genocide

‘Desperately Bouncing From One Extreme to Another’: Trump Pauses ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz

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Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US President Donald Trump speaks flanked by top administration officials at the White House in Washington, DC on March 26, 2026.(Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

An Iranian official said Trump’s operation “failed completely” and that Iran “will not participate in direct negotiations until the United States formally announces the end of the blockade.”

US President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday that he is putting his administration’s scheme to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz on hold after just one full day, a decision that came hours after top American officials touted the president’s so-called “Project Freedom” at press briefings.

Trump said in a social media post that he paused the project—which allowed just two commercial ships to pass through the strait—“based on the request of Pakistan and other countries.” The US president, whose war of choice is historically unpopular with the American public, also asserted that “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran,” a claim that Iran rejected.

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As Pakistan’s prime minister welcomed Trump’s announcement, an unnamed Iranian official told Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill that the US president’s short-lived operation “failed completely” and that his statement announcing the pause of Project Freedom was “riddled with falsehoods.” The official added that “we will not participate in direct negotiations until the United States formally announces the end of the blockade.”

The US president said in his post that the illegal US naval blockade of Iran would “remain in full force and effect.”

“Trump is desperately bouncing from one extreme to another,” said political scientist Robert Pape in response to Trump’s announcement.

Trump’s decision to put Project Freedom on hold came shortly after Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the president’s initiative as a bold mission to rescue some 1,600 vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed in response to the unlawful US-Israeli war and subsequent naval blockade.

“Iran’s plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable. That ends with Project Freedom,” Hegseth declared during a press briefing on Tuesday morning.

Rubio similarly decried Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz—located in Omani and Iranian territorial waters—as violations of international law.

“There is no international law that allows you to say: I’m going to put mines in an international body of water, and I’m going to blow up ships that don’t listen to us and try to go through,” said Rubio.

Legal scholar Maryam Jamshidi rejected the top US diplomat’s assessment, calling it “all wrong.”

“Hormuz is not international waters,” Jamshidi wrote. “It’s an international strait composed of the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. Iran can mine its territorial waters during wartime. The laws of naval warfare also allow Iran to target ships in certain cases. The US is the only criminal here.”

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

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 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 Strait 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.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait 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.

Continue Reading‘Desperately Bouncing From One Extreme to Another’: Trump Pauses ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz

1 in 5 amputees in Gaza is a child, UN warns amid prosthetic care crisis

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

12 years old Palestinian Mohammed al-Mubayyid, who lost a leg in an Israeli attack on Gaza’s Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, is seen on a wheelchair in Gaza Strip on December 03, 2025. [Saeed M. M. T. Jaras – Anadolu Agency]

The UN on Monday warned that one in five amputees in the Gaza Strip is a child, as a critical shortage of prosthetic specialists and restricted entry of materials leave thousands without adequate care, Anadolu reports.

“On health, concerns remain over skin diseases and other medical issues linked to the presence of pests and rodents,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference, adding that more than 6,600 people need prosthetic and rehabilitation care.

“That includes thousands of people who have received amputations since October 2023, yet only eight prosthetic technicians are available to respond,” he said.

Warning that “with severe shortages of specialists and restricted entry of prosthetic materials, it could take five years or more to meet today’s needs,” Dujarric stressed that “one in five amputees is a child.”

Dujarric stressed that “international prosthetic technicians are urgently needed, as well as the unimpeded entry of prosthetic materials, which remain restricted by the Israeli authorities.”

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.

It launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.

READ: Gaza is the world’s most dangerous place for journalists, UN rights body says

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait 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.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait 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.
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 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 says that he's banning words and phrases now as well as placards.
Keir Starmer says that he’s banning words and phrases now as well as placards.

Continue Reading1 in 5 amputees in Gaza is a child, UN warns amid prosthetic care crisis

Starmer’s proposed protest bans would ‘strike at the root of free assembly and free speech,’ campaigners say

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmers-proposed-protest-bans-would-strike-root-free-assembly-and-free-speech-campaigners

 People take part in a Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally in Lewisham, south-east London, May 2, 2026

CAMPAIGNERS have hit back at Sir Keir Starmer’s latest threats to ban some pro-Palestine marches, saying restrictions would “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech.”

The Prime Minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today on Saturday “there are instances” in which he supports a moratorium on peace demonstrations.

“I think it’s time to look across the board at protests and the cumulative effect,” he said. “I think it’s time for, I would say, some people protesting to just reflect on what the Jewish community is going through and the overall impact that this is having.”

Stop the War coalition co-founder John Rees said the PM’s comments were a “threat” to the massive marches the coalition has helped organise since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

A ban would “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech in this country,” he told Sky News.

He also warned the PM against “completely fallacious” conflations of pro-Palestine demonstrations and attacks on Jewish people, such as last week’s knife attack in Golders Green.

Mr Rees said of the man charged with three counts of attempted murder after last Wednesday’s north London stabbing: “These kinds of individuals are not attached to the Palestine movement.

“They are not attached to the marches. There’s no evidence that they’ve ever seen a march, let alone been on one, or that the organisers would for a second condone it.

“We have to be absolutely clear here, there is no threat whatsoever to the Jewish community from these marches.

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmers-proposed-protest-bans-would-strike-root-free-assembly-and-free-speech-campaigners

Keir Starmer says that he's banning words and phrases now as well as placards.
Keir Starmer says that he’s banning words and phrases now as well as placards.
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.
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.

Continue ReadingStarmer’s proposed protest bans would ‘strike at the root of free assembly and free speech,’ campaigners say

Stockholm protesters rally against Israeli strikes on Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Demonstrators carrying banners and Palestinian flags gather to protest against Israel for violating the ceasefire carrying out attacks on Gaza, restricting the entry of humanitarian aid at Odenplan Square, in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, on April 25, 2026. [Atila Altuntaş – Anadolu Agency]

Activists gathered in the Swedish capital on Saturday to protest Israel’s ongoing military offensives in the Gaza Strip, Iran and Lebanon, Anadolu Agency reports.

Responding to calls from several non-governmental organizations, demonstrators assembled at Odenplan Square, carrying banners reading ‘Stop the killing of civilians,’ ‘End the food blockade in Gaza,’ and ‘Stop attacks on Lebanon and Iran’.

Participants demanded an immediate end to genocide in Gaza and urged the Swedish government to halt arms sales to Israel.

Ann Christin Kristiansson, a nun from the Church of Sweden, told Anadolu that the current violence constitutes a crime against humanity that transcends politics and religion.

She emphasized that the global community must unite against this oppression, stating that the dignity shown by those resisting in Palestine has set an example for the world.

READ: Sweden calls for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, urges protection of civilians

The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to Hezbollah’s retaliation to the Iran war, Israel has waged an offensive in Lebanon since March 2, killing more than 2,600 people, and displacing over 1.6 million.

A 10-day ceasefire that began on April 17 was later extended until May 17, but Israel continues to violate it daily through airstrikes and the demolition of homes.

It also maintains a so-called “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon, saying it is meant to prevent attacks from Hezbollah. An earlier truce in Lebanon was reached in November 2024.

READ: Lebanon death toll in Israel’s latest offensive reaches 2,659

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/
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 sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …
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.
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.

Continue ReadingStockholm protesters rally against Israeli strikes on Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran

US approves possible sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System to Israel

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

An Israeli soldier aims his weapon during an Israeli army raid in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine on April 12, 2026. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]

The US State Department said Friday that it approved the possible sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and related equipment to Israel, Anadolu Agency reports.

The estimated total cost is $992.4 million, it said in a statement.

“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats. Israel will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” it added.

The principal contractor will be BAE Systems in the US state of New Hampshire.

The US has long been criticized for providing support to Israel for its genocideal war in the Gaza Strip, where more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023. A ceasefire was reached in October 2025, but violations have been frequent.

Several American lawmakers have demanded that the US stop supplying weapons to Israel and accused it of being complicit in Israel’s war in Gaza.

READ: New US shipment of 6,500 tons of military aid arrives in Israel

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 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 sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait 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.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait 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.

Continue ReadingUS approves possible sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System to Israel