This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
People attend a funeral ceremony for 13 security personnel, who lost their life in Israeli airstrikes near a government complex and a State Security office in Nabatieh, on April 11, 2026 in Sidon, Lebanon. [Murat Şengül – Anadolu Agency]
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Sunday that 35 people were killed and 152 wounded in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the ministry said the new fatalities brought the death toll since March 2 to 2,055, with 6,588 others injured.
The victims include 252 women and 165 children, while 1,120 and 644 others were injured, respectively, it added.
The Israeli army has pounded Lebanon with deadly airstrikes since Hezbollah launched a cross-border attack on March 2 amid escalating regional tensions following a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to escalate attacks across Lebanon unless Hezbollah is disarmed and a peace agreement “that endures for generations” is reached.
Lebanon’s presidency said Friday that Beirut and Tel Aviv agreed to hold their first meeting in Washington on April 14, a move condemned by Hezbollah.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, formed to break Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip, deliver humanitarian aid and raise global awareness about the enclave, is setting sail from Barcelona again after a year, this time with nearly double the participation, Anadolu reports.
The Barcelona-based flotilla, which last sailed in September with 42 boats and 462 people, will depart April 12 with almost double the scale — 70 boats and nearly 1,000 volunteers from 70 countries.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, formed to break Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip, deliver humanitarian aid and raise global awareness about the enclave, is setting sail from Barcelona again after a year, this time with nearly double the participation, Anadolu reports.
Created in 2025 by NGO representatives, activists and volunteers from various countries, the flotilla is launching its second mission to Gaza.
It is notable that the largest participation in the fleet, which departs from different points across the Mediterranean, again comes from Spain.
The Barcelona-based flotilla, which last sailed in September with 42 boats and 462 people, will depart April 12 with almost double the scale — 70 boats and nearly 1,000 volunteers from 70 countries.
One of the flotilla’s spokespersons, Pablo Castilla, stated that the main goal of the initiative is “to condemn international complicity in what is happening in Gaza, demand accountability, and open a humanitarian corridor by sea and land.”
Castilla expressed concern that international attention on Gaza has declined due to US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Israel’s actions in Lebanon. “Israel has intensified the blockade on Gaza, restricted aid entry, expanded settlements, and accelerated land confiscation,” he said.
Other organizers emphasized that they are acting within the law and that the mission is being coordinated with Palestinian civil society organizations, legal experts, politicians and specialists in maritime security and media strategy.
This year, the participation of well-known NGOs such as Greenpeace and Open Arms, along with increased support from the Barcelona municipality, stands out.
During the flotilla’s previous attempt in September, Israeli forces stopped the vessels in what organizers described as an unlawful intervention, boarded them, detained volunteers and took them to Israel.
Israeli naval forces initially boarded several boats about 70 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, cutting communications and blocking signals.
They also used drones to interfere, disrupting emergency signals and live broadcasts of the boarding.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Israeli far-right groups supporting the expansion of control over Palestinian territories gather at a site housing an Israeli military monument about one kilometer from the Gaza Strip border, calling for an event in Gaza during the Jewish holiday of Passover and repeating demands for further land appropriation, in Israel on April 07, 2026. [Enes Canlı – Anadolu Agency]
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a settlement in Benjamin, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel will expand in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, widening its non-existent borders. The comments are the latest in a series of threats made by Smotrich in which bombing on a scale similar to that in Gaza is being promoted as the step for land appropriation.
The international community cannot say it wasn’t warned after Smotrich’s detailed explanation of colonial expansion in the region. Expanding Israel’s borders is repeatedly asserted. Yet not one single leader has linked Israel’s military and political strategies to implementing the Zionist concept of Greater Israel.
One example of tacit silence was reported by Sydney Criminal Lawyers, who noted that Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s statement on 9 April 2026 spoke of humanitarian concerns and not of Israel’s colonial expansion.
From alleged safety from terror as in the case of Gaza, to buffer zones in Lebanon, Israel is repeating its security narrative in different scenarios to maintain a normalised perception of colonialism – a colonialism that is concealed by the international community’s silence.
Israel’s refusal to define its borders was never truly opposed by the international community. Since the 1948 Nakba, Israel colonial expansion was normalised. The only step the international community committed to was declaring settlements post-1967 illegal. The differentiation failed to stop Israel from expanding further into Palestinian territory and it had a precedent to fall on – the 1948 Nakba defying the 1947 UN Partition Plan.
In 1937, David Ben Gurion stated, “We shall accept a state in the boundaries fixed today, but the boundaries of Zionist aspirations are the concern of the Jewish people and no external factor will be able to limit them.” Even before Israel’s establishment, Zionism was declaring impunity for the future colonial enterprise. The UN, founded by former colonial powers, found no reason to oppose the Zionist ideology. In fact, the 1947 Partition Plan granted Jewish settlers 56 per cent of Palestinian land.
What Smotrich is declaring today reflects Ben Gurion’s vision of Greater Israel. The international community prefers to eliminate historical references to the earlier Zionist aspirations of annexing South Lebanon, for example, which is what Smotrich is partly inciting for.
The EU is back to considering sanctions – the key word being ‘considering’, not implementing. Spain, the most vocal in Europe in condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza, has called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Yet, EU silence over colonialism and annexation remains the norm. Choosing parts of Israel’s security narrative is another EU tactic – disarming Hezbollah is amplified, as is urging Israel to restrain its bombing to Hezbollah targets. However, warning against annexation, which is the mildest the EU can do with regard to Israel’s colonial expansion in the region, is a perfunctory performance.
History provides a clear picture of what Israel seeks to achieve. A referenced plan from decades ago is being ignored in favour of fragmented rhetoric on security concerns and humanitarian aid. There is no real fall out between Israel and the international community, but a repetitive silence regarding colonialism and annexation.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
An Iranian resident follows developments regarding the talks through news channels as talks between the United States and Iran have begun in Islamabad, Pakistan on April 11, 2026, in the capital Tehran, Iran. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli ministers on Sunday hinted at a possible resumption of attacks on Iran, with Energy Minister Eli Cohen saying that Tehran could be hit if no agreement is reached, Anadolu reports.
“The nuclear issue is international, and it’s good that (US President Donald) Trump has set the red lines on the issue,” Cohen told the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
“If there is no deal, Iran can be hit,” he added.
Regarding Lebanon, where the Israeli army has expanded its attacks, Cohen said Israel should not only strike army forces, but also Lebanon’s facilities and infrastructure.
“I have said this in the cabinet. I do not see a high chance of success for these negotiations,” he said, as Tel Aviv and Beirut agreed to hold their first meeting in Washington on April 14 aimed at securing a ceasefire and launching direct talks.
In an interview with Channel 14, Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat claimed that the US would achieve its objectives from the war with Iran.
“The Iranian officials do not understand the determination of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he argued. “We will return to war and achieve its objectives.”
In a post on the US social media company X, Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zoha said that Washington’s “insistence on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons reflects coordination with Israel,” claiming they would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
More than 3,300 people have been killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28. Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries hosting US military assets before a two-week ceasefire was announced earlier this week.
Iranian and US delegations concluded 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, early Sunday without reaching an agreement.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
The aircraft was above Baalbek when 18 people were killed there.
The UK flew a drone over Baalbek, Lebanon as Israel massacred 18 people and injured 28 others there on Wednesday, flight data shows.
The flight, first reported on by independent journalist Matt Kennard, left the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus at 8:22am local time, just hours before Israel’s massive and intense bombardment of civilian areas across Lebanon, which killed at least 303 people, including many children.
The General Atomics Protector RG1 drone circled in the sky near Baalbek for hours, data from AirNav Radar shows. The model is equipped with missiles and bombs and can be used for “surveillance, search and rescue, and armed operations”, according to the RAF’s website.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has repeatedly, and falsely, claimed that the UK’s only involvement in the war in the Middle East since 28 February is defensive.
Wednesday’s drone flight appears to mirror a pattern first seen at the height of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, when Starmer’s government flew numerous surveillance flights over the enclave on behalf of the apartheid state.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
