Palestinian killed by Israeli gunfire in Jenin camp: A 34-year-old Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces early Saturday during a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported treating one injury at the camp's entrance. →
US announces 45-day extension of Lebanon "ceasefire": The US State Department announced Friday that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days following what it called "highly productive" talks in Washington. The announcement came as Israeli forces continued their military operations and airstrikes in southern Lebanon. →
Israeli airstrike kills 7 in Gaza City on Nakba Day: At least seven Palestinians, including three women and a child, were killed Friday when Israeli warplanes struck a residential building and a vehicle in Gaza City. The attack occurred on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, as Israel claimed it was targeting Hamas' military chief. →
Israeli occupiers burn mosque in West Bank village: Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and several Palestinian-owned vehicles early Friday in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. Racist slogans were also spray-painted on the walls of homes. →
Global protests mark 78th anniversary of the Nakba: Cities across the Arab world and the West, including Rotterdam, Vienna, Athens, Tunis, Amman, and Karachi, saw demonstrations and events Friday commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, expressing support for Palestine and reaffirming the right of return for Palestinian refugees. →
Explosions reported in Baghdad's Karrada district: Iraqi media reported loud explosions in the Karrada area of central Baghdad on Saturday morning. Iraqi security forces later clarified that the sounds were from a ceremonial 21-gun salute, not a security incident. →
Nakba 78: UN commemorates, global leaders speak out: The UN held a commemoration of the Nakba anniversary at its headquarters, with high-level officials warning that Palestinian suffering continues. Spanish actor Javier Bardem called Gaza a "genocide," and Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez defended Spain's Eurovision boycott citing Israel's "illegal war." →
Netanyahu acknowledges Israel controls 60% of Gaza: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated Friday that Israel now controls approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip, exceeding the roughly 53% envisioned under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, as reported by Haaretz. →
Israel's Itamar Ben-Gvir announces settlement plans for Lebanon: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared on Thursday that the government plans to establish illegal settlements in Lebanon and displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, during a Jerusalem event marking the occupation's anniversary. →
US charges commander from Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah: The US Justice Department has arrested and charged an Iraqi national and senior commander of an Iran-backed armed group, Kataib Hezbollah, according to Al Jazeera English. →
Israel arrests over 23,000 Palestinians in West Bank since Oct 2023: The Palestinian Prisoner's Society reported Friday that Israeli authorities have detained nearly 23,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war began, describing the period as the "bloodiest and harshest since 1967." →
Infectious diseases rampant in Gaza amid siege: The Electronic Intifada reports that infectious diseases are spreading widely in Gaza, with Israeli forces also killing a Palestinian child in the West Bank. →
The Nakba continues as a live, unfolding reality. Across Gaza, the West Bank, and globally, the 78th anniversary of the Nakba was marked not just by remembrance but by ongoing violence. In Gaza, Israel killed seven people on Nakba Day itself. In the West Bank, settlers burned a mosque and a Palestinian was shot dead. This is not memory — it is a continuous policy of dispossession and erasure.
Israel's expanded territorial control in Gaza shows the "ceasefire" is a facade. Netanyahu's confirmation that Israel now controls 60% of Gaza — exceeding the ceasefire boundaries — alongside the extension of the Lebanon "ceasefire" while Israeli attacks continue, demonstrates that the US-mediated agreements are not about ending conflict but about managing it while Israel pursues territorial gains.
The West Bank is experiencing a rapid, violent escalation. The killing in Jenin, the burning of a mosque in Jibiya, the direct threats of displacement by soldiers in Qalandia camp, and over 23,000 arrests since October 2023 all point to a coordinated Israeli campaign to suppress and displace Palestinians in the West Bank, mirroring the destruction in Gaza.
International diplomatic and legal pushback is growing but remains insufficient. The EU's sanctions on settlers are widely criticized as a "smokescreen." Spain's Eurovision boycott and Javier Bardem's UN speech signal a moral stand, but without material consequences — such as arms embargoes or economic sanctions on Israel — these actions have limited impact on the ground.
The US-Israel-Iran axis is reshaping the entire region. From Trump's renewed pledge to prevent a nuclear Iran, to the deployment and return of the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the UAE building a pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, the broader geopolitical realignment continues. Israel's war on Iran has deepened regional instability, with no end in sight.
Gaza's health and humanitarian crisis is reaching catastrophic new depths. The destruction of all MRI machines, a rampant rat epidemic infecting over 70,000 people, and acute medicine shortages under a tightened siege are creating conditions for disease outbreaks and a total collapse of the healthcare system.
Israeli warplanes struck a residential building and a vehicle in Gaza City on Friday, killing at least seven Palestinians, including three women and a child, according to Al Jazeera English. The attack came on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba. Al Jazeera Arabic reported that the strikes hit an apartment building.
Israel claimed it was targeting the head of Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, according to Middle East Monitor. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the strike. There was no confirmation from Hamas regarding the claim.
"They were removed from their homes, their houses destroyed, their lives and livelihoods upended. In a moment, entire people scattered," said UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock at the UN's Nakba commemoration, as reported by Middle East Monitor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Friday that Israel now controls around 60% of the Gaza Strip, exceeding the territory outlined under the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, according to Middle East Monitor citing Haaretz.
The ceasefire envisioned Israeli-controlled territory at approximately 53% of the enclave. According to Palestinian officials and rights groups, Israeli forces have gradually expanded beyond the original demarcation line into areas deeper inside Gaza, referred to in recent reports as the "buffer zone." At least 857 people have been killed and many more wounded since the ceasefire took effect, according to Palestinian figures.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared on Thursday that the government plans to establish illegal settlements in Lebanon and displace Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to Middle East Monitor.
Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, Ben-Gvir said:
"We have more plans to encourage migration from Gaza, encourage migration from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and settlement in Lebanon, and we will not fear eliminating everyone who rises up to kill us."
Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and several Palestinian-owned vehicles early Friday in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, and spray-painted racist slogans on walls, according to Middle East Monitor, citing the official news agency Wafa.
In a separate incident, settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the town of Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, breaking down several doors and causing panic among women and children.
A 34-year-old Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces early Saturday during a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The Ministry of Health confirmed his death, stating he was hit by live fire during the incursion.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its crews treated one injury at the camp's entrance.
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society said Friday that the Israeli army has arrested more than 23,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, according to Middle East Monitor.
The group described the period as the "bloodiest and harshest since 1967." The figure includes women, children, wounded people, and former prisoners, and excludes thousands arrested from Gaza, where Israel continues to forcibly disappear hundreds of detainees.
"Detention has formed and continues to form one of the main pillars of the Israeli colonial project," the society said.
The Electronic Intifada reports that infectious diseases are spreading widely in Gaza amid the ongoing siege. The report also notes that Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian child in the West Bank. Mondoweiss reported that a rodent bounty program is sweeping across Gaza, offering 34 cents per mouse and $1.7 per rat, as health officials warn that over 70,000 people have been infected by rodent-borne illnesses.
+972 Magazine published a firsthand account from a doctor in Gaza detailing that all MRI machines have been destroyed or rendered useless by Israel's siege. The doctor states they cannot diagnose patients and are forced to practice a "desperate form of triage."
A public opinion poll published Friday by the Israeli Maariv newspaper shows that Israel's opposition could secure the 61 seats needed to form a government if elections were held today, according to Middle East Monitor. The poll found that 55% of Israelis prefer that Netanyahu retire from political life.
The French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Benjamin Netanyahu is moving to advance the date of elections in an effort to control the political timeline amid a growing crisis with his religious coalition partners, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The crisis involves disputes with the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties.
The United States announced Friday that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days following what Washington described as "highly productive" talks, according to Middle East Monitor.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X: "The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress." A "security track" involving military delegations from both countries is set to launch at the Pentagon on May 29.
RT Arabic reported that Israeli forces continue their operations and airstrikes in southern Lebanon despite the announced extension. Lebanon's Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks have killed 2,951 people since March 2, with at least 8,988 wounded.
Lebanon announced Friday a railway revival project linking Tripoli to the Syrian border, according to Anadolu Agency. The project aims to strengthen Tripoli Port's regional logistics role and connect Lebanon to broader transport networks in Syria, Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Day two of the third round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began in Washington on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping agrees with him on preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. Meanwhile, Tehran confirmed it has received US messages to continue negotiations and has allowed more ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trump on Saturday, saying that the "real pain" for Americans will start when US debts and housing loan rates begin to rise, according to RT Arabic.
The US Justice Department has arrested and charged an Iraqi national and senior commander of an Iran-backed armed group, Kataib Hezbollah, according to Al Jazeera English.
The US Navy's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, returned to its home port on Saturday after a 326-day deployment, including its latest mission in the Middle East, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
The FBI has offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a former US Air Force operative who defected to Iran, according to Middle East Monitor.
The UAE is accelerating the construction of a new oil pipeline to double the export capacity of ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) via the port of Fujairah by 2027, aiming to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
The United Nations commemorated the 78th anniversary of the Nakba on Friday at its headquarters, with senior officials warning that Palestinian suffering and displacement continue, according to Middle East Monitor. UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock described the Nakba as a lasting historical "pain."
Javier Bardem stated in a recorded message: "We understand that the Nakba never ended. It is playing out today in... genocide." The film "All That's Left Of You" by Palestinian-American director Cherien Dabis was screened at the event, as reported by Al Quds Al Arabi.
Cities across the Arab world and the West saw demonstrations Friday, including Rotterdam, Vienna, Athens, Tunis, Amman, and Karachi, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. Extinction Rebellion activists hung a Palestinian flag on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as reported by Al Jazeera English.
London is preparing for a large Nakba march on Saturday, coinciding with a far-right rally by Tommy Robinson, as reported by Al Quds Al Arabi. The UK government has barred 11 people from entering the country for the far-right rally, according to Anadolu Agency.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended Spain's decision not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, saying the country could not remain silent over Israel's actions in Gaza and Lebanon, according to Middle East Monitor.
"That is why Spain is not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, because our commitment to human rights and international law is also expressed through culture," Sánchez said in a video message.
Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, sharply criticized Finland on Friday for inviting Israeli arms industry companies to Helsinki for defense cooperation talks, according to Middle East Monitor.
"This has got to stop. Finland's international obligations and credibility are at stake," she said.
US prosecutors in Washington confirmed they will seek the death penalty for a man accused of killing two employees at the Israeli embassy near a Jewish museum about a year ago, according to RT Arabic.
The EU has agreed to sanction violent Israeli settlers and settler groups, but critics, including Mondoweiss, say the measures are a "smokescreen" meant to delay imposing broader economic sanctions on Israel. Separately, Electronic Intifada reported that the EU gave $3 million to a firm hiring Israel's spies, even as it announced sanctions.
UK artist Matthew Collings defended his exhibition "Drawings Against Genocide," saying it has been falsely depicted as anti-Semitic, according to Al Jazeera English.
An Italian court sentenced Ahmad Salem, a Palestinian, to four years in prison over videos found on his phone, according to Electronic Intifada.
A land convoy called "Soumoud 2" is preparing to leave Libya to bring aid to Gaza, according to Al Jazeera English.
New York Mayor Zahran Mamedani posted a message on X marking Nakba Day, including a video testimony from a resident who said she was a "survivor of the Nakba," drawing criticism from Jewish and Israeli groups, according to RT Arabic.
India and the UAE signed several pacts Friday, including in defence and energy, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a multi-nation tour, with his first stop in Abu Dhabi, according to Middle East Monitor.
US newspapers assessed that President Trump returned from his visit to China amid positive diplomatic atmospherics but lacking practical outcomes, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. The papers concluded that both countries seek to manage their differences rather than resolve them permanently.
The Kremlin announced Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to China on May 19-20, according to RT Arabic.
Taiwan on Saturday affirmed its status as an independent and sovereign state, hours after President Trump warned it against any formal declaration of independence, according to Al Quds Al Arabi.
Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said Friday that more than 15 million people in Syria will require humanitarian assistance this year, approximately two-thirds of the population, according to Middle East Monitor.
Syria appointed Muhammad Safwat Abdel Hamid Raslan as the new governor of the Central Bank on Friday, replacing Abdel Qader al-Hasriya, who will become Syria's ambassador to Canada, according to Al Quds Al Arabi.
President Donald Trump claimed that the US "made a fortune" from Venezuela's oil following a military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to Anadolu Agency.
"It's a strong country with a strong military, but it went very quickly," Trump said.
President Trump announced Friday that US and Nigerian forces killed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of the Islamic State (ISIS), in a joint operation, according to Al Jazeera English. Al Quds Al Arabi reported that Trump called it a "highly complex and meticulously planned mission."
Iraqi media reported loud explosions in the Karrada district of Baghdad on Saturday, but Baghdad Operations Command clarified that the sounds were from a 21-gun salute for a ceremony, not a security incident, according to RT Arabic.
The President of the Central African Republic accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mouloua and his government, paving the way for a new cabinet after legislative elections, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated that Russian forces control 85% of the city of Krasny Liman in Donetsk and are advancing in the Kharkiv region, according to RT Arabic.
A Ukrainian aircraft carrying explosives bound for Libya was temporarily stopped in Trinidad and Tobago before being allowed to depart, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The plane had landed for refueling and was en route via Cape Verde.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is set to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels next week with senior executives from major European defense companies, according to RT Arabic.
Poland downplayed a pause in US troop deployments as doubts grow about America's long-term commitment to European security under President Trump, according to Anadolu Agency.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said the US noticed anti-American sentiments in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to RT Arabic.
Electricity was restored across Cuba on Friday after a massive blackout, but the island's energy crisis remains severe as oil supplies are depleted, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The country of 9.6 million people has been under a US energy blockade since January.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an Ebola outbreak in Ituri province, DR Congo, with 65 deaths from 246 suspected cases, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
Nearly 20 million people in war-torn Sudan face acute hunger, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, as previously covered.
Violence at a football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Suwaihli in Libya on Thursday spread from the Tarhuna stadium to the capital Tripoli, where part of the Prime Ministry headquarters was set on fire, revealing the dangerous intersection of sports, politics, and security in Libya, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.