks, reported RT Arabic. Meanwhile, Iran’s economy is feeling the pinch: one month into the US naval blockade, markets in Tehran show stable supply but declining purchasing power due to rising prices and halted imports, reported Al Jazeera Arabic.
Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthis) announced early Friday that they targeted a US Navy destroyer and a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden using drones and missiles. The group’s military spokesman said the operations were in support of Palestinians in Gaza and in response to continued US-British aggression. US Central Command confirmed it intercepted multiple drones and missiles but did not confirm any hits. A private security firm reported an explosion near a Liberian-flagged cargo ship south of Aden, with no damage, according to Middle East Eye.
Iran-aligned Iraqi militias under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) launched a drone attack early Friday against a US military base in northeastern Syria, claiming retaliation for a US strike that killed a PMF commander near Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday. US officials said the attack was intercepted and caused no casualties. The Iraqi government condemned the US strike as a violation of sovereignty, while Washington called it a defensive action, reported Middle East Eye. The incident raises fears of wider regional escalation.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began high-stakes talks in Beijing on Thursday morning, covering trade, technology, tariffs, and the war on Iran. The summit, Trump’s first official visit to China in nine years, is taking place against a backdrop of strained bilateral relations and global economic disruption. Al Jazeera English is covering the summit live. Anadolu Agency reported that the Iran war is expected to be a key agenda item, with China positioned as a potential mediator.
Russia launched at least 800 drones in attacks targeting around 20 regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least six people and injuring dozens, including children, in one of the largest drone offensives since the war began. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the scale of the attacks, as reported by Al Quds Al Arabi. The attacks came despite recent talk of a possible peace ceasefire.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Friday that they had seized the al-Jaili oil refinery north of Khartoum, Sudan’s largest, after heavy fighting with the Sudanese army. The battle has severely disrupted fuel supplies and caused mass displacement. The conflict, now in its second year, has killed over 15,000 people and created the world’s worst displacement crisis, according to Al Jazeera.
Cuba’s Energy Minister Vicente de La O Levy said Thursday that the country is completely out of fuel oil and diesel, as the US oil blockade tightens. The announcement came amid an offer from the Trump administration of $100 million in aid in exchange for reforms, which Cuba has rejected as interference, reported Al Jazeera English and Anadolu Agency.
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced it is reducing emergency food assistance in Syria by half and halting a nationwide bread subsidy program due to funding shortages, according to Anadolu Agency. The cuts come as Syria continues to grapple with the aftermath of war and economic collapse.
The Vice President of the French National Assembly, Sébastien Chenu, accused an Israeli firm of spreading fabricated information to influence French elections. Chenu said the disinformation campaign targeted candidates of La France Insoumise, as reported by Anadolu Agency. The allegation adds to a growing list of concerns over foreign interference in European elections.
The United States has canceled plans to deploy 4,000 troops to Poland, according to Defense News, as reported by RT Arabic. The decision may signal shifting US priorities amid the ongoing war in Iran.
Turkey is reportedly preparing to submit a bill to parliament asserting maritime jurisdiction over disputed areas of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean believed to contain natural gas resources. The move formalizes Ankara’s claims and could lead to increased tensions with Greece and Cyprus, reported Middle East Monitor.
Families of 10 Pakistani crew members taken hostage by Somali pirates held a protest in Karachi demanding their release. The crew was captured in the Indian Ocean, as reported by Al Jazeera English. The resurgence of Somali piracy has been linked to the chaos in the region.