Author: Middle east Editor

Multiple missiles were fired in an airstrike towards a densely populated part of Lebanon’s capital early on Saturday. The huge airstrike targeted Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, and no prior warnings were given by the Israeli military. The largely residential area was struck last month. At least one violent explosion was heard across the city, Reuters witnesses said, and plumes of smoke could be seen. Scenes of massive destruction at the site were shared online, including a massive crater in the ground. “Beirut, the capital, woke up to a horrific massacre, as the Israeli enemy’s air force completely destroyed an eight-story residential building with…

Read More

Israel has responded to a US letter of demands seeking to ensure the entry of aid into Gaza, claiming that it does not conduct forced displacement and is trying to increase aid to the devastated territory. Dated 13 November and leaked by Axios on Wednesday, the Israeli response letter addressed a number of issues that had been brought up by the US, including the acceleration of aid into north Gaza, the banning of UNRWA in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and the forced displacement of Gaza’s population. The original 14 October US letter, signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken…

Read More

The Department of Justice said Google must sell Chrome to end search monopoly as Google has ‘deprived rivals’ of opportunities to expand their search engine market share. Alphabet’s Google should be forced to sell its Chrome browser and share data with competitors, prosecutors in the United States have argued, as part of a list of proposals intended to end the tech giant’s monopoly on searching the internet. In a court filing on Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that Google, which controls about 90 percent of the online search market, should not be allowed to re-enter the browser…

Read More

Israel launched overnight strikes in three areas north of Gaza which continued until this morning. At least 95 people were killed in less than 24 hours, local media reports. The overnight strikes killed at least 66 people in Beit Lahiya and injured dozens. In Sheikh Radian at least 22 people, including children, were killed in the air strikes and at least 7 people, including one child, were killed in Al-Mawasi.

Read More

43,508 killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, 70% women and children  The latest death toll figures from the Gaza health ministry show 43,508 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks. Another 102,684 Palestinians have been wounded in the strikes that began in October 2023. The actual death toll is likely to be far higher as thousands could be buried in the debris of the destroyed buildings. A UN report on Friday said nearly 70 per cent of those killed in Gaza are women and children. The UN Human Rights Office called it “a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of…

Read More

Protests in Israel after Netanyahu fires defence minister Protests have broken out in Israel following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu cited a “crisis of trust” between the two leaders as the reason for the dismissal, saying his confidence in Gallant had eroded over recent months. Foreign Minister Israel Katz will take over Gallant’s duties temporarily. Gallant, who had been at odds with Netanyahu on several key issues, suggested his removal was due to disagreements over Israel’s approach to the Gaza conflict, including his belief that painful concessions could help secure the release of…

Read More

Gaza polio vaccinations continue after Israel bombs clinic A polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza continued on Sunday after being disrupted by an attack on the Sheikh Radwan clinic, which injured six people, including four children. Over 58,000 children in northern Gaza received a 2nd dose of the polio vaccine on Saturday, according to the UN, as health workers race to vaccinate thousands more before the campaign ends on Monday. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported the strike but did not specify who was behind it. A Gaza civil defence official claimed an Israeli quadcopter was responsible, while Israel stated…

Read More

Key updates Middle East news bulletin today – Genocide in Gaza, Israeli strikes in Syria, US issues warning over aid Death toll latest Genocide in Gaza: at least 43,163 Palestinians and wounded 101,510 others since the start of the war Israel’s war on Lebanon: at least 2,822 people have been killed and 12,937 wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began. US issues warning to Israel over Gaza aid amid humanitarian crisis The United States has pressed Israel to take immediate action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that aid flow must increase by November 12…

Read More

US issues warning to Israel over Gaza aid amid humanitarian crisis The United States has pressed Israel to take immediate action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that aid flow must increase by November 12 or risk a reduction in American military support. According to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Israel needs to match its commitments with action, as conditions on the ground remain dire. The U.S. is calling for 350 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily, but UN reports show only around 10% of that target has been met so far. Israel’s UN…

Read More

US condemns Israeli airstrikes on Gaza as ‘horrifying’ At least 93 people are dead or missing after an Israeli air strike on Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The U.S. State Department condemned the strike as “horrifying,” citing reports that many civilians, including children, were among the casualties. The Israeli military acknowledged civilian harm in the area and is investigating. Israel has been conducting operations in northern Gaza, claiming they are attempting to dismantle Hamas networks, while Gaza faces an escalating humanitarian crisis with severe shortages of supplies. The IDF has been attacking northern Gaza over…

Read More

Latest Middle East news – Genocide in Gaza – UNRWA banned, international community react with horror A roundup of the latest news from the crisis in the Middle East as Israel continues its horrific genocide in Gaza – with aid being seriously impacted by Israel’s latest move.  The Israeli war on Lebanon continues with overnight strikes killing at least 60. Quick facts World condemns Israel’s ban on UNRWA France reacts to UNRWA ban by Israel “Implementation of these laws would have very serious consequences for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is already catastrophic, but also all of the Palestinian territories,”…

Read More

Israel passes law banning UNRWA amid Gaza aid concerns Israel’s parliament has approved legislation to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem within the next three months. The new law prohibits contact between UNRWA staff and Israeli officials, severely impacting the agency’s work in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as cooperation with Israel’s military is essential for aid transfers into Gaza. UNRWA, the primary UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, will also see its East Jerusalem headquarters closed, and its staff will no longer have legal immunity…

Read More

Israeli airstrike on Gaza school shelter killed 17 including children  An Israeli airstrike on Thursday hit the Al-Shuhada school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 17 people, according to local reports from Al-Awda hospital. The school was being used as a shelter for displaced civilians, mostly women and children. Nine children were among those killed, and over 50 people were injured. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command centre operating from the site, accusing the group of planning attacks from there. The Hamas-run government media office reported that thousands of displaced people…

Read More

Polio vaccinations suspended amid Israeli bombardment The UN has postponed a polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza due to heavy Israeli bombardments and mass displacement. The campaign, aimed at providing a second dose of the vaccine to nearly 120,000 children, was delayed amid ongoing military actions in Jabalia.  This comes after Gaza reported its first polio case in 25 years, which left a baby paralysed. Health experts warn that delays could impact efforts to stop the spread of the disease, as herd immunity requires at least 90% of children to receive two doses. Despite reaching 442,000 children in southern and…

Read More

The latest from the Israel-Gaza conflict as more civilians are slaughtered and calls for ceasefires go unheard. Some international takes on the conflict include fears that the Democrats’ support for Israel will weaken Kamala Harris’s chances of being elected and Spain has announced a freeze on purchases of arms from Israel. More civilian deaths – and fears of the lack of humanitarian aid going into the area are other top stories from the region. In an opinion piece for Al Jazeera, Mohamad Elmasry, suggests that Biden-Harris’s demand to Israel to get aid into Gaza within 30 days or face consequences,…

Read More

Four killed in Israeli bombing near southern Beirut hospital An Israeli airstrike near Rafik Hariri University Hospital in southern Beirut has killed four people, including a child, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The strike reportedly hit the hospital’s car park, with 24 others injured in the attack, a hospital source told Reuters. The airstrike was part of a series of 13 strikes that targeted areas in south Beirut on Monday evening. The Israeli military stated that the strikes were aimed at Hezbollah-linked facilities. While an Israeli spokesperson had earlier issued warnings for people to evacuate certain areas in southern…

Read More