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Israeli drone strike on funeral gathering in central Gaza kills 8, injures 20
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Palestinians mourn as the bodies of those killed are taken from the morgue of Al-Awda Hospital for burial after an Israeli strike targeted civilians gathered outside the Al-Awda Hospital for other Palestinians’ funeral, in Jabalia, Gaza, Palestine on July 17, 2026. [Adam Bilal – Anadolu Agency]
At least eight Palestinians were killed and 20 others injured Friday when an Israeli drone struck a civilian gathering during the funeral of a Palestinian who had been killed earlier by Israeli forces in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, despite a ceasefire, Anadolu reports.
The strike raised the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn Friday to 13 and to 25 over the past 72 hours, according to Gaza authorities.
Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp said in a statement that it received the bodies of eight people and treated 20 injured after an Israeli strike targeted a gathering of civilians in the Al-Balata market area.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the drone targeted Palestinians gathered outside the Ahmad Yassin Mosque as they waited to begin the funeral procession.
The funeral was for a Palestinian who had been killed by Israeli forces earlier Friday, the witnesses said.
Videos circulating on social media showed several bodies and wounded people lying on the ground, with blood covering their clothes and bodies.
Commenting on the attack, the Gaza Media Office said the Israeli army had killed more than 25 Palestinians over the past 72 hours in attacks targeting markets, funerals, civilian gatherings and residential homes.
US to send more refuelling aircraft as Trump weighs wider Iran war: Report
In a statement, the office said it was “following with grave concern the systematic criminal escalation carried out by the Israeli occupation army against unarmed civilians in Gaza, in blatant defiance of all agreements, conventions, customs and international humanitarian law.”
It added that “the killings and the war of genocide continue at an escalating pace, carried out through a policy of bombing popular markets, funerals, peaceful civilian gatherings and safe residential apartments over the heads of their inhabitants.”
The office said the attacks “constitute a clear entrenchment of a policy of terrorism directed against every living being in the Gaza Strip.”
The attack came as Israel continued to violate the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli ceasefire violations had killed 1,127 Palestinians and injured 3,643 others as of Thursday.
The ministry says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 2023 has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 173,000, while causing widespread destruction to about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.
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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
17 July 2026
Top Russian diplomat says potential closure of Bab el-Mandeb Strait will harm global oil market
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, on June 16, 2026. [Mustafa Hatipoğlu – Anadolu Agency]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said that the potential closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would harm international trade, particularly the global oil market, Anadolu reports.
Responding to a question on the situation in the Middle East and its risks for global security during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow, Lavrov said that Russia had “high hopes” and supported the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
“Both sides actively praised the document, and at first it seemed that everything would proceed more or less smoothly, but these predictions have not come to pass,” Lavrov said, expressing that both sides accuse each other of violations and missile exchanges; therefore, “security risks remain” in the region.
Lavrov said that Russia has been calling for a swift ceasefire and a return “to the point where the Strait of Hormuz was completely free, functioning without any problems, without any charges” in its contacts with all parties involved.
“And everything we’re seeing now, with our American colleagues calling for the resumption of free navigation, basically all of this existed before the US and Israeli aggression began. Well, we have to deal with what we have,” Lavrov further said.
Aside from security risks, Lavrov also noted the presence of economic risks, based on the role of the Strait of Hormuz as a “key artery.”
“Moreover, the Houthis have stated that if military action against Iran continues, they could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which borders the Arabian Peninsula on its western shore. That would likely spell trouble for global trade, particularly for oil, but not only oil,” he added.
Regional tensions have escalated over the Strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran continue exchanging attacks despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed last month to end the conflict and reach a lasting peace agreement.
READ: Iran conflict raises financial pressure on European airlines amid higher fuel costs
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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
17 July 2026
US to send more refuelling aircraft as Trump weighs wider Iran war: Report
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a P-8 Poseidon aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026. [CENTCOM – Anadolu Agency]
The US plans to deploy “dozens” of additional aerial refuelling aircraft as President Donald Trump considers expanding military operations against Iran, Axios reported Friday, Anadolu reports.
Citing three US and Israeli officials, the US news outlet said Trump was presented with several new military options during a Situation Room meeting Tuesday but had not made a final decision.
The proposals reportedly include strikes on Iranian power plants and other infrastructure, and additional attacks on suspected nuclear facilities, including an operation targeting the underground Pickaxe Mountain site.
US and Israeli officials said Trump could order an escalation within days, aiming to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington’s nuclear demands.
The US currently has about 30 refuelling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel, according to the report.
Israeli officials said Washington wants to deploy several dozen more aircraft, restoring the fleet to roughly the level maintained at the beginning of the conflict.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) was not immediately available for comment.
The US military reportedly prefers Ben Gurion Airport because other regional bases are considered more exposed to attacks by Iran, which has repeatedly struck US facilities across the Gulf region over the past several months.
Regional tensions have escalated since February, when the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran and Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Iran and the United States signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding last month aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement, but tensions have escalated again in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz.
READ: Top Russian diplomat says potential closure of Bab el-Mandeb Strait will harm global oil market
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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
17 July 2026
Iran says it shot down US-made RQ-11 Raven drone
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A U.S. Army RQ-11 Raven B [New Jersey National Guard photo by Mark C. Olsen]
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday it shot down a US-made RQ-11 Raven reconnaissance drone in the southwestern city of Ramshir in Khuzestan province amid heightened tensions with Washington, Anadolu reports.
In a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven was “intercepted and destroyed” by an advanced air defence system operating within Iran’s integrated air defence network.
The statement described the RQ-11 Raven as a lightweight tactical reconnaissance drone manufactured by US company AeroVironment for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions.
It said the drone is capable of transmitting real-time daytime and nighttime imagery to a ground control station and, with an operational range of about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) and an endurance of 60 to 90 minutes, is used for target reconnaissance, battlefield monitoring, battle damage assessment and tactical support.
The IRGC said the drone is widely used by the US military and other countries because of its light weight, portability and rapid deployment, describing it as one of the world’s most successful small military drone systems.
The US military did not immediately comment on the Iranian claim.
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent weeks over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides exchanging attacks despite a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.
READ: US to send more refuelling aircraft as Trump weighs wider Iran war: Report
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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
17 July 2026
Israeli Government takes legal step toward Ben-Gvir’s proposed “crocodile prison” plan
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Crocodiles [Wikipedia]
The Israeli government has taken a legal step that could enable the implementation of a proposal by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to use crocodile-filled waterways around detention facilities holding Palestinian prisoners, according to Israeli media reports.
Israeli Channel 7 reported on Thursday that Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a declaration changing the legal classification of crocodiles to “cared-for wild animals.” According to the report, the reclassification would allow government agencies, including the Israel Prison Service, to keep crocodiles at their facilities under specified conditions.
The report said the amendment removes a legal obstacle that had previously prevented the proposal from moving forward, as crocodiles had been classified as protected wild animals and could not legally be kept outside licensed zoos.
READ: Israeli minister proposes keeping Palestinian detainees in facility ’surrounded by crocodiles’
According to Channel 13, the amendment followed objections from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to the proposed project, which Israeli media have referred to as a “crocodile prison.”
Earlier this year, Ben-Gvir proposed building a high-security prison surrounded by waterways containing crocodiles, saying the measure would strengthen prison security and help prevent escape attempts by Palestinian security prisoners.
Channel 7 reported that the Israel Prison Service is examining the feasibility of the proposal and has conducted visits to zoos to study the handling and care of crocodiles.
According to the report, officials involved in the assessment concluded that crocodile-filled waterways around certain prisons could potentially reduce security costs while increasing deterrence.
READ: Israeli rights group demands independent medical examination of detained Gaza hospital director
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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
17 July 2026

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