Israeli minister calls for settlement building in Gaza, claims enclave ‘part of Israel’

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Israeli Settlement Minister Orit Strook.[Wikipedia]

Israeli Settlement Minister Orit Strock called on Monday for rebuilding settlements in the Gaza Strip, claiming the enclave is “part of the Land of Israel.”

“Jews should live in the Gaza Strip. The demand to rebuild Jewish settlements is a correct demand,” Strock said in comments carried by Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.

“Gaza is part of Israel not only according to the Torah and Halakha, but also according to international law,” she claimed.

International law considers Gaza part of the occupied Palestinian territory and says Israeli settlements in occupied land have no legal validity and violate international law and UN resolutions.

Strock’s remarks came a day after Israeli government ministers joined thousands of occupiers in a march through a closed military zone toward the Gaza border to show support for illegal settlement building in the enclave.

READ: ‘Jewish terrorism’ in West Bank ‘threatens everyone’s security,’ Israeli commander warns

Israeli news site The Times of Israel said the march was staged to mark the 21st anniversary of Israel’s evacuation of the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip.

In August 2005, Israel evacuated four illegal settlements in the northern West Bank and the Gush Katif bloc in southern Gaza as part of its unilateral disengagement plan under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The outlet said extremist ministers and politicians took part in the march, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

According to organizers from the occupier group Nachala, 28 ministers and lawmakers from the ruling coalition attended the event.

On Sunday evening, Ben-Gvir posted a video on his X account under the title “Our Gaza.”

“If they had said three years ago that we would control 70% of the Gaza Strip, no one would have believed it. That is why I say today there will be Jewish settlements across all of Gaza, and we will encourage migration,” he said.

​​​​​​​It came amid growing calls by leaders of Israel’s far right to reestablish illegal settlements in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 173,000 others in a brutal offensive since October 2023.

WATCH: Displaced civilians gather west of Gaza as Israeli forces control 70% of the territory

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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.

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 ReadingIsraeli minister calls for settlement building in Gaza, claims enclave ‘part of Israel’

Mamdani says ICC warrant against Netanyahu should be ‘taken seriously’

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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks to members of the press during his during his visit to a childcare center in Manhattan, New York, U.S., on December 11, 2025. [Mostafa Bassim – Anadolu Agency]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be “taken seriously,” hours US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not face arrest in the US, Anadolu reports.

Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani said Netanyahu is “the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant” over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.

“We’re speaking about someone who’s the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. And he’s the subject of this arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, for war crimes, and he’s the architect of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as Israel’s prime minister,” Mamdani said.

He added that his remarks were based on “facts of public record,” not personal opinion.

“I believe that when someone is charged with an International Criminal Court warrant, it’s something that should be taken seriously—whether it’s Benjamin Netanyahu or it’s Vladimir Putin or whomever else. What I’ve also made clear is that my administration will follow all applicable local laws,” he said.

READ: Mamdani says New York City reviews authority to arrest Netanyahu during UN visit: Report

Mamdani reiterated that position, saying: “If someone is charged with a warrant by the International Criminal Court for these kinds of crimes, that’s something I believe should be honored. And I’ve also said that we will follow our local laws.”

His comments came after US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not face arrest in the United States.

In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, Trump said the Israeli leader “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”

Earlier, Mamdani told The New York Times that his administration’s legal department was discussing the possibility of Netanyahu’s arrest if he visited New York, saying he believes the Israeli premier “belongs in The Hague.”

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

READ: Netanyahu seeks extended security protection for his family beyond potential end of premiership

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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.

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 ReadingMamdani says ICC warrant against Netanyahu should be ‘taken seriously’

France calls for ‘end to EU imports of products from illegal settlements’

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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot gives a speech in Brussels, Belgium, on February 23, 2026. [Dursun Aydemir – Anadolu Agency]

France is calling for the EU to stop importing products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“France calls for the end of imports of products from illegal settlements into the European Union,” Barrot said during a joint press conference with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir in Reykjavik.

“France and Europe cannot accept that Europe, through its trade, supports illegal activities that compromise the possibility of peace between Israel and Palestine,” he added.

READ: West Bank killings show Israel’s encouragement of ‘ethnic cleansing’ against Palestinians, Israeli rights group says

Barrot made the remarks while outlining France’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his visit to Iceland.

He also reiterated France’s support for a two-state solution, noting that Iceland had recognized the State of Palestine 15 years ago and that France had joined that path last year.

Barrot said parliamentary elections scheduled for Nov. 28 in Palestine were “an absolute necessity” for the legitimacy of the Palestinian parliament and to pave the way for presidential elections.

READ: UN warns over ‘escalating’ Israeli occupier attacks against Palestinians in West Bank

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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.

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 ReadingFrance calls for ‘end to EU imports of products from illegal settlements’

Yemen’s Houthis declare ‘maritime blockade’ on Saudi Arabia

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Yemen’s Houthi group on Monday declared “a maritime blockade” on Saudi Arabia effective immediately, Anadolu reports.

Military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement on the group’s Al-Masirah television that a ban on Saudi-linked maritime navigation “has entered into force from the moment of issuing this statement.”

Saree warned that any Saudi escalation would be met with what he called a “comprehensive and severe escalation.”

There was no immediate Saudi comment on the Houthi announcement.

​​​​​​​Last week, the Houthi group accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on the Sanaa airport and launched missiles toward Saudi territory, breaking years of calm. While Riyadh did not comment on the Houthi accusation, Yemen’s internationally recognized government claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it targeted the airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.

READ: Houthis threaten to attack oil facilities in Saudi Arabia amid Yemen tensions

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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.
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 ReadingYemen’s Houthis declare ‘maritime blockade’ on Saudi Arabia

Iran condemns UK designation of IRGC as ‘terror group’

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Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) participate in a military exercise aimed at “increasing combat capabilities” in Tehran province, Iran, on May 12, 2026. [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Anadolu Agency]

Iran on Tuesday condemned the UK government’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, saying Britain would bear the “political, legal and diplomatic consequences” of the move, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the designation as “unjustified and irresponsible” and said it violated international law, including the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

The ministry accused the UK of basing its decision on what it described as “baseless security allegations.”

It said Iran reserved all its rights under the UN Charter and international law to take countermeasures in response to what it called Britain’s “inappropriate” action.

On Monday, the UK designated the IRGC as a terrorist group using new powers introduced under the National Security (State Threats) Act, according to media reports.

In a statement to parliament, Security Minister Angela Eagle said the government had “identified activity linked to the IRGC involving threats to life and intimidation on UK soil,” Sky News reported.

READ: UK lists Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as ‘terror group’

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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/

Genocide denying former UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government's support for Israel's Gaza genocide and the UK government and military's active participation in genocide.
Genocide denying UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.
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 ReadingIran condemns UK designation of IRGC as ‘terror group’