How US-Iran escalation will test Iraq’s balancing act
At the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump was warm and effusive towards Iraq’s visiting prime minister, the 40-year-old Ali al-Zaidi, describing him as “young”, “handsome” and as someone he wanted to work with. They shook hands warmly. Later in the day came the caveat, when US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Iraq to disarm Iran-aligned armed groups in the country. As the war between the US and Iran intensifies again, analysts say al-Zaidi’s Washington meetings summed up how Iraq could find itself caught in a bind, balancing two critical relationships it cannot afford to jeopardise — with the United States and Iran. What is Iraq’s PM doing in the US? Trump and al-Zaidi pledged to deepen economic ties and boost Iraq’s oil output during their White House meeting. A well-informed source told Al Jazeera that meetings of Iraqi officials with US administration officials and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also been planned. According to the source, who asked not to be named, Iraq is seeking to secure an IMF loan of up to $8bn. Tuesday’s meeting came after Trump threw his support behind al-Zaidi, a businessman with no political experience, and publicly opposed Iraq’s former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the prime ministerial role earlier this year. Al-Maliki, a divisive figure seen as having close ties to Iran, subsequently dropped out of contention in April. The Iraqi government had previously said it expected several oil and gas agreements to be signed during al-Zaidi’s visit to the US, with Trump also promising a slew of deals during the Oval Office meeting. Advertisement He called al-Zaidi “a fantastic champion, a new champion”. “Iraq has tremendous potential because of their oil and because of other things, but because of their oil, and we’re going to be doing a lot of deals,” Trump said. The meeting also came as the US prepares to reduce its military presence in Iraq. Both al-Zaidi and Trump said the remaining US forces in Iraq, believed to number fewer than 2,000, would completely withdraw from Iraq by September 30. That is the same date al-Zaidi pledged that armed factions active across Iraq would disarm. But later in the day, Hegseth met al-Zaidi. In a post on X shortly after the meeting, Hegseth said Iraq “must assert its sovereignty and disarm the Iran-aligned militias” that he blamed for frequent attacks on US forces amid the US-Israel war on Iran. It was a taste of the pressures that could amplify for Iraq in the weeks to come, say analysts. What did Kataib Hezbollah say? Kataib Hezbollah is part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance”, a loose coalition of groups including Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. It is also one of the largest groups within the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), founded in 2014 to stop lightning advances by ISIL (ISIS) at the time. On Tuesday, the group made it clear that it was ready to join the war against the US if needed. “If a war is launched against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the participation of the resistance forces will be immediate and certain. This decision is rooted in our ideology and is not open to negotiation,” Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a Kataib Hezbollah official, said, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. Iraq’s balancing act Ignoring the Trump administration’s demands won’t be easy for Iraq. It relies on US companies to modernise its oil and gas companies. Yet there’s a limit beyond which Iraq cannot afford to bend before the US. “Baghdad is courting Washington, but it will not tolerate its territory being used as a launching pad for attacks against Iran,” Inna Rudolf, a senior fellow at the Centre for Statecraft & National Security at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera. “While keen to revive and deepen ties with the United States, successive Iraqi governments have been careful to preserve a functional relationship with Iran, one grounded in long historical, religious, commercial and social ties.” About 60 percent of Iraq’s population is Shia Muslim, and Iran has cultivated deep ties with many Shia political parties, religious networks and armed groups in the country. Those connections, alongside economic and security links, give Tehran considerable influence in Iraqi politics. Advertisement For the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an official reception was held at Najaf International Airport in Iraq, followed by public processions in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. While Iraq rejects the use of its territory for strikes on Iran, Rudolf added that Iran-aligned paramilitaries and political networks remain influential inside Iraqi state institutions and parliament. “That creates a dual‑tracking relationship: formal state diplomacy seeks stable, pragmatic engagement with Tehran, while parts of the political and security landscape maintain autonomous channels of influence.” Rudolf continued: “The result is a managed interdependence: cooperation on trade, energy and cross‑border social ties coexists with mistrust, domestic contestation, and the persistent risk that armed resistance factions could act independently of Baghdad’s preferences.” How would an escalation between the US and Iran affect Iraq? Rudolf added that an escalation would pose immediate, multi‑dimensional risks for Iraq. “First, it could produce direct security spillovers: Iran‑aligned factions that resist disarmament or security‑sector reform might strike from Iraqi soil at regional targets, inviting reprisals that violate sovereignty and endanger civilians — every strike would invite retaliation, and every retaliation wounds an already fragile settlement.” She added that Iraq’s politics were already divided, and this kind of crisis would make those divisions worse. Government coalitions could break apart, making it harder to pass reforms. Additionally, economic and humanitarian fallout could follow, leading to disrupted trade and energy links, stalled investment and reconstruction, and new displacement, Rudolf said. “Finally, Iraq’s diplomatic space would shrink: rather than mediating, Baghdad could be coerced into becoming a theatre for proxy contestation, making balanced relations and credible security reform far harder. “The real danger is not necessarily all‑out war but a thousand small escalations that hollow out Iraq’s sovereignty.” Adblock test
July 15, 10 years on: Turkiye’s will, Turkiye’s victory
The night of July 15, 2016, began like any other evening—but ended as a turning point in Turkiye’s modern history. It was a night of betrayal and defiance, fear and courage, but above all, a night when the strong will of the people determined the course of a nation. The night of July 15 was etched in our nation’s collective memory as one of the longest nights but also one of the greatest epics in Turkiye’s glorious history. It has been 10 years since the nefarious coup attempt of July 15 carried out by the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which was foiled by our beloved nation’s honourable, courageous and heroic stance. It was the Turkish nation itself that proved decisive in repelling the existential threat of July 15 – a nation that recognises no power above its own will, and that demonstrated its readiness to lay down its life in defence of its state and democratic achievements. The Turkish nation and government turned this threat into a victory. The steadfastness of its institutions and the collective will of its people transformed the darkest night into a defining moment of national resilience. Far from faltering, Turkiye emerged from that not weaker, but stronger — ushering in a new era marked by strategic empowerment. In the aftermath of the FETO-led failed coup, Turkiye embarked on a new era of transformation powered by its strong past. Turkiye has significantly expanded its diplomatic footprint, global reach and influence since July 15. As a result of its deepening and widening comprehensive policies, Turkiye has spawned the third-largest diplomatic network globally, with 264 missions. Advertisement This expansion is not merely a statistic, but a reflection of Turkiye’s determination to shape, not just observe, global events, prioritising regional peace and security through peaceful resolution and mediation, and regional ownership. As our Foreign Minister HE Hakan Fidan underscored several times, dialogue and diplomacy are needed now more than ever. This region can — and will — take ownership of its own challenges and resolve them together. Today, Turkiye conducts a diplomacy that thinks globally but acts locally in every corner of the world by availing of several complementary political, economic, humanitarian, and cultural tools. Turkiye navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the disastrous earthquake of 2023 successfully. The nation’s economy has defied global trends, growing steadily and retaining its place among the world’s 20 largest economies. Exports reached a record $273bn in 2025. This figure is expected to be over $400bn in 2026. With a population of 85 million, Turkiye has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita that has exceeded $19,000. Turkiye has witnessed an increase in tourists from all parts of the world, as it was and will remain one of the favorite travel destinations, hosting nearly 64 million tourists in 2025. With this number, Turkiye has become the fourth-most-visited country around the world. Turkiye has also become a leading humanitarian power, ranking first globally in humanitarian aid as a percentage of GDP, and is recognised as the world’s most generous nation based on per capita spending. Together with its diplomatic activism and economic dynamism, Turkiye has strengthened its national defence capabilities with unprecedented speed and success. Turkiye’s defence industry has become a global leader with a research and development budget nearing $3bn, over 80 percent domestic production, and a project portfolio exceeding $100bn. At the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025, Turkiye unveiled 26 new defence products. Among the highlights was the debut of Tayfun Block 4, Turkiye’s first domestically produced hypersonic ballistic missile, alongside the steel dome intensified air defence concept. Most recently, at the SAHA 2026 Defence and Aerospace Exhibition held in Istanbul, Yildirimhan – the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Ministry of National Defence – was unveiled. Iconic platforms such as the Akinci and Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, the fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN, and the supersonic trainer Hurjet are no longer just national milestones—they are strategic assets reshaping regional dynamics. Advertisement The growing prominence of UAVs has transformed modern warfare. In this domain, Turkish UAVs have not only demonstrated their efficacy in various Turkish military operations, but have also attracted international attention, leading to exports to several countries. Turkiye accounts for 65 percent of the global UAV export market and is home to the world’s biggest drone manufacturer. As recently stated by HE Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of the Republic of Turkiye, “from the depths of seas to the vastness of space, Turkiye is a country capable of developing and producing its own software, platforms and systems bearing its unique signature at every level”. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Turkiye and Qatar have consistently shown this. Throughout the critical juncture and uncertainty of the 15th of July, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was the first leader to express solidarity with the Turkish people and government by holding a phone call with HE President Erdogan. It was a bold and principled stance, as nobody could have guessed how events would unfold. Furthermore, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, was among the first foreign officials to visit Turkiye in the aftermath of the night. The Turkish nation will always remember the brotherly State of Qatar’s firm stance, its unequivocal support for Turkiye’s elected government, and Qatari people’s deep empathy with the Turkish people. In fact, this spirit of fraternity continued and continues to shape the brotherly bilateral relations between our countries. In the wake of the earthquakes that struck Turkiye in 2023, Qatar was among the first nations to mobilise emergency aid and humanitarian relief. Likewise, during the US-Israel war with Iran, HE President Erdogan expressed our country’s condemnation of any kind of attack that violates Qatar’s sovereignty, and reiterated that Turkiye stands strongly by brotherly Qatar. Today, Turkiye–Qatar relations are stronger than ever. There is a strategic partnership that was institutionalised through the establishment of the Supreme Strategic Committee
Outspoken Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi arrested in Casablanca
Activists say Moroccan authorities are intensifying repression of critical voices and the Gen Z protest movement. Published On 14 Jul 202614 Jul 2026 Politically outspoken Moroccan artist, rapper, and filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi has been arrested in Casablanca, days after being barred from returning to France, where he has been based since 2017. El Youbi, better known by his stage name Mehdi Black Wind, was detained on Monday night after being questioned by Morocco’s National Brigade of Judicial Police in Casablanca, according to a statement from a group of his friends and supporters. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “After a day of questioning, his family were informed at around 9pm that he had been taken into police custody and was due to appear before the public prosecutor on Wednesday”, the statement said. “According to the latest information, his arrest is believed to be linked to his artistic views and posts on social media.” El Youbi, born in 1992, is widely known in Morocco and across North Africa for his rap songs heavily influenced by US hip-hop. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s, at the same time as the Arab Spring, with songs that caught the attention of the authorities for their politically engaged lyrics. “When I return home, I’m afraid of being arrested or banned from the country,” El Youbi told French music magazine Mosaique Magazine in December 2025. “Many people try to depoliticise art or sport, but I believe that every committed artist, every activist, or anyone who takes risks lives between boldness and fear.” El Youbi is “the best rapper in North Africa and it’s not close”, Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi said on X. Mehdi El Youbi was arrested in Morocco, days after being barred from returning to Marseille, France, where he’s been based since 2017. [Courtesy of supporters of Mehdi El Youbi] Omar Radi, a Moroccan investigative journalist and human rights activist who was previously jailed in Morocco for criticising a judge, told Al Jazeera that El Youbi is “the most outspoken and politically direct Moroccan rapper”. Advertisement “There is a deliberate attempt to stamp out any possibility of criticism of the government or police methods, whether within civil society and the press, or in artistic circles or amongst football supporters,” Radi said. El Youbi’s detention comes a day after the arrest of Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet, which was condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists, and two weeks after Zineb Kharroubi, a leading figure in the Gen Z 212 activist movement, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of “incitement to commit crimes or offences by electronic means”. A supporter of El Youbi said that these developments reflect “intensified repression linked to the Gen Z movement”, referring to the youth-led protest movement that emerged last year in Morocco demanding better health services and education reforms. El Youbi is due to appear before the public prosecutor on Wednesday morning. His supporters said they were concerned that he may have to appear without a lawyer, as lawyers in Morocco are currently on strike. Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Trump says ‘strikes on Iran will continue until I say enough’
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Iran’s bridges, power plants possible targets, Trump said as IRGC says it attacked US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan. Published On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Spain fans erupt as team reaches World Cup final
NewsFeed Fans erupted in celebration after Spain beat France 2-0 in the semifinals, securing their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Published On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Iraqi PM heads to US seeking balance between security and economy
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is travelling to the United States for talks with President Donald Trump, in what will be his first foreign trip since taking office in May. During this week’s meetings, al-Zaidi is expected to sign agreements in energy and trade while also boosting investment with US companies. Iraqi government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi told reporters on Sunday the visit to Washington, DC, will mark a shift in the countries’ relations “from a framework of crisis management to a strategic economic partnership”. The focus, he said, would not be about striking a “temporary” agreement but about establishing “a durable, long-term partnership that serves the shared interests of both countries”. Al-Aboudi said oil would be “a top priority” during the visit as the Iraqi government seeks to increase production and find alternative export hubs to lessen the consequences of any future closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq was one of the countries badly hit by the shutting down of the critical waterway in recent months due to the US-Israel war on Iran, as about 90 percent of its 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) of exports passes through it. Al-Aboudi said Iraq’s proposal to establish an energy and development fund with the US would be on the table to finance any projects that would be agreed upon, especially in the energy sector. Al-Zaidi had previously said the fund would initially be structured in oil exports of 500,000 bpd with the goal of increasing to as much as two million bpd. Advertisement The prime minister has also said Iraq seeks to increase oil production to seven million bpd over the next three years, up from its current output of about 4.5 million bpd. “Iraq is in need of such kind of cooperation, especially with a partner like the United States to enhance and strengthen its capacity, particularly in the energy, oil, gas, electricity, and petrochemicals sectors,” said Abdulrahman Almashhadani, an Iraqi economic expert and professor. “However, the critical question remains whether Iraq can provide a safe and stable environment that would encourage US companies to come to Iraq,” he said. “This issue is sensitive and unresolved; it largely depends on the government’s ability to deliver on its commitments to restrict weapons to state control.” Large delegation Sources told Al Jazeera the Iraqi delegation to the US comprises more than 70 people, including key ministers, the head of the central bank, the national security adviser, lawmakers and businessmen. A well-informed source said meetings with US administration officials and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also been planned. According to the source, who asked not to be named, Iraq is seeking to secure an IMF loan of up to $8bn. A separate well-informed source told Al Jazeera that the disarming of pro-Iran Iraqi armed factions and restricting weapons under state authority, as well as Baghdad’s relationship with Tehran, are expected to be among the issues the US side will raise during the visit. In his first speech in parliament as prime minister, al-Zaidi had promised that the state would have control over weapons in a country where paramilitary groups, including many supported by Iran, have been powerful since the 2003 US-led war on Iraq. Some armed factions said they would abide by the prime minister’s declaration, but others – particularly the powerful ones that launched missiles and drones at US facilities during the war on Iran – rejected it. In a statement released hours before al-Zaidi’s trip to Washington, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups in the region, including Iraq, rejected the prime minister’s visit and its outcomes. “We will not give a blank cheque for all government policies. We warn against replacing military occupation with an economic occupation that is even more dangerous,” the statement said. “The option of defending Iraq and its legitimate interests will remain on the table,” it added. Al-Zaidi has said his government is eager to implement a 2024 deal made with the US-led coalition’s military mission in Iraq to end its presence as combat forces by the end of September. Advertisement Some of the factions that rejected the prime minister’s disarmament statement said they would wait to see what happens on September 30 and then act accordingly. Ehsan al-Shammary, a professor of international studies at Baghdad University, said the economic initiatives and the backing that al-Zaidi is seeking from Trump during Monday’s talks would inevitably be overshadowed by the issue of Iran’s influence in Iraq. Ultimately, he added, it is the issue that will determine the success or failure of a “very important” visit that could “redefine” bilateral relations and “give it a push”. “Al-Zaidi has little room for manoeuvre. He should choose either to align with the United States or move closer to Iran,” said al-Shammary. “I do not believe Washington is willing to accept a divided sphere of influence in Iraq alongside Tehran. That is why the prime minister’s task appears to be almost impossible.” Adblock test (Why?)
Trump: US will ‘take over’ Strait of Hormuz
NewsFeed President Donald Trump has said the US will ‘take over’ the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of breaking the deal and insisting Washington should be paid to guard the waterway. Trump confirmed on Truth Social that the reinstated blockade would begin ‘immediately’. Published On 13 Jul 202613 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
India thrash England in historic first women’s cricket Test match at Lord’s
England, set a record-breaking target of 457 for victory, were dismissed for 186 shortly before lunch on the final day of four. Published On 13 Jul 202613 Jul 2026 Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma shared the last four wickets as India completed a 270-run thrashing of England to win the first women’s Test at Lord’s. England, set a record-breaking target of 457 for victory, were dismissed for 186 shortly before lunch on the final day of four on Monday Rana took 4-42, removing Amy Jones for 54 and finishing the landmark match when she bowled Sophie Ecclestone for 50. Fellow spinner Sharma chipped in with the wickets of Issy Wong and Lauren Bell as England crumbled in front of a crowd that included India men’s cricket great Sachin Tendulkar. India were dominant in all aspects of a game being played 142 years, and 150 matches, after Lord’s staged its first men’s Test and decades on from the first women’s game of any kind at the London ground – a 1976 one-day international between England and Australia. Victory meant India finished their tour with joyous memories of Lord’s, having been knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the group phase at the “Home of Cricket” by eventual champions Australia. England, by contrast, struggled to adapt to the demands of the longer format in a match that started just days after their T20 World Cup final loss to Australia at Lord’s on July 5. Their second-heaviest Test reverse, in terms of runs, and fourth defeat in five Tests was not the way England would have wanted to send off Tammy Beaumont and former captain Heather Knight in the veteran batters’ final appearance before international retirement. The match was a personal triumph for India’s Kranti Gaud and Yastika Bhatia, the first women to take five wickets and score a century respectively in a women’s Test at Lord’s. Advertisement Gaud took a superb 5-37 in England’s first-innings 170 and wicket-keeper Bhatia’s 113 – her first century in any international format – was the cornerstone of India’s imposing second-innings 341-7 declared. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her top order, with opener Smriti Mandhana hitting fifties in both innings “In this Test match, the way they batted was outstanding to watch,” said Kaur at the presentation ceremony. “Bhatia is a great batter. I had a really strong feeling for her – that’s why we put her in the eleven – and I’m really happy with the way she played.” Seam bowler Gaud was named player of the match after also taking 2-54 in the second innings. “Growing up I never imagined something like this would happen but the moment the Test started I wanted to get my name on the honours board,” said Gaud. “I stuck to what the coaches told me. My strength is to hit the right length and the ball moved and did its bit.” ‘Exceptional India’ Defeat left England still searching for their first win in a home women’s Test since 2005. “I’m disappointed all round, really,” England coach Charlotte Edwards told Sky Sports. “You come into such a historic Test match and occasion, which has been absolutely amazing. To then not play anywhere near our best over the four days…” The former England captain added: “A lot of credit has to go to India. I thought they were exceptional. They were really disciplined with bat and ball.” Nat Sciver-Brunt, the current England skipper lamented a lack of time between formats but said: “As cricketers we have to be prepared for that and recover as best we can before preparing for a Test match.” England resumed in dire straits at 130-6. The highest successful fourth-innings chase in any women’s Test is Australia’s 198 against England in Sydney in 2011. England’s slim hopes of success rested with wicket-keeper Jones, 52 not out after completing her second fifty of the match. Jones, however, had added just two runs to her overnight total when she pulled Rana to mid-wicket. The tourists, in rare blemishes, dropped a couple of catches but the end was not long in coming to the vocal delight of India fans basking in another sun-drenched day at Lord’s. Although Monday’s crowd was sparse, the overall attendance across the four days of 37,846 was a new record for a women’s Test. Adblock test (Why?)
Meet the Cubans stuck in Mexico under Donald Trump’s deportation campaign
‘Like we were dogs’ For Scull Delgado, life in the US began with the famous Mariel boatlift, a 1980 exodus that saw some 125,000 Cubans pile onto small, rickety boats and sail across the Florida Strait. Many were fleeing political persecution. Others had grown desperate as a result of the island’s economic strife. Scull Delgado said he joined the boatlift to escape service in Cuba’s army. But even though the “marielitos” arrived in the US without formal paperwork, Washington agreed to accept them. The US, after all, had long opposed the island’s communist leadership. “We will continue to provide an open heart and open arms to refugees seeking freedom from communist domination and from economic deprivation,” US President Jimmy Carter said at the time. Over the following decades, Scull Delgado settled in California and got married to a US citizen. He had three children and four grandchildren. But he also got a criminal record. “I committed a crime in the ’90s,” he said, describing it as “a slip-up” for which he did time in prison. “After I got out, I didn’t get into any more problems,” Scull Delgado added. He just had to “show up every year to sign in” at US immigration offices. “That’s where they picked me up.” Immigration agents arrested him while he was signing in at the office. After nearly 46 years in the US, he was one month away from retirement — one month away from enjoying “the benefits I earned through my work”. “I do feel betrayed by Trump because he took everything away from me after I’d spent my whole life in that country,” Scull Delgado said. By November, he had been transported to Mexico, away from his home and his family. From left: Lazaro Diaz Garcia, Seul Delgado, Ricardo Scull Delgado and Ernesto Perez Chapman, four Cuban men deported from the US, say they are stuck in legal limbo in Palenque, Mexico [Ann Deslandes/Al Jazeera] Another Cuban national, 48-year-old Orlando Martinez Mendoza, was also deported in 2025. He migrated from Cuba to the US in 2015, arriving by boat. But he said immigration authorities grabbed him at a court hearing in Tennessee, where he had appeared for a speeding charge. He described being transported to three different detention centres over the course of two months in Tennessee. He was then transported out of state, to a holding facility set up in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola. Martinez Mendoza remembers the transfer being staged for media purposes. “They selected a group of us migrants, saying we were the biggest criminals in the country,” he said. “They took us to Angola prison in a bus with police in front and back, stopping traffic with sirens, and TV cameras rolling.” Eventually, he too was sent to Arizona and, from there, to Palenque. He said his bus came to a stop right in front of the offices for the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance, or COMAR. Immigration officials, he said, “dumped us right in front of COMAR like we were dogs”. The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees federal immigration enforcement, did not reply to a request for comment for this story. It has, however, featured Martinez Mendoza on a website of its immigration-related arrests, highlighting his conviction for selling cocaine in 2018. He was subject to a deportation order after serving two years in prison. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli forces kill five Palestinians in latest attacks on Gaza
Since a US-brokered truce in October, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,098 Palestinians in Gaza. Published On 12 Jul 202612 Jul 2026 An Israeli drone attack and gunfire in Gaza have killed at least five people, including a nine-year-old girl, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Tala Abu Matar died when Israeli gunfire targeted an encampment on the eastern side of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, medics said. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Also on Sunday, a drone attack on a blacksmith’s shop in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed at least four Palestinians and wounded another, according to officials at al-Shifa hospital where the casualties were taken. The Israeli military acknowledged striking the area, saying without elaborating that it targeted “terrorist infrastructure”. Following shooting on Friday, a Palestinian man died of wounds sustained from Israeli fire near Al-Bureij camp, said a health official. Another Palestinian succumbed to injuries from an Israeli drone strike east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The continued attacks in Gaza are in violation of the ceasefire agreed last October by Israel and Hamas. While fighting on the ground has mostly stopped since then, Israel has continued carrying out air strikes in Gaza, killing at least 1,098 Palestinians and wounding 3,535 during the so-called ceasefire, health ministry data shows. Since October, Israel has expanded its control over the enclave beyond the so-called “Yellow Line”, which demarcates territory occupied by Israel from the rest of Gaza under the ceasefire agreement. Last week, Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israeli forces now control about 80 percent of Gaza. Advertisement The latest violence comes as Hamas leaders visited Cairo for further talks on implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. The discussions include Hamas disarmament and Israeli army withdrawals, according to sources close to the talks, who said no breakthrough has been achieved. Since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the health ministry said at least 73,118 Palestinians have been killed. Adblock test (Why?)