East Jerusalem

Hundreds of former EU officials call for stronger action against Israel

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Israeli forces demolish a three-story Palestinian-owned house citing the lack of the building permit, in the town of Tarqumiya, northwest of Hebron, West Bank on February 1, 2026. [Wisam Hashlamoun – Anadolu Agency]

Hundreds of former EU and member state ministers, ambassadors and senior officials have called on the European Union to take “robust and sustained action” to increase pressure on Israel and end “unremitting violations of international law” in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Anadolu reports.

In a joint statement released Monday and co-signed by 404 former officials, the group urged the EU and its members to move beyond condemnatory statements and adopt concrete measures, including suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement and halting all military support to Israel.

“A robust approach based on the EU’s founding values and principles will be essential to reestablish the Union’s reputation as a force for peace and good in our time,” the statement said.

The signatories warned that the humanitarian and security situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate despite the launch of an international peace initiative, pointing to ongoing Israeli military operations, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and the targeting of civilians and aid workers.

According to the statement, around 500 Palestinians, including more than 100 children, have been killed in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire reached last October, bringing the total death toll since the start of Israel’s military campaign to over 71,000, the vast majority civilians.

READ: Israel orders demolition of 14 homes in Jerusalem

The former officials also condemned Israel’s continued restrictions on humanitarian access, calling for the full and permanent opening of the Rafah border crossing and an end to what they described as the misuse of “dual-use” policies to block aid deliveries.

They strongly criticized Israel’s decision to deregister dozens of international NGOs operating in Gaza, warning that such measures undermine lifesaving assistance and violate UN humanitarian principles.

The statement also denounced Israel’s actions against the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), including the destruction of its West Bank field office in East Jerusalem, calling the campaign against the agency “a flagrant contempt” of recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinions.

In the occupied West Bank, the signatories highlighted a sharp increase in Israeli settlement activity, noting that plans for more than 47,000 housing units were advanced in 2025—an 81% rise compared to the previous year—despite international rulings declaring settlements illegal.

Calling for accountability, the group urged the EU to desist from joining the recently announced “Board of Peace,” arguing that its composition and governance risk undermining the role of the UN and international law.

“It is high time for the EU and its member states to take robust and sustained action to reverse the disastrous situation currently afflicting the Palestinian people, notably in Gaza but also in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, a retired EU official and former ambassador to the occupied Palestinian territory, told Anadolu.

“To increase pressure on Israel, alliances with like-minded partners in the OECD and the Global South, and notably in the Middle East, have to be built and strengthened,” he said, stressing the need to protect Palestinians’ “inalienable right to political self-determination and a life in peace, security and dignity.”

READ: EU condemns repeated Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza, urges respect for humanitarian law

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
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.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingHundreds of former EU officials call for stronger action against Israel

Israel demolishes structures inside UN agency’s headquarters in East Jerusalem

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Israeli forces and far-right National Security Minister Ben-Gvir on Tuesday stormed the closed headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem and demolished structures there, witnesses said.

Israeli forces and far-right National Security Minister Ben-Gvir on Tuesday stormed the closed headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem and demolished structures there, witnesses said.

They told Anadolu that Israeli crews, accompanied by at least one bulldozer, moved into the compound located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and demolished mobile and permanent structures on the site.

The witnesses added that Israeli forces also raised the Israeli flag over the compound, replacing the UN flag.

Aryeh King, an Israeli deputy mayor of Jerusalem, in a post on the US social media platform X referred to UNRWA as “Nazi” and said its removal from Jerusalem was now underway after protests and pressure.

READ: UN chief slams Israeli forces’ ‘unlawful entry’ into UNRWA health center in East Jerusalem

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Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
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.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsrael demolishes structures inside UN agency’s headquarters in East Jerusalem

8 Palestinians injured by illegal Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem

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A view of a damaged house of a Palestinian family burned by Israeli settlers in the village of Abu Falah near Ramallah, West Bank on November 08, 2025. [Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency]

Eight Palestinians were injured in the illegal Israeli settlers’ assaults in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on Sunday, according to local sources, Anadolu reports.

Illegal Israeli settlers attacked the Al-Arara Bedouin community north of occupied East Jerusalem with stones and sticks, leaving seven Palestinians with varying degrees of injuries, according to the Bedouin rights group Al-Baidar.

The settlers burned the container houses and caused material losses to the residents.

The organization warned that “the continuation of these violations poses a direct threat to the stability of the people and their presence on their lands and paves the way for forced displacement.”

In the Umm al-Khair village of southern Hebron, southern West Bank, another group of settlers attacked Palestinians in the morning while they were working on their lands, local sources told Anadolu.

A young Palestinian was transferred to a hospital for medical attention after getting injured on his face and head.

Israeli attacks have escalated across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, killing more than 1,069 Palestinians and injuring 10,300 others, Palestinian figures showed.

According to the official Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli forces and illegal settlers carried out 766 attacks against Palestinians, their homes, property, and sources of livelihood across the West Bank in October alone.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

READ: Israeli strike hits truck, drones fly over southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

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

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Continue Reading8 Palestinians injured by illegal Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem

Saudi crown prince, Palestinian vice president discuss US visa denial before UN General Assembly meetings

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Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on October 23, 2024. [Photo by NATHAN HOWARD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Riyadh on Monday with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh to discuss a US decision to revoke visas for a Palestinian delegation attending this month’s UN General Assembly meetings in New York, Anadolu reports.

A Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said discussions between the two sides took up the latest Palestinian developments and ongoing efforts to support the Palestinian cause.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Sheikh hailed Saudi Arabia’s “firm position and its efforts to support the Palestinian people and their just cause at all levels.”

The talks also touched on a US decision to cancel visas for the Palestinian delegation ahead of the UN General Assembly meetings on Sept. 8-23, Wafa said.

READ: Former Saudi intelligence chief to CNN: Saudi Arabia cannot normalise relations with “war criminal”

Bin Salman and Sheikh also addressed the situation in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem amid Israeli attacks and settler violence, Wafa said.

They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination between the two sides to address the ongoing challenges facing the region.

In late July, the US Department of State imposed sanctions on the Palestinian Authority and the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), denying visas to their members, including President Mahmoud Abbas.

The penalties came as several Western countries, including France and the UK, plan to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly meetings.

Sheikh arrived in the Saudi capital on Sunday for an official visit.

The visit comes as Israel continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing over 63,500 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

READ: Italy, Saudi Arabia condemn unilateral, violent actions in West Bank undermining 2-state solution

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Continue ReadingSaudi crown prince, Palestinian vice president discuss US visa denial before UN General Assembly meetings

Qatar warns of ongoing Israeli escalation in Al-Aqsa

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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241227-qatar-warns-of-ongoing-israeli-escalation-in-al-aqsa

A view of the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) at Al-Aqsa mosque compound, where the first qibla of Muslims, in Jerusalem on April 19, 2024 [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

Qatar has strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir under the protection of occupation forces.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that repeated attempts to undermine the religious and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque are not only an attack on Palestinians but also on over two billion Muslims worldwide.

It also warned about the continuation of the aggressive policies adopted by the Israeli government in the occupied Palestinian territories, highlighting their impact on increasing violence in the region and undermining efforts for a two-state solution and achieving a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace.

Qatar reaffirmed its steadfast position on justice for the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their full right to practice their religious rituals without restrictions and to establish their independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Earlier yesterday, extremist minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque with a group of settlers. They were heavily guarded by occupation police. This is thought to be part of his efforts to mark the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

READ: Israeli minister storms Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem

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Continue ReadingQatar warns of ongoing Israeli escalation in Al-Aqsa