Israel's Smotrich urges 'complete destruction' of Gaza instead of truce talks Far-right minister condemns indirect negotiations with Hamas and calls for their assassination across the globe MEE staff Fri, 04/26/2024 - 10:19 Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, enters the Old City of Jerusalem during the Israeli 'flags march', on 18 May 2023 (Hazem Bader / AFP) Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the "complete destruction" of the Gaza Strip as he hit out against truce talks between the government and Hamas. Writing on X, formerly known as Twi ..read more

US State Department Arabic spokesperson resigns over Gaza policy Hala Rharrit is the third State Department official to step down over Washington's support for Israel's war MEE staff Fri, 04/26/2024 - 10:14 Hala Rharrit, Arabic language spokesperson for the State Department, has quit in protest (United States Department of State) The Arabic language spokesperson of the US State Department has resigned over Washington's Gaza war policy, in the third resignation from the department since the war began. Hala Rharrit, a Palestinian-American, posted her resignation on the ..read more

Pro-Palestinian students vow to 'de-occupy' Princeton after administration halts encampment Princeton University is widely considered to be more conservative than other major east coast universities Azad Essa Thu, 04/25/2024 - 15:00 Protesters at Princeton University are demanding complete divestment from companies involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestinians (Azad Essa/MEE) Hours after administrators shut down a fledgling encampment at Princeton University on Thursday morning, hundreds of students took control of a central courtyard at Princeton University, vowing to remain until the ..read more

UK under pressure to restore Unrwa funding following Colonna report Scottish National Party and Labour both call on Rishi Sunak and David Cameron to respond to report on Unrwa neutrality Oscar Rickett Thu, 04/25/2024 - 16:04 Displaced Palestinians receive food aid at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) centre in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 28 January 2024 (AFP) The British government is coming under increased pressure to restore future funding to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) and to respond publicly to the Colonna rep ..read more

'My heart will always ache': Pain and patience at Gaza's mass graves At Nasser hospital, dozens of bodies are exhumed every day. Mothers of missing Palestinians check their faces, teeth and clothes for signs their son is among them Maha Hussaini Thu, 04/25/2024 - 15:24 Palestinian health workers unearth bodies buried by Israeli forces in the grounds of Nasser hospital on 21 April (Reuters/Omar Ashtawy/apaimages) For the past four mornings, Amal al-Baiouk has come to Nasser hospital to watch the dead bodies be brought out. Like the other parents of missing people, who keep returning to this d ..read more

Iranian press review: Lawmaker suggests Tehran is ready for nuclear weapon testing Meanwhile, a teacher was sentenced to 11 years for teaching Kurdish language, and anger boils over the rich buying private jets MEE correspondent Thu, 04/25/2024 - 13:35 A man walks past a banner depicting missiles along a street in Tehran on 19 April 2024 (AFP) Officials hint at potential shift in nuclear stance Iranian military commanders and high-ranking officials have warned they could change their approach in developing the country’s nuclear programme after increasing tensions with Israel, implicitly annou ..read more

France: University Sciences Po calls in police to break up pro-Palestinian protest Riot police disperse protesters at elite university, in a sign campus protests are spreading from US to Europe Sania Mahyou Thu, 04/25/2024 - 11:07 Students set up an encampment at the elite Sciences Po University in Paris before administrators called in police to break up the protest on 24 April 2024 (MEE/Sania Mahyou) France's Sciences Po, one of the country's top universities, called in police to break up an unauthorised pro-Palestinian encampment on Wednesday, as Israel's siege and bombardment of ..read more

Germany: Berlin women's centre closed over staff members' pro-Palestine activism A Berlin district council cracks down on queer-feminist association Frieda, citing Israel's 'right to self-defence' Pauline Ertel Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:35 Police officers guard the entrance to a Palestine conference in Berlin on 12 April 2024 (AFP) Germany has terminated the contracts of a Berlin-based women's centre, citing pro-Palestine solidarity among its board members and Israel's "right to self-defence", amid a growing crackdown on civil society support for Palestine. Founded in 1990, the Frieda Frauenzentr ..read more

Ben Gvir asks police to 'protect Jewish communities outside of Israel' Far-right minister wants emergency security response squads to aid Jewish people and institutions around the world MEE staff Thu, 04/25/2024 - 10:40 Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir in the southern town of Kiryat Malakhi on 16 February 2024 (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli) Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has asked police to draw up plans to create emergency security response teams to protect Jewish communities and institutions around the world.  "Diaspora Jews are currently suffering from ..read more

Jordanian doctor risked her life to help deliver Palestinian babies in Gaza Volunteer obstetrician Asil Al-Jallad reveals the dire conditions faced by pregnant Palestinian women during the ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza Abeer Ayyoub Thu, 04/25/2024 - 10:37 Asil Al-Jallad holds a newborn baby she helped deliver in Gaza during the ongoing war (Supplied) Weeks after the start of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza, Jordanian obstetrician Asil Al-Jallad, 40, decided she could not remain helpless in the face of the critical humanitarian situation unfolding in the besieged enclave. She decided ..read more