Kuwait releases journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after acquittal Kuwaiti -American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been released from prison after being acquitted of all charges related to sharing images on social media of the US - Israeli war on Iran . The 41-year-old, an American-born Kuwaiti national, was arrested on 2 March while visiting family in Kuwait. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that his arrest came after he made a series of social media posts related to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Kuwait releases journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after acquittal Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 04/23/2026 - 14:33 Kuwaiti-American journalist was arrested in early March after posting social media images of US-Israeli war on Iran Ahmed Shihab-Eldin at the Doha Film Institute in Doha, Qatar, on 16 November 2024 (Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto) Off Kuwaiti -American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been released from prison after being acquitted of all charges related to sharing images on social media of the US - Israeli war on Iran . The 41-year-old, an American-born Kuwaiti national, was arrested on 2 March while visiting family in Kuwait. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that his arrest came after he made a series of social media posts related to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
More than 1,600 candidates in May local elections make major pro-Palestine pledge Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 14:57 The pledge, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, commits candidates to support Palestinian rights if elected A march in central London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, on 29 November 2025 (AFP) Off More than 1,600 candidates standing in the forthcoming local elections in the UK have made a "Pledge for Palestine", Middle East Eye can reveal. The pledge, created by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), commits candidates to use their position to support Palestinian rights if they are elected. It specifically commits to supporting councils divesting pension funds from companies complicit in Israel 's violations of international law.
Iranian women held by US immigration not Qassem Soleimani's relatives: Report Two women reported to be relatives of assassinated Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani who were arrested in the United States are not, in fact, related to him, according to a news report . Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter Sarina were arrested in early April after their residency permits were rescinded. This came after far-right campaigner Laura Loomer pointed out their relationship to the late Quds Force leader on social media and claimed to have reported the women to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for “posting content sympathetic to the Iranian regime and Ayatollah”.
CPJ 'outraged' over Israeli targeting of Lebanese journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has slammed Israel for its attack on Lebanese journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj in southern Lebanon. The CPJ wrote that it was "outraged" at the targeting of the two reporters while they were on duty. Khalil and Faraj were both covering the recent attacks on the southern village of Bint Jbeil.
The Palestinian woman on the cover of L'Espresso speaks to MEE: "Israeli settlers were ready to kill us" Submitted by Gofran Mohamad on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 18:43 MEE spoke to Palestinian lawyer Meead Abu al-Rub about the widely circulated L'Espresso magazine cover that has brought her international attention after she was filmed being harassed by Israeli settlers during an olive harvest in October 2025. The 35-year-old Palestinian, who works with the Wall and Settlement Authority, said she was documenting a peaceful land-related activity in the Soba area of Idna al-Khalil when the situation escalated, with settlers and Israeli forces moving in to intimidate participants and force the event to stop. Abu Al-Rub armed settlers and soldiers confronted the group within minutes, describing threats, intimidation and the use of tear gas that led organisers and landowners to withdraw for safety reasons.
Wheelchair shortage deepens crisis for disabled people in Gaza Submitted by Gofran Mohamad on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 18:40 Disabled residents in Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis as acute shortages of wheelchairs leave many unable to move, access medical care, or live independently. Testimonies from families describe elderly caregivers struggling to manoeuvre damaged or improvised chairs, while some individuals are forced to crawl or share a single wheelchair among several people. Years of Israeli bombardment, displacement and poverty have made repairs costly and replacements nearly impossible to obtain, with prices far beyond what most families can afford leaving vulnerable people isolated in tents.
Palestinian March of Return reshaped by Israeli restrictions Submitted by Samah Watad on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 15:19 In a series of small marches, Palestinians tour villages depopulated by Zionist militias during Nakba Palestinian children wearing keffiyehs walk along a road in al-Mughayir village near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, 22 April 2026 (Mohammed Torokman/Reuters) Off The annual March of Return, which typically draws tens of thousands of Palestinians inside Israel , was transformed this year into a series of smaller marches across depopulated Palestinian villages. Despite restrictions imposed by Israeli police, hundreds of Palestinians took part in local tours to their destroyed villages to commemorate the Nakba , or catastrophe, which refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist militias to make way for the creation of Israel in May 1948. Through these events, Palestinians say they aim to reaffirm their identity amid what they describe as ongoing Israeli attempts to erase it.
The Strokes frontman calls out 'US Zionists' The Strokes' lead singer Julian Casablancas slammed the "white privilege" of Zionists in the United States during an extended episode of the viral online talk show SubwayTakes. On board the New York City subway for comedian Kareem Rahma’s programme, where guests declare and defend their oft-humorous, sometimes serious "takes", the band’s frontman shared a series of opinions, from light-hearted views on banning long voice notes and modern cars being "just the worst", to more sober takes, including one which he says might "end his career". "American Zionists get the benefits of white privileged people, but talk like they are Black people during slavery," he argues in his fourth and final take in the extended version of the interview published on YouTube on Tuesday.
Labour councillor defending seat in election posed with rifle in Israeli army uniform Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 11:51 Izzy Lenga sits on Labour's London executive committee and is vice chair of group linked to organisation that has helped establish illegal Israeli settlements Izzy Lenga is a councillor for the South Hampstead ward in London's Camden. (Screengrab/X) Off A Labour councillor defending her seat in the forthcoming local elections posed in an Israeli army uniform with an assault rifle. Izzy Lenga sits on the party's London executive committee and is vice chair of a group linked to an Israeli organisation that has helped establish illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.
Corbyn slams 'surveillance state' after UK universities pay firm to spy on pro-Palestine students Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 14:08 Horus Security Consultancy Limited has been paid at least £440,000 by universities since 2022 for going through social media feeds of students A passerby wearing a keffiyeh walks past a banner reading 'Welcome to the people's university for Palestine' at Oxford University on 7 May 2024 (AFP) Off Twelve British universities have been criticised for paying a private firm run by former military intelligence officials to spy on student protesters and academics. Horus Security Consultancy Limited, which calls itself a "leading intelligence" firm, has been paid at least £440,000 ($594,000) by universities since 2022 for going through through the social media feeds of students looking for expressions of solidarity with Palestine, and making counter-terror threat assessments. An investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates revealed this week that the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, King’s College London, the University of Sheffield, the University of Leicester, the University of Nottingham, and Cardiff Metropolitan University have paid Horus to monitor students and academics.
Sexual violence by Israeli settlers and soldiers driving Palestinian displacement, report says Submitted by Mera Aladam on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 09:35 Study finds threats against women and children, including abuse and harassment, are forcing families to flee their homes Palestinians prepare to cross an Israeli checkpoint in Qalandia, in the occupied West Bank, on 22 March 2024 (AFP/Zain Jaafar) Off Israeli forces and settlers are committing acts of gender-based and sexualised violence that are contributing to the displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a new study has found. In a report titled “Sexual violence and forcible transfer in the West Bank: How the exploitation of gender dynamics drives displacement”, the West Bank Protection Consortium documented at least 16 cases involving sexual crimes perpetrated by Israeli settlers and soldiers. Sexual violence, which remains widely underreported due to social stigma, is being used to pressure communities to leave their homes and disrupt daily life, the report published on Monday said.
Iran executes civil defence official convicted of spying for Israel Iran has executed a senior civil defence official convicted of spying for Mossad, according to Mizan News Agency. The report identified the official as Mehdi Farid and said he was hanged after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction. Mizan said Farid had confessed to attempting to pass sensitive information to Israeli intelligence, including organisational details, facility layouts and personnel records.
Piers Morgan challenges Israel’s ‘most moral army’ claim British broadcaster Piers Morgan says that the claim that the Israeli military is the “most moral army in the world” is increasingly difficult to accept, especially as more evidence of atrocities committed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon becomes apparent. Morgan highlighted the recent testimonies of Israeli soldiers published in Haaretz, which detail incidents of soldiers killing unarmed civilians in Gaza, as well as the incident where a soldier desecrated a statue of Jesus in a Lebanese Christian village. Adding to Morgan’s comments, Israeli journalist and author Gideon Levy stated that these incidents are not mere isolated events but are the inevitable results of a “brutal,” decades-long occupation.
Rights groups say EU ‘enabling’ Israel after trade deal decision Human rights experts, including Erika Guevara Rosas of Amnesty International, said the European Union is “knowingly enabling” Israel’s alleged violations after Germany and Italy blocked a proposal to suspend a trade agreement with Israel. The proposal had been backed by Spain, Slovenia and Ireland. “The EU’s failure to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel is a damning betrayal of its own values,” Rosas said.
Settlers torch home in West Bank, infant among injured Seven Palestinians, including an infant, were treated for smoke inhalation after a home was set on fire in the village of Beit Imrin in the northern West Bank, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. One person was also treated for burn injuries. Residents extinguished the fire before it spread further, but two vehicles were also torched in the attack, the Wafa reported, adding that no arrests were reported.
Middle East Eye documentary 'Soaked in Blood' wins Webby award Submitted by Faisal Edroos on Tue, 04/21/2026 - 14:50 Investigative film revealed that Israeli forces killed a starving Palestinian who was walking along a route declared safe by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation " class="video-embed-field-lazy container-element"> The documentary, which was released days after the October ceasefire went into effect in Gaza, reconstructed the moments leading up to Khalifa's killing (Middle East Eye) Off Middle East Eye's documentary Soaked in Blood: The Killing of Ameen Sameer Khalifa has won the People's Voice Award in the documentary, video and film category at this year's Webbys. The film beat several other entries to secure the award, driven by strong public support, and will be honoured at a ceremony later this year. The documentary, which was released in October, days after a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza, reconstructed the moments leading up to Khalifa's killing and exposed how Palestinians were guided into active firing zones.
Rabbi who became mascot for Gaza genocide honoured by Israel on independence day Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, whose name became synonymous with destroying Palestinian homes in Gaza, will light a torch at Israel ’s national independence day ceremony - one of the country’s highest civilian honours. The annual ceremony, held on 21 April, celebrates the establishment of Israel in 1948 (an event known to Palestinians as the Nakba - or catastrophe - which ethnically cleansed over 750,000 people). Miri Regev, the populist right-wing transport minister, chose the rabbi as one of those to light a torch this year.
Israeli minister's convoy hits and kills Palestinian boy in occupied West Bank Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 04/21/2026 - 10:59 Teen from Hebron was riding a bike when he was hit by vehicle reportedly en route to secure settlement minister Orit Strock Mohammad Majdi al-Jaabir, 16, died after being struck by a vehicle in the security convoy of an Israeli minister near Hebron, West Bank, on 21 April 2026 (X) Off A Palestinian boy was killed on Tuesday after being struck by a vehicle in the security convoy of an Israeli minister in the occupied West Bank. The boy was identified as Mohammad Majdi al-Jaabir, 16, from the southern West Bank city of Hebron. He was riding his bicycle to school when he was run over shortly after 6am local time, according to Wafa news agency.
Israeli settler kills teenager in Hebron An Israeli settler driving a vehicle struck and killed 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammad Majdi al-Ja’bari as he cycled to school early on Tuesday north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, Wafa reported, citing security sources. The report said the driver was part of the security detail of an Israeli government minister living in the nearby Kiryat Arba settlement. The incident occurred at about 06:00 local time on Route 60 near the Beit Einun junction.
