UK prime minister announces UK and France-led international mission in Hormuz United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new British and French-led international mission in the Strait of Hormuz, the BBC reported. The mission, which aims to be "strictly peaceful and defensive" includes over a dozen nations who will join a planning conference in London next week, according to the report.
Iran to require IRGC permission for vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz Iran will require all vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz to obtain IRGC permission, according to an Al Jazeera report of an address by an Iranian military official. According to the report, another Iranian official also stated that commercial vessels will be giving permission to pass, while naval vessels would be denied.
Israel's campaign of terror in Lebanon takes another psychopathic turn Submitted by Belen Fernandez on Thu, 04/16/2026 - 15:16 Not one to abide by ceasefires, Israel is carpet bombing Lebanese civilians, as its quest for devastation continues with no end in sight First responders carry a body from the rubble of buildings destroyed in an Israeli strike in Qana, southern Lebanon, on 12 April 2026 (Kawnat Haju/AFP) Off On 8 April, Israel 's military launched the psychopathically titled Operation Eternal Darkness against Lebanon , with predictably macabre results. In the span of a mere 10 minutes, Israel struck more than 100 sites across the country, killing more than 300 people and wounding at least 1,150. The killing spree took place amid the regional ceasefire that had ostensibly taken hold after five weeks of cataclysmic war unleashed on Iran by the US and Israel.
London police investigating incident near Israeli embassy Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 14:20 Police say they are investigating possible links between debris at Israeli embassy and online video claiming drone attack on site Police officers work in the closed Kensington Palace Gardens, west London on April 17, 2026, close to the Israeli Embassy (Henry Nicholls / AFP) Off London police in protective clothing are investigating an incident that took place near the Israeli embassy on Friday. Officers at the embassy in Kensington Gardens in the British capital said they were examining a number of “discarded items” at the scene and urged people to avoid the area. Few other details of the incident have been released to the public, but counter-terrorism police are understood to be investigating a video shared online overnight in which a group claimed to have targeted the embassy with drones.
US naval blockade of Iran to persist despite opening of Strait of Hormuz US President Donald Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that “the Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force as it pertains to Iran, only,” until the US’ “transaction with with Iran is 100% complete. ” He also added that “the process should go very quickly” and the points have already been negotiated. In a subsequent post, the President announced that the US will receive all “nuclear dust” created by our great B2 bombers” and also added that Israel is now prohibited by the US from bombing Lebanon further.
Protesters worldwide mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day, call for repeal of execution law Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 11:44 Annual event highlighting plight of incarcerated Palestinians marked across the world, days after new Israeli law permitting execution of Palestinian detainees Palestinians take part in a protest a day before Palestinian Prisoners' Day, in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, on 16 April 2026 (Yosri Aljamal/Reuters) Off Campaigners around the world marked the annual Palestinian Prisoners' Day on Friday, calling for the release of more than 9,000 detainees and the repeal of a new Israeli law permitting executions of Palestinian prisoners. The annual day was first held by the Palestinian National Council on 17 April 1974, exactly three years after Mahmoud Bakr Hejazi was the first to be released in a prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestine. Since then it has been marked each year to highlight the plight of incarcerated Palestinians.
Iran says Strait of Hormuz reopened after Lebanon ceasefire Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz will remain completely open throughout the period of the ceasefire in Lebanon. In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran.
US envoy Barrack plays down idea Turkey could be 'next Iran' for Israel Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 11:34 Trump's special envoy says Turkey not a country to be 'messed with' at forum in Antalya US Special Envoy for Syria and US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack speaks during the 5th edition of the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum on 17 April 2026 (Handout / Antalya Diplomacy Forum / AFP) Off US Envoy Tom Barrack has downplayed escalating tensions between Turkey and Israel as just "rhetoric" and pushed for regional cooperation between the two countries in security and energy projects. Speaking during a panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Barrack pushed back against comments from some officials in both countries that suggested they could come into conflict in the near future. "I think Turkey is just not a country to be messed with," Barrack said.
Lebanese President Aoun calls for negotiations following ceasefire Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the recent ceasefire with Israel as “the gateway to advancing the negotiations,” adding that the opportunity “must not be squandered,” according to reports from Al Jazeera. In his address to parliament members, he announced that the Lebanese army would play a “fundamental role” in the Israeli military’s withdrawal, adding that there are “no armed forces other than the army and the legitimate security forces.
Iran: Israel was forced into Lebanon ceasefire Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian stated in a televised address that Israel was “forced to declare a ceasefire” in Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. According to Al Jazeera, Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for its diplomatic role and further stated that Iran has “never sought nuclear weapons,” while reiterating the country’s pursuit of peace while defending territorial integrity. The President also condemned the US and Israeli efforts to sow regional chaos through the assassinations of political and military leaders, scientists, and students, the report added.
The Palestinian woman on the cover of L'Espresso: Settlers were ready to kill us Submitted by Mohammed Turkman on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 13:01 Meead Abu al-Rub speaks to MEE about the Italian magazine cover that has made her famous, and about what armed Israeli settlers did that day An armed Israeli settler films Meead Abu al-Rub in the occupied West Bank, 12 October 2025. The photograph, by Italian photographer Pietro Masturzo, featured on the front cover of L'Espresso magazine (Pietro Masturzo/L'Espresso) Off Meead Abu al-Rub is watching the widely circulated video footage of her being harassed and abused by Israeli settlers last October during the olive harvest season. The 35-year-old Palestinian , who is now known around the world after a picture of her being taunted by one of the settlers appeared on the cover of Italian magazine L’Espresso, recalls what happened that day.
No ceasefire for Iran’s Kurdish opposition parties in exile Submitted by Wladimir van Wilgenburg on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 11:36 Iranian Kurds have been heavily targeted since 28 February, with nearly 700 drone and missile attacks, local media says Ghazal Moulan, a 19-year old Kurdish female fighter killed in an Iranian drone strike, laid to rest on 16 April in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (Afshin Ismaeli/MEE) Off While Iran pushed to include Lebanon in its ceasefire agreement with the US and Israel , it has increased its drone attacks on Iranian Kurdish parties since the announcement of the truce on 8 April. On 14 April, an Iranian drone strike killed Ghazal Moulan, a 19-year old female fighter of the Komala Toilers of Kurdistan in Sulaimaniyah, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. “Deeply sadly.
Israeli military will “continue to hold” areas captured in Southern Lebanon The Israeli military will “hold and continue to hold all the places it has cleared and captured," Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced in a statement reported by Haaretz. According to Haaretz, the minister reiterated a commitment to “disarming Hezbollah by military or diplomatic means,” and added that military operations are not yet complete, including the demolition and clearing of houses in border villages that are considered “terror strongholds” by Israeli forces.
Foreign Ministers from Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to meet at Antalya forum Top diplomats from Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are set to hold a critical meeting at the annual Antalya Diplomatic Forum today, according to Al Jazeera. Today's meeting, the third round of such talks, is aimed at preserving the existing ceasefire, paving the way for a permanent resolution, and also preparing for the future of the region after the war, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran rejects temporary ceasefire, calls for end to war Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Iran is “not accepting any temporary ceasefire,” according to Anadolu Agency. He added that the ceasefire should include all conflict zones “from Lebanon to the Red Sea” and should end the ongoing war “once and for all. ” Anadolu reported that Khatibzadeh affirmed Iran’s commitment to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but a lasting resolution to the war would ensure the stability of the trade route.
'All changed with the genocide': Palestinian women and girls face brutal abuse in Israeli jails Submitted by Victoria Brittain on Thu, 04/16/2026 - 16:01 More than 700 have been arrested since the Gaza genocide began, enduring brutal conditions of starvation, isolation and humiliation Israeli soldiers keep watch as Palestinians gather at the Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, on 20 February 2026 (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP) On Once you picture schoolgirls, university students, mothers, aunts and grandmothers lying on their stomachs in prison pyjamas - their hands tied behind their backs, and soldiers looming over them, beating them if they move even slightly - you cannot forget the image. When you hear a female prisoner say she has "nothing but her heart", you immediately grasp how prison can dismantle lives. Palestinian Prisoners’ Day is marked every year on 17 April to spotlight ongoing human rights violations - and today, conditions are worse than ever.
Tens of thousands return to south Lebanon after ceasefire, defying Israeli warnings Tens of thousands of displaced people began returning home in the early hours of Friday, against Israeli warnings, after a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight. Israel had warned residents not to go back to areas south of the Litani River, saying its forces “remain positioned in southern Lebanon to monitor Hezbollah activity”. The Lebanese army, Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, had also urged residents of southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, known locally as Dahyeh, and the Bekaa Valley to delay their return for their own safety.
Hezbollah expresses caution about Israeli breaches of ceasefire in official statement In a statement released on Telegram, Hezbollah expressed that it is “cautious about the enemy’s treachery and breach of promises. ” The statement recounted the group’s military activities between March 2 and April 16, including 2184 operations “in which they confronted the occupation forces of the Israeli enemy army inside Lebanese territory, and targeted its sites, barracks, and military bases inside occupied Palestine. ” The organization stated that fighters’ hands will “remain on the trigger” and reaffirmed its commitment to its covenant.
The Foundations of Zionism: An epic work of Palestinian scholarship now available in English Submitted by Hossam el-Hamalawy on Fri, 04/17/2026 - 08:34 Translated by his daughter Fidya, the landmark work by Sabri Jiryis arrives in English not as a museum piece, but as an important intervention Israeli flags atop the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, the occupied West Bank, on 24 April 2023 (Mosab Shawer/AFP) Off First published in Arabic across two volumes in 1977 and 1986, and now translated and edited by his daughter Fida, The Foundations of Zionism is a major work of Palestinian historical scholarship by Sabri Jiryis that feels uncannily timely in 2026. It is a long, rigorous, often relentless book, and that is part of its value. Jiryis is not interested in offering a softened primer or a liberal-humanist fable about misunderstanding on both sides.
Palestinians observe Prisoner’s Day amidst 83% increase in number of prisoners since October 2023 Palestinians are marking Prisoner’s Day as over 9,600 Palestinians, including 350 children, remain incarcerated in Israeli prisons, according to Wafa news agency. Around half of those imprisoned at the moment are being held without charge or trial, Wafa reported. The Wafa report stated that the number of Palestinian prisoners has increased by 83% since the onset of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
