Israeli settlers 'hike' through my West Bank village. Next is the violent land grab For decades, my hometown of Qira was a sanctuary of quiet endurance. One of the smallest villages in the occupied West Bank, nestled in the Salfit governorate and tucked away from covetous eyes, it remained relatively shielded from major land confiscations and aggressive incursions throughout the long years of occupation .
Palestinian Islamic Jihad co-founder threatened with 'unlawful' deportation from Syria Submitted by Natacha Danon on Thu, 09/03/2026 - 09:27 Adel al-Natour, former member of PIJ, has been held without trial since his detention in late 2025 An old family photo of Adel al-Natour, co-founder and former member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Anagha Subhash Nair/MEE) Off More than eight months after Syrian authorities detained Adel al-Natour, a 71-year-old co-founder and former member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), he remains held without trial or access to legal counsel, his family told Middle East Eye. Natour was taken from his home outside Damascus on 18 December. His family said Natour left PIJ, an armed Palestinian faction, in 1995.
Watch: Netanyahu nods along as yeshiva students chant anti-Palestinian song Footage circulating on social media shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nodding along while yeshiva students chant a song that calls for revenge and the erasure of Palestinians. “May their name be erased! ” Footage circulating on social media shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nodding along while yeshiva students chant a song that calls for revenge and the erasure of Palestinians.
Israeli forces demolish four water wells, greenhouses in Hebron Israeli forces demolished four water wells and several greenhouses on Wednesday in the Al-Thaghra neighborhood of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, Wafa news reported. Citing a local source, Wafa said that Israeli forces used a bulldozer to demolish four water wells in the al-Thaghra area, each reaching approximately 40 meters underground, which were used to irrigate crops and for other agricultural purposes. Israeli soldiers also reportedly demolished several greenhouses in the same area, claiming they lacked permits.
Ben Gvir deletes AI video showing emaciated Palestinian prisoners after backlash Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 09/02/2026 - 19:24 Israel’s far-right national security minister removed the clip that prompted comparisons with Nazi concentration camps Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir enters Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem 23 on July 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP) Off Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has deleted an AI-generated video showing Palestinian prisoners being systematically starved, after it sparked outrage and comparisons to Nazi concentration camps. The video , posted to Ben Gvir’s social media accounts, showed groups of apparently well-fed Palestinian men in numbered prison uniforms travelling along a conveyor belt towards a detention facility surrounded by fencing. Thought bubbles above the prisoners showed images representing food, education, safety and other basic needs.
Two Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in Nazareth Two Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed in the city of Nazareth on Wednesday, Wafa news reported. The two men, in their 30s, were shot dead in a vehicle in the city. This brings the total number of Palestinian citizens of Israel killed since the beginning of 2026 to 156, including at least three killed by Israeli police fire, five women, and three children.
Al-Khair Foundation strongly denies UK Lawyers for Israel allegation of Hamas links Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 09/02/2026 - 11:32 The British charity insists it has no ties with the Palestinian group after being placed under investigation Al-Khair Foundation workers pictured in Gaza in August (screengrab) Off A major British charity has strongly denied allegations it is linked to Hamas after being placed under investigation following a complaint by the group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). It emerged last month that Al-Khair Foundation is being investigated by Britain's Charity Commission and the Department for Education. In July, Mohammad Yousef Hasna, who Al-Khair has described as "an employee of a partner charity delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza", was arrested in Britain on behalf of American prosecutors.
Tunisia steps up civil society crackdown as anger mounts over power and water shortages Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 09/02/2026 - 10:41 At least 47 people connected with NGOs have been prosecuted since 2024, according to Human Rights Watch Tunisians protest against President Kais Saied, demanding the return of democracy and the release of jailed activists and journalists amid a worsening economic and social crisis, in Tunis, 20 August 2026 (Jihed Abidellaoui/Reuters) Off The Tunisian government is escalating its wide-reaching crackdown on civil society, as public frustration mounts over ongoing power and water shortages amid soaring temperatures. Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a report on Wednesday that the authorities' intensifying repression of NGOs is part of a push to completely shutter civil society. The 49-page report detailed a raft of measures wielded by President Kais Saied's government - including prosecution, arbitrary detention, financial investigations and mass suspensions - to target local and civil society groups, their members, workers and associates.
CBS staff accuse network of ‘overt racism’ over Abdul El-Sayed 9/11 story Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 09/01/2026 - 18:37 Staffers have pushed back against CBS's decision to revive years-old deleted posts by the Muslim Senate candidate and foreground 9/11 in its coverage US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during the Michigan Democratic Party General Election Kickoff Rally at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Michigan, on 7 August 2026 (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP) Off CBS News is facing internal backlash over its coverage of Muslim US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, with current and former staffers accusing the network of poor journalism and “overt” racism. The controversy erupted after CBS published a story highlighting old social media posts by El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. El-Sayed, who could become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, had deleted posts in which he compared the mounting Covid-19 death toll with the nearly 3,000 people killed on 11 September 2001 and called for Washington to mobilise against poverty and the pandemic as it had after the attacks.
WHO raises concerns over amputees and deteriorating water quality in Gaza The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday raised concerns about deteriorating water quality, contamination and subsequent disease risks in the genocide-stricken Gaza Strip ahead of the upcoming winter. Addressing reporters from Gaza, Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that “between January and August this year, over 6,700 water samples had been tested, and microbiological contamination almost tripled, from under six percent in January to over 18 percent in August”. She noted that “there had been a significant increase in cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea over the same period, when cases nearly doubled”.
Israeli forces demolish residential and livestock structures in Tubas Israeli forces began demolishing residential and livestock structures belonging to two families in the area of al-Ras al-Ahmar, southeast of Tubas in the occupied West Bank, on Tuesday, Wafa news reported, citing a local official. The demolitions come amid continued Israeli measures targeting Palestinian communities in the northern Jordan Valley, including damaging water infrastructure and livestock.
UK's Burnham urged to address alleged UAE plot against British academic Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 09/01/2026 - 13:51 UAE allegedly funded an operation to surveil British-Muslim activist Anas Altikriti, with a mercenary reportedly discussing killing him Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham leaves from 10 Downing Street in central London on 1 September 2026 (AFP) Off A British academic has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking for his response to a report alleging that the United Arab Emirates ordered a covert surveillance operation aiming to kill him in London. An ITV News investigation last month reported that the UAE paid millions of dollars to a mercenary to target Anas Altikriti, the chief executive of the London-based Cordoba Foundation think tank. Abraham Golan, a dual Hungarian-Israeli citizen who ran the private security company Spear Operations Group, allegedly travelled to Britain in December 2016 to target Altikriti.
Israel imposes curriculum on 45,000 Palestinian students in East Jerusalem Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Tue, 09/01/2026 - 14:39 Israel is refusing to allow Palestinian teachers entry into Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank Palestinian schoolgirls at an Unrwa school in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem in May 2025 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP) Off Israeli authorities are imposing their curriculum on more than 45,000 Palestinian students in state-run schools in East Jerusalem, as part of a wider crackdown on education in the occupied area of the city. The new measures mean that around 38 percent of all Palestinian students - a marked increase on recent years - will be taught the Israeli curriculum rather than the Palestinian one from Tuesday. This includes all new first grade and seventh grade classes opening in the state education system in East Jerusalem.
Nearly half of terrorism arrests in UK since 9/11 coincided with Palestine Action ban, new data shows New data has revealed that almost half of Britian's counter-terror arrests since 9/11 coincided with the UK government's proscription of direct action group Palestine Action. According to Home Office data, of the 6539 arrests for terror-related activity in the UK since the 2001 attacks on the twin towers, 3,021 were in the past year. The surge coincides with the proscription of Palestine Action in July last year- which led to thousands of arrests of people for holding signs during silent vigils in support of the group.
Gaza 'ceasefire' has merely slowed the pace of societal destruction Submitted by Ghada Majadli on Thu, 08/27/2026 - 15:31 The Israeli bombs have slowed, but many Palestinians with life-changing injuries are struggling to survive in a ravaged landscape A Palestinian amputee walks near destroyed buildings in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, on 12 February 2025 (Omar al-Qattaa/AFP) On Every fourth Palestinian injured in Gaza since October 2023 lives with spinal cord or brain injuries, among other potentially life-changing conditions, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently estimated . Despite this, the entry of rehabilitation supplies remains restricted. Of the more than 172,000 people wounded in Gaza, 43,000 - around two percent of Gaza’s prewar population, including approximately 10,000 children - are estimated to have sustained life-changing injuries, such as limb trauma, amputations, spinal cord damage, major burns and traumatic brain injuries.
US issues gentle condemnation of Israeli settler attack on NBC news crew A US State Department spokesperson has condemned an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on a news crew from the American network NBC that took place on Saturday. “We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests, and convictions, of those responsible,” the spokesperson said in a statement given to Al Jazeera. “We are in regular dialogue with partners about improving stability and security in the West Bank,” they added, claiming that the Trump administration is “monitoring the situation”.
Jordan intelligence chief spearheaded move to arrest US journalist Ali Younes Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Mon, 08/31/2026 - 14:58 Jordan faces calls to lose billions in US funding unless it releases American journalist its holding for allegedly reposting an article Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin meets with General Ahmad Husni, Director of the General Intelligence Directorate of Jordan, at Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington 15 April (DHS photo by Mikaela McGee) Off Major General Ahmad Husni, the director of Jordan’s General Intelligence Department, spearheaded the arrest of prominent American-Jordanian investigative journalist Ali Younes, Middle East Eye has learned. A source close to the investigation said that the intelligence official had signed off on the move to arrest Younes, who has worked for Al Jazeera and Dropsite, amongst others. Seperately, Ammon News, a media outlet reportedly close to Jordan’s intelligence services, published an article on Younes’s arrest last week that revealed further details about the state’s campaign against him.
Why has organised crime exploded in Palestinian communities in Israel? Submitted by MEE correspondent on Mon, 08/31/2026 - 09:20 Israel's failure to solve most cases has transformed organised crime into a political crisis for Palestinian citizens, exposing failures in policing, investment and state protection Israeli police patrol a street in Jabel Mukaber, a Palestinian neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, on 18 September 2015 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP) Off In December 2003, a bomb ripped through the heart of Tel Aviv as part of a brazen attempt to assassinate Israel 's notorious crime boss Zeev Rosenstein. Rosenstein survived what would be the seventh attempt on his life, but three bystanders were killed.
Why EU-Israel data-sharing deal must be quashed Submitted by Raja Natour on Fri, 08/28/2026 - 17:08 By enabling the exchange of sensitive personal information, the draft agreement would heighten the dangers facing Palestinians Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with a top EU official during a news conference in Brussels on 11 December 2017 (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP) On I recently found myself wishing that every official who pushed for a data-sharing deal between Europol and Israeli police would have to walk through the world knowing that every intelligence agency in Europe - and beyond - had access to the most intimate details of their private lives; that they, too, would live with the constant fear that this information could be used against them at any moment, anywhere. This is exactly the reality that the European Union is preparing for millions of Palestinians : to turn their lives into open books for Israeli authorities, forcing them to navigate the world under perpetual threat and surveillance. In 2022, it appeared that negotiations between the EU and Israel over an operational police cooperation agreement had reached an impasse, largely due to questions over its application to the occupied territories - namely the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip.
Ben Gvir films Palestinian women in cells, boasts of worsening prison conditions Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Mon, 08/31/2026 - 09:23 Rights groups accuse Ben Gvir of exploiting the suffering of female detainees at Damon Prison for political propaganda Israeli police surround far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir during a Jerusalem Day flag march on 26 May 2025 (Menahem Kahana/AFP) Off Israeli media outlets on Sunday published a video showing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visiting Damon Prison, where dozens of female Palestinian prisoners are being held. The video , originally published on Ben Gvir's X account, shows him storming the cells of the female Palestinian prisoners, and boasting about the dire conditions of their detention. It has sparked a wave of reactions and criticism.
