Vessel attacked in Red Sea two months after US-Houthi truce
Iran's Khamenei makes first appearance since war with Israel
Israel intercepts missile launched from Yemen
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon leave one dead and six injured
More than 20 arrested in London for supporting banned Palestine Action
At least 57,130 Palestinians killed and 135,173 wounded since Gaza war began
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The National
an hour ago
- The National
Key points from Lebanon's seven-page response to US demand to disarm Hezbollah
Lebanon, under mounting pressure to disarm Hezbollah, has delivered an ' unbelievably satisfying ' response to a US request to initiate the process, as described by Special Envoy Thomas Barrack on Monday. The US plan links Hezbollah's full disarmament across Lebanon to reconstruction funding and a halt to Israeli military operations in the country. The National, through Lebanese officials, has been informed of the document's contents. 'The document had been in the works for days on the Lebanese side, with input from advisers to the Prime Minister, the President and the Speaker of Parliament. Work on it continued until just hours before the arrival of the US envoy,' said one of the officials. 'The final additions and amendments to the paper requested by Thomas Barrack were made late on Sunday night, with Hezbollah participating through MP Mohammad Raad, head of the party's parliamentary bloc, and Hussein Khalil, the group's security adviser." The seven-page document centres on demands for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, including the contested Shebaa Farms. It also reaffirms the state's commitment to controlling all arms nationwide and pledges to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons in south Lebanon. However, it stops short of explicitly committing to disarming Hezbollah across the entire country. Here are the key elements from the document: The United States is called upon to play an active role in pressuring Israel to stop its repeated aggressions against Lebanon and to ensure respect for the understandings on the cessation of hostilities. Activation of the 'Mechanism Committee' to implement the ceasefire. Reaffirmation of the implementation of the Taif Agreement and Resolution 1701. Lebanon's commitment to the understanding on the cessation of hostilities resulting from Resolution 1701. Dismantling Hezbollah's facilities south of the Litani River, in the context of strengthening the authority of the state, extending its sovereignty and establishing an area free of any armed presence outside the framework of the state. A demand for Israeli withdrawal from the five points and disputed areas, foremost among them the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills. A demand for the return of Lebanese prisoners and detainees held by Israel. Renewal of Unifil's mandate and support for the Lebanese Army, enabling it to carry out its duties in co-ordination with the Lebanese Army. Lebanon calls on the international community to provide logistical and financial support to the Lebanese Army to allow it to expand its deployment south of the Litani. Arab countries are to sponsor the course of Lebanese-Syrian relations in a way that ensures the safe return of Syrian refugees, with an emphasis on controlling the Lebanese-Syrian border. Commitment to the presidential oath and ministerial statement, especially in protecting sovereignty, implementing reforms and upholding the state's authority and institutions. Continuing financial and economic reforms. The importance of reconstruction and facilitating Lebanon's commitments.
Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Bob Vylan backlash: Britain is more worried about words than war crimes
The controversy ignited by Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance - specifically the chant of 'death to the IDF', in reference to the Israeli army - has exposed far more than artistic outrage. It has laid bare the limits of free speech in Britain when it comes to Palestine, the deep discomfort with confronting complicity, and the ease with which expressions of solidarity are demonised as hate. Glastonbury has long served as a cultural platform for political protest. From the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to environmental justice, anti-poverty activism, women's rights and LGBTQ+ equality, it has never shied away from uncomfortable truths. The festival's founder, Michael Eavis, famously said that if people don't like the politics of Glastonbury, they 'can go somewhere else'. The festival also hosts a dedicated political space called Left Field, featuring daily debates and discussions on a wide range of issues. Over the years, the festival has witnessed powerful political moments, from solidarity with striking miners in the 1980s to a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Challenging the established order and exposing political complicity is part of Glastonbury's DNA. But this year, a stark double standard was revealed. While the BBC aired without fuss performer Jade's use of an expletive that many view as demeaning to women, Bob Vylan's words highlighting Palestinian suffering drew national outrage. The BBC removed Bob Vylan's performance from its online player, condemned it as antisemitic, and issued a swift apology. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it 'appalling hate speech'. The Israeli embassy denounced it. Bob Vylan's US visas were revoked. A criminal investigation was launched over the performances of both Bob Vylan and Irish rappers Kneecap. Unmistakable message This was not merely a response to offensive language. It was a coordinated move to shut down political expression that challenges British and western complicity in Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza. And while condemnation rained down over a musician's angry words, that same week, Israeli soldiers admitted to killing civilians trying to collect food in Gaza - food that was being systematically denied to Palestinians by the Israeli army. The message was unmistakable: words exposing inhumanity against Palestinians are more dangerous to the establishment than the massive violence being inflicted on Palestinians. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war It's not that Bob Vylan's language was polite. It wasn't meant to be. Protest art rarely is. But to call it 'hate speech' while remaining silent on Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu invoking genocidal rhetoric, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referencing a biblical call for extermination, and Israeli pop singers calling for the death of Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa, is to reveal not a moral compass, but a political agenda. This isn't about preserving civility. It's about preserving Israeli genocidal narratives. It's about protecting the violent Israeli army from criticism by framing its opponents as dangerous, hateful or extreme. Bob Vylan's chant wasn't a policy proposal nor material support. It was a cry of desperation, born from a sense of urgency and horror at a crisis unfolding in real time. In Gaza over the past 21 months, most homes have been devastated; schools, universities and hospitals have been destroyed; and more than 57,418 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 130,000 injured. It's about who is allowed to speak, what words are acceptable, what truths are allowed to be told, and which lives are deemed worth defending The reaction provoked by the words of Bob Vylan says more about Britain's discomfort with confronting its own complicity in the Gaza crisis than it does about any supposed incitement. This furore came in a week when the government proscribed the non-violent direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist group, alongside two violent extremist organisations. This is a shocking attack on the right to protest in the UK. And that's the deeper danger. The ban on Palestine Action, and the intense rhetorical response to Bob Vylan's performance, illustrate a growing effort to police the boundaries of acceptable speech, especially when it concerns Palestinian rights. Glastonbury, once a sanctuary for protest and dissent, risks being neutralised, its radical edge dulled to align with the establishment. If charges against Bob Vylan and Kneecap follow, it will send a chilling message to artists, activists and audiences alike: solidarity not only with Palestine, but with all issues not supported by the powerful elite, is a line you must not cross. When words are punished more severely than war crimes and potential genocide, we should all be alarmed. Because this isn't just about a few words at a festival performance; it's about who is allowed to speak, what words are acceptable, what truths are allowed to be told, and which lives are deemed worth defending. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Israeli forces detain veteran Palestinian journalist in occupied West Bank raid
Israeli forces detained veteran Palestinian journalist Nasser Laham in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Ma'an news agency reported. He was detained overnight in the village of Al Duha, near Bethlehem, in a raid that caused damage to his house, the agency added. Mr Laham is editor-in-chief of Ma'an and also manages the West Bank operation of Lebanon's Al Mayadeen channel. He is expected to appear in front of a military court on Thursday, the Wafa news agency reported. The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that soldiers "apprehended a wanted individual in Bethlehem. The wanted individual was transferred to the Israel police for further processing". Mr Laham's detention is the latest episode in Israel's crackdown on journalists in the occupied West Bank, which has accelerated since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. The death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by an Israeli soldier during a raid in Jenin in 2022 sparked widespread condemnation of Israel's actions in Palestine, as well as calls for journalists to be protected. Al Quds newspaper reporter Ali Al Samoudi, who has also worked for international outlets including CNN and Reuters, remains in detention after being held by the Israeli military during a raid in the West Bank city. His family and legal team say he is not being given sufficient medication to manage severe health conditions. Israel's military said he was 'identified with the Islamic Jihad' militant group. Fifty-five Palestinian journalists are being held in Israeli prisons, 49 of whom have been detained since the Gaza war began, Wafa said. Israel banned Qatari outlet Al Jazeera from operating in the country last year, saying its broadcasts endangered national security. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, banned the network in January, but the measure was lifted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in May.
