Israeli strike kills medic in attack on ambulance in south Lebanon An Israeli air strike in Lebanon’s southern city of Tyre targeted a civil defence ambulance, killing one medic and wounding four others, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. Israeli attacks since 2 March have displaced more than 1. 16 million people, Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayyed told a press conference on Monday.
Israel's second-largest airline moves its operations to Jordan and Egypt Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 20:00 Ben Gurion Airport is effectively closing as US-Israeli war on Iran enters fourth week A plane from the Israeli airline Arkia flying through the sky, shown in an undated, edited photograph on its website (Screengrab) Off Israel's second-largest airline is moving its operations to Jordan and Egypt as restrictions tighten at Ben Gurion Airport four weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, Walla reported on Monday. Arkia's CEO cited the 50-passenger limit being imposed on carriers, and said the policy "effectively means closing Israel's skies". Arkia's flights will take off from smaller airports in Aqaba, Jordan and Taba, Egypt, starting on Tuesday and for the foreseeable future, the company said.
Israeli fighter jets strike southern suburbs of Beirut Israeli warplanes have carried out an air attack targeting the southern district of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported the aircraft remained in the skies over the city, conducting low-altitude overflights following the initial strike. The attack followed a forced evacuation threat issued by Israeli forces warning residents in eight neighbourhoods across the southern suburbs to evacuate, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
Exclusive: 'Handful' of ICC states aim to sabotage report clearing Karim Khan Submitted by Sondos Asem on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 17:18 Experts warn that ICC faces 'real risk' of politicisation, as small number of mainly western states look to undermine report clearing prosecutor of wrongdoing Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court taking the oath of office in June 2021 (ICC official photo) Off A minority of members from the bureau of the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) at the International Criminal Court (ICC) are calling for the findings of a judges’ report, which found no evidence of misconduct against Karim Khan, to be ignored, Middle East Eye can reveal. MEE reported exclusively on Saturday that the court’s chief prosecutor had been cleared of any wrongdoing by a panel of three senior judges appointed by the bureau of the ASP, the ICC’s governing body, to review the findings of a United Nations investigation into complaints of alleged sexual misconduct. MEE has since obtained a copy of the panel’s confidential report.
Walid Khalidi reshaped how the history of Palestine is written Submitted by Basheer Nafi on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 14:39 The Palestinian historian's work challenged dominant narratives and forced scholars to confront what had long been omitted, distorted or denied about 1948 and its consequences Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi delivers a lecture at SOAS University of London in March 2014 (SOAS University of London/Wikimedia Commons) Off The eminent Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi (1925-2026), whose death was announced on Wednesday, 8 March, was born into one of the oldest Palestinian families in Jerusalem. Over the centuries, the Khalidi family produced countless Muslim 'ulama, jurists and judges. Like many other 'ayan (notable) families in the period after Ottoman modernisation, increasing numbers of young Khalidis turned towards modern education.
Hezbollah claims series of attacks on Israeli forces The Lebanese armed group says it carried out several attacks against the Israeli army, the National News Agency reports. Hezbollah fighters targeted Israeli soldiers in the northern Israeli town of Metula for the fourth time with attack drones and launched a rocket barrage in Khirbat al-Manara near Haifa. Also in northern Israel, the group sent drones to attack a group of soldiers at the Yiftah barracks, and targeted soldiers north of the Kfar Yuval settlement for the third time.
Netanyahu says Trump sees chance of deal with Iran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he spoke with US President Donald Trump, who saw a chance of reaching a deal with Iran. Trump says there was a possibility of "leveraging the mighty achievements obtained by the IDF and the US military, in order to realise the goals of the war in a deal - a deal that will preserve our vital interests", Netanyahu said in a video statement released by his office.
Israelis say southern towns left unprotected as war with Iran intensifies Residents of Israel 's southern Negev region say they've been left defenceless against Iranian missile fire , and have called the government's response "a complete failure" rooted in years of policy neglect. Avi Dabush, the executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights, told Middle East Eye that Saturday's deadly strikes on Dimona , a city known for its proximity to Israeli nuclear facilities, and the nearby city of Arad, exposed deep gaps in civilian protection. "The government's response to the missile fire is a complete failure," Dabush said.
'This war is not of their making,' Omani foreign minister says of Iran Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 16:34 Badr al-Busaidi was the mediator between the US and Iran just before the US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi poses for a photograph alongside US President Donald Trump at the Gaza ceasefire declaration summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 13 October 2025 (Yoan Valat/AFP) Off The man who oversaw the negotiations between the US and Iran into their final hours last month has now publicly declared that the Islamic Republic is not the one responsible for the war the US and Israel began on 28 February. "Whatever your view of Iran, this war is not of their making," Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on X on Monday. "This is already causing widespread economic problems, and I fear they promise to get much worse if the war continues.
'This war is not of their making,' Omani foreign minister says of Iran Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 16:34 Badr al-Busaidi was the mediator between the US and Iran just before the US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi poses for a photograph alongside US President Donald Trump at the Gaza ceasefire declaration summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 13 October 2025 (Yoan Valat/AFP) Off The man who oversaw the negotiations between the US and Iran into their final hours last month has now publicly declared that the Islamic Republic is not the one responsible for the war the US and Israel began on 28 February. "Whatever your view of Iran, this war is not of their making," Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on X on Monday. "This is already causing widespread economic problems, and I fear they promise to get much worse if the war continues.
Lebanon: Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,030 since start of war Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 1,039 people have been killed and 2,876 others wounded since the start of Israel’s expanded offensive on 2 March. At least 10 people were killed and 90 others wounded across Lebanon over the past 24 hours alone, added the ministry.
Israelis say southern towns left unprotected as war with Iran intensifies Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 17:06 Iranian missile strikes have reignited criticism of the government’s failure to protect civilians, with millions lacking access to adequate shelters Israeli first responders inspect the site of an Iranian missile strike on the city of Arad on 22 March 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP) Off Residents of Israel 's southern Negev region say they've been left defenceless against Iranian missile fire , and have called the government's response "a complete failure" rooted in years of policy neglect. Avi Dabush, the executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights, told Middle East Eye that Saturday's deadly strikes on Dimona , a city known for its proximity to Israeli nuclear facilities, and the nearby city of Arad, exposed deep gaps in civilian protection. "The government's response to the missile fire is a complete failure," Dabush said.
Vance and Netanyahu speak about Iran negotiations US Vice President JD Vance discussed efforts to open negotiations with Iran during a phone call on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the call. The source said the pair also discussed the components of a possible agreement to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, Axios reported.
Red Cross says Middle East is reaching ‘point of no return’ The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for an immediate halt to the “war on essential infrastructure” in the Middle East. “What we have seen in recent days in the Middle East risks reaching a point of no return,” ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric said, adding that the “potential harm to nuclear facilities” was “most alarming” and could lead to “irreversible consequences”.
Trump says he and 'the ayatollah' can share control of Strait of Hormuz Submitted by Sean Mathews on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 15:57 US move to recognise Iran's sphere of influence over the strategic waterway would be a concession A page on the Marinetraffic website on 4 March 2026 shows commercial boat traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast (Julien De Rosa/AFP) Off US President Donald Trump on Monday said he and Iran's ayatollah could "jointly" control the Strait of Hormuz, as he unleashed a flurry of de-escalatory statements. Trump said the waterway through which 20 percent of global energy supplies pass will be "jointly controlled. Maybe [by] me.
Turkey seeks off-ramp to war through US-Iran negotiations Turkey is seeking an off-ramp to the war on Iran , engaging both the US and the Islamic Republic in an effort to initiate negotiations on a potential deal, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. On Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of phone calls with his Iranian, Egyptian and European counterparts to discuss steps toward ending the conflict, according to sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The same day, Fidan also spoke with senior US officials, possibly including envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
UK Defence Secretary says Iran fired missiles on Diego Garcia UK Defence Secretary John Healey claimed on Monday that Iran fired two missiles at the joint UK-US Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean on Friday. Speaking to British parliamentarians, Healey said: "In the early hours of Friday morning, two Iranian missiles were launched in the direction of Diego Garcia. "One fell short of its target, the other was brought down short of its target.
Gaza: Up to 10 Palestinians die daily due to Israeli restrictions on medical evacuations Submitted by Mera Aladam on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 13:12 Around 1,400 Palestinians have died whilst awaiting medical transfers abroad since May 2024, Gaza's health ministry has said A Palestinian child receives treatment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, 2 February 2026 (Reuters/Mahmoud Issa) Off Up to 10 Palestinians are dying every day in Gaza due to severe Israeli restrictions that prevent them from accessing urgent medical care abroad, the Palestinian health ministry has said. Zaher al-Wahidi, the director of the ministry's information department, said on Monday that "every day, between six and 10 patients who are waiting to travel abroad for treatment die". He said there were at least 195 cases classified as life-threatening and warned that if they were not evacuated within the next few hours, their lives could be at risk.
Pakistan acting as mediator between Iran and US: FT Two sources are telling the Financial Times that Pakistan is acting as a negotiator between the United States and Iran. The sources, who were briefed on the call, said Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, had spoken with Trump to discuss a possible de-escalation. While Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.
Iranian parliament speaker says 'no negotiations' between US and Iran The Iranian Parliament's Speaker Mohamed Bagher Galibaf repeated Tehran's denial that talks took place between Iran and the US. "No negotiations have been held with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped," Galibaf wrote on X. "Galibaf's comments come after Iranian officials said it demanded the "complete and remoseful punishment of the aggressors" and that it stood "firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved.
