28 killed as Israel keeps attacking Lebanon despite US-Iran deal coming into force

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Officials conduct search and rescue operation following Israeli attacks on a farm in the village of al-Jemaliyya, near the city of Baalbek, Lebanon on June 19, 2026. [Suleiman Amhaz – Anadolu Agency]

Arab nations are increasingly viewing Saudi Arabia as their primary diplomatic channel to moderate Donald Trump’s Middle East policies, particularly regarding the Palestinian cause, which has resurged as the region’s paramount concern amidst Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

According to diplomats quoted in the Financial Times, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is positioned as the “key player” in influencing Trump’s approach to the Palestinian issue, once the former president returns to office. “The key player in the region is Saudi Arabia because of their known relations with him, so it will be the linchpin of any regional actions the US might decide to do,” one Arab diplomat told the FT.

Read: What Trump’s second term could mean for the Middle East

The political landscape has shifted dramatically since Trump’s first term. Saudi Arabia has restored diplomatic relations with Iran, and the kingdom, along with other Arab and Muslim nations, have been forced to reconsider their relations with a country committing genocide. This realignment was in view at the recent Arab and Islamic summit in Riyadh, where the Crown Prince accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, marking a significant hardening of Saudi Arabia’s position.

The summit, which brought together more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations, sent a clear message to Trump about the region’s unified stance on Palestinian rights. “Trump is somebody who likes to be handed ready-deals he can take credit for,” a senior diplomat reported to the FT, adding that while MBS might present Trump with potential agreements, these would necessarily need to address Palestinian aspirations.

The Palestinian cause has become impossible to sideline, with Arab leaders particularly worried about radicalisation among their youth. As one Arab diplomat explained: “Trump will need to end the war in Gaza, and to do that you need to address the day after. He will need some focus on the Palestinian track or the regional element won’t work. Saudi Arabia has said bluntly that unless there’s a Palestinian state, normalisation is not an option.”

Read: The summit of shame

While Trump and bin Salman maintained warm relations during the former’s presidency, marked by significant financial deals and political support, the Crown Prince has recently positioned Saudi Arabia as the architect of a broader Arab and Muslim consensus on Palestine. “Saudi Arabia could heavily influence how Trump deals with Gaza and Palestine,” another official told the FT. “A lot of the countries in the region are concerned about what comes next.”

The strategic positioning by bin Salman is seen as having provided him with an opportunity to project himself as a regional leader. A second Arab diplomat said that the Crown Prince had found the “password” to the Middle East’s leadership role. “The only issue that unites the Arab world is the Palestinian issue,” the diplomat said, while cautioning about the challenges ahead: “The question is how much Saudi Arabia can invest in this . . . and how much Netanyahu will have the ability to torpedo it.”

Arab officials believe Trump’s success in any regional agreements will depend on his ability to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make concessions regarding Palestinian statehood – something Netanyahu currently “vociferously rejects.”

The devastating toll of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has forced Arab states to reconsider their relationships with Israel, with normalisation efforts now firmly tied to progress on Palestinian statehood. The unified stance of Arab and Muslim states suggests that despite Trump’s personal rapport with bin Salman, any future dealings would need to accommodate the broader Arab and Muslim consensus on Palestinian rights, marking a significant shift from his first term in office.

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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 "I support Zionism without Qualification" Starmer supporting genocide. He berates Palestine Action for upholding international law and prevent his - Labour and Israel's - Gaza genocide. Starmer says that that they've got a genocide to achieve, forced marches like the Nazis did, hospitals to bomb into obliteration, journalists, healthcare workers and starving people queuing for food to mass-murder and that they have to murder all Gazans for Zionism.
Keir “I support Zionism without Qualification” Starmer supporting genocide. He berates Palestine Action for upholding international law and prevent his – Labour and Israel’s – Gaza genocide. Starmer says that that they’ve got a genocide to achieve, forced marches like the Nazis did, hospitals to bomb into obliteration, journalists, healthcare workers and starving people queuing for food to mass-murder and that they have to murder all Gazans for Zionism.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue Reading28 killed as Israel keeps attacking Lebanon despite US-Iran deal coming into force

US Congress moves to fuse Israel’s war machine into American military system

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A general view of the U.S. Capitol building as Democrats and their allies gather for “The People’s State of the Union” rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. United States, as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address inside Congress on February 24, 2026. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]

The US Congress is quietly advancing a measure that would entrench Israel inside the American military-industrial complex, raising concerns that Washington is moving to lock itself into Tel Aviv’s future wars at a time when Israel is becoming a global pariah.

The House version of the 2027 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision titled the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative”. Known as Section 224, it would require the US secretary of defence to designate an official responsible for coordinating defence technology cooperation between the US and Israel. The provision covers bilateral research, development, testing, evaluation, integration and industrial cooperation.

Read: What military support does the US provide Israel?

Responsible Statecraft reported that the clause would go far beyond the existing US-Israel military aid relationship. It would lay the groundwork for joint weapons development, co-production, licensing agreements, military-industrial joint ventures and deep cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber, biotechnology and other advanced warfare sectors.

The report also warned that references to “network integration” and “data fusion” could mean US military data becoming increasingly accessible to Israel’s military establishment.

It’s claimed that in effect, Section 224 would shift US support for Israel from visible military aid into the far more opaque machinery of Pentagon procurement, weapons contracts, classified technology programmes and private defence industry partnerships.

Read: US bankrolled Israel’s Gaza genocide with $33 bn in military aid, damning new report reveals

Support for Israel would no longer be an annual aid package that can be debated, conditioned or cut. It would be dispersed across supply chains, research programmes, data systems, production lines and jobs in congressional districts.

The timing is seen as extremely significant. Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its widening wars across the Middle East have shattered the mythology of Israeli military self-sufficiency. For decades, Israel has presented itself as a regional superpower able to defeat its enemies alone. Yet the reality since October 2023 has shown the opposite: Israel cannot sustain major wars without US weapons, intelligence, air defence, diplomatic cover and emergency resupply.

The limits of Israeli military power were laid bare in a Washington Post report last week citing Pentagon assessments of US support for Israel during hostilities with Iran. The report found that the US military expended far more advanced missile-defence interceptors defending Israel than Israeli forces used themselves. One US administration official quoted in the report stated: “Israel is not capable of fighting and winning wars on its own, but nobody actually knows this, because they never see the back end.”

Israel’s global isolation has also intensified. The International Court of Justice is hearing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. In much of the world, Israel is no longer seen as a normal ally, but as a pariah state accused of carrying out mass killing, forced displacement and starvation in Gaza.

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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/

Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingUS Congress moves to fuse Israel’s war machine into American military system

The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

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  • Book Author(s):Robin Andersen
  • Published Date:July 2026
  • Publisher:OR Books
  • ISBN-13:9781682196267

by Ramona Wadi  walzerscent

While independent and alternative media wrought a change in US public opinion since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, mainstream media provided Israel with a coverup for its crimes. “This book does not make for easy reading,” Rashid Khalidi wrote in the introduction to Robin Andersen’s The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza (OR Books, 2026). While legacy media justified genocide and acted as a mouthpiece for Israel and the US, independent media illustrated genocide as it happened. As Israel’s genocide continued without political opposition, legacy and mainstream media framed Palestinians in Gaza and anyone opposing the genocide as “the villains of the story, rather than the war criminals who perpetrated these murders, and this destruction and starvation.”

Mainstream media portrayal of Israel’s genocide in Gaza followed not only a predictable sequence, but also one that became ingrained and fortified despite the countless times such reporting was debunked by facts.

One notable discrepancy, Andersen writes, is the readily available information from Israeli media itself on the start of the genocide. While Western journalism simplified the start of the genocide through Hamas’s infiltration and attack on Israel, Israeli media noted the military’s role in the killing of Israeli civilians, with testimonies from Israelis expressing anger at the military. Andersen notes that if US media had included Israel’s killing of its own citizens while implementing the Hannibal directive, “the rudimentary narrative structure would have lost a good deal of its persuasive value.”

Indeed, the simplistic narrative emphasised by US mainstream media required a starting point. October 7 provided the peg not only for supporting Israel’s genocide, but for obliterating the entire Zionist colonial history and appropriation of Palestinian territory. Without context, news became a series of events obfuscated and far removed from history. However, language still played an important role. As Andersen states, “Genocide does not happen without a language to incite it.” From the initial statements by Israeli officials, the media hastened to demonise Palestinians also by choosing to omit the accurate terminology which would have described Israel’s genocidal actions.

Leaked memos from legacy media showed the extent to which news was disseminated in a manipulated manner. Editorial directives controlled the narrative omitting genocide, even as genocide was livestreamed through alternative and social media.

Israel’s kill toll was questioned as rhetorical propaganda, while  outlets such as CNN and the New York Times failed to attribute airstrikes to Israel. Language depicting Palestinians’ living conditions during the genocide also eliminated how Israel forcibly displaced Gaza’s population – neighbourhoods, instead of camps. Evidence of dead bodies was framed in assumptions that questioned realities, while Israel’s massacres at the so-called aid sites were described as “food-aid related deaths” by the Guardian, for example. The New York Times fared no better: “Death of Gazans Hungry for Food Prompt Fresh Calls for Ceasefire”.  

BOOK REVIEW: The Spectral Palestinian: Presence Before Politics

Similar tactics were employed by mainstream media’s discussion of Israel’s bombing of Al-Shifa hospital. Focusing on Israel’s propaganda justifying the strikes – a Hamas command and control centre beneath the hospital – mainstream media linked Al-Shifa to war crimes, but not Israel. As happened during the start of the genocide, when many statements were debunked by alternative media, Israel’s narratives on al-Shifa proved to be false. However, mainstream media still relied on Israel’s official narrative, which were altered several times as independent investigations progressed. When Israel targeted a refugee camp and burnt Palestinians to death, CNN reported on what Israel told the Biden administration. “It’s what Israel said to us,” a US official stated to CNN. Language, in the context of Israel’s attacks on al-Shifa hospital, was even more ambiguous. Andersen quotes the New York Times, which frames the attacks within the language of natural disasters – al-Shifa “stood in ruins on Sunday, as if a tsunami had surged through it following a tornado.” 

Andersen notes that for every instance of mainstream media’s manipulation of genocide for Israel’s benefit, alternative and independent media carried the investigations and answers to the public. From the initial disproven claims of beheaded babies that unleashed a frenzied support for Israel’s genocide, to claims of rape attributed to Hamas, independent media provided not only the proof of untruths, but also the network that supported the disseminated lies. Independent media also established the targeted killing of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, creating a sharp contrast between journalists covering genocide in real time, and mainstream reporters whose priority was to impart the Zionist narrative. Mainstream media’s refusal to mention targeted assassinations of Palestinian journalists contributes to Israel’s efforts to silence journalists reporting from Gaza – the only sources available also considering that Israel refused entry to international journalists. The tacit silence from mainstream media in the US contradicts the essence of journalism, all for preserving the continuation of genocide. 

“The many examples of journalistic malpractice include in this book expose corporate media’s acquiesce to power and their abandonment of independence and the mandate to inform,” Andersen writes in the conclusion. Israel’s genocide in Gaza exposed the extending parameters of incitement, and the reach Zionism has at an international level. Mainstream media in the US contributed to a growing divide not only between media sources, but also in disrupting clarity – those that advocate for justice are now equated with terrorists, and those that defame people calling for justice are thriving in impunity.

The numerous examples Andersen cites in her extensive research of media reporting on Gaza call for a sobering scrutiny, not only on intent, but on the violation of language and its repercussions on Palestine, on Gaza, and on all people opposing colonialism and genocide. 

Andersen notes that the manipulation of Israel’s genocide in Gaza had other precedents, such as the US war on Iraq which was based on fabricated claims of weapons of mass destruction. Within the Iraq context, however, mainstream media had issued public apologies for their propaganda. Andersen notes that none have been forthcoming so far with regard to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. 

BLOG: EU sanctions on settlers is turning a blind eye to colonialism

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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 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.
Keir Starmer confirms that he doesn't know anything about democracy.
Keir Starmer confirms that he doesn’t know anything about democracy.

Continue ReadingThe Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

Anti-War protesters set up international peace camp at RAF Lakenheath

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/anti-war-protesters-set-international-peace-camp-raf-lakenheath

An F15 fighter jet landing at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk

ANTI-WAR protesters set up an international peace camp at RAF Lakenheath today amid evidence that US nuclear weapons have arrived at the base.

Organised by Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, of which CND is a member, the camp is protesting against US B61-12 nuclear bombs at the site.

The camp, which began with a 24-hour vigil, is also highlighting its role in facilitating Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the ongoing illegal attacks on Iran.

CND ad vans will tour around East Anglia, including at towns and villages near the base, to demand PM Sir Keir Starmer kick out US President Donald Trump’s nukes from Britain.

The camp is also calling on communities to join a major Give Peace a Chance demonstration and blockade at RAF Lakenheath from noon this Saturday.

CND general secretary Sophie Bolt said: “Over 60 per cent of the British population oppose the deployment of these US nuclear weapons in Britain.

“With the reckless leadership of Donald Trump, they put us on the front line of his devastating wars.

“Both RAF Lakenheath and nearby RAF Mildenhall have been heavily involved in the ongoing illegal attacks of Iran.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/anti-war-protesters-set-international-peace-camp-raf-lakenheath

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 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 ReadingAnti-War protesters set up international peace camp at RAF Lakenheath

Hundreds in Sweden cancel New Year’s celebrations to rally in support of Palestine

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People gather for a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Stockholm the capital of Sweden on December 31, 2025. [Atila Altuntaş – Anadolu Agency]

Hundreds of people in Sweden canceled New Year’s celebrations and rallied late Wednesday in the capital Stockholm in solidarity with the people of Gaza, Anadolu reports.

Despite freezing temperatures, protesters assembled at Segels Torg Square following a call by numerous civil society organizations, choosing to mourn children and civilians killed by Israel instead of celebrating the New Year.

Carrying banners reading “Children are being killed in Gaza,” “Schools and hospitals are being bombed,” “Comply with an immediate ceasefire,” and “End food shortages,” the crowd demanded an end to what they described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza and called on Sweden to halt arms sales to Israel.

In a statement made on behalf of the organizers, the protesters said: “In the new year, we reject the mass deaths, sieges in Palestine, and the silence toward these events. We refuse to begin a new year by turning a blind eye to injustice.”

The statement also emphasized that Israel was not adhering to peace commitments with Palestine.

“As the world enters the new year, genocide continues in Palestine. Despite the ceasefire, Palestinians are being killed, the siege continues, and people are freezing to death while left without shelter in tents,” it said.

Waving Palestinian flags and carrying torches, demonstrators later marched toward the Swedish Parliament.

Palestinians have accused Israel of repeatedly violating a ceasefire agreement, which halted a two-year Israeli war that has killed more than 71,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

Since the Oct. 10 ceasefire deal that halted the two-year Israeli war, at least 414 people have been killed and over 1,100 others injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

WACTH: Pro-Palestine march draws over half a milllion people to Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day

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

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.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingHundreds in Sweden cancel New Year’s celebrations to rally in support of Palestine