Al Jazeera

By Zaid Sabah and Rached El-Moctar

    Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will arrive in Tehran on Thursday, where he will meet Iranian officials.

    US President Donald Trump has told Al Jazeera that both economic and military action “are effective” and he is “not in a hurry” in negotiations with Tehran to end the US-Israel war on Iran.

Sailor who jumped from USS Lincoln faces disciplinary action

    A sailor who jumped from the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln this month in what his wife described as a suicide attempt is facing disciplinary action from the US Navy.

    According to documents reviewed by MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), the sailor stands accused of malingering and absence without leave, and could lose half his pay.

    “I think they’re insane for doing this to people who need mental help,” his wife told the US media outlet.

    Asked why it was pursuing punishment for suicide attempts, a US Navy official told MS NOW it was committed to the wellbeing of every sailor and that asking for help was a sign of strength.

    The Lincoln’s deployment had been extended repeatedly during the war on Iran, leading to an outcry over the strain on crew members due to the length of time at sea and deteriorating conditions on the carrier, including a demand for hearings by a group of Democratic senators.

    The USS George Washington aircraft carrier arrived in the Middle East earlier this month to relieve the Lincoln.

Israeli forces raid home in southern Syrian village: State TV

    Syrian state television reports that Israeli forces have advanced into the village of Taranja in the northern countryside of Quneitra.

    The troops carried out a raid and search operation in one of the houses before withdrawing from the area, it added.

    We will bring you more as soon as we have it.

US lawmakers demand release of Palestinian-American student held by Israel

    More than 40 members of the US Congress have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to secure the release of Sama Safi, a 20-year-old US citizen held without charge by Israel since June.

    In a letter led by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the lawmakers said the Palestinian-American student’s health was deteriorating in custody and that she had been denied regular access to medication for a chronic condition.

    “Her life is at risk on your watch,” the lawmakers wrote.

    Israeli forces seized Safi, a student at Birzeit University, in a predawn raid on her home in the occupied West Bank.

    The State Department said it was tracking the situation but declined to comment on the case, citing privacy concerns.

Oil prices slide to extend multi-day losses

    Oil prices are continuing their downward trend, with Brent crude futures dropping 60 cents, or 0.7 percent, as of 00:04 GMT, to $87.24 a barrel.

    US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 56 cents, or 0.7 percent, at $81.67.

    The declines came as expectations grew that upcoming talks between Iran and Qatar could reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz and ease supply disruptions stemming from the US war on Iran, according to Reuters.

Gaza’s Board of Peace failing to protect basic Palestinian rights, aid group head tells UN Security Council

    The executive director of an umbrella group representing more than 100 international aid agencies operating in the occupied Palestinian territory has told the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the body proposed to oversee Gaza is failing to deliver on the rights of Palestinians.

    Athena Rayburn, who heads the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), said Trump’s Board of Peace should be judged on whether it is protecting civilians, bringing about an end to Israel’s illegal presence and moving towards self-determination for Palestinians.

    “By these basic measures, the Board of Peace is failing,” she said.

    The board was created under UNSC Resolution 2803, which Rayburn said had helped reduce hostilities, “but has also so far functioned to further entrench Israel’s unlawful presence”.

    “The rights of Palestinians in Gaza have been made subordinate to the far-reaching, capricious and arbitrary requirements of its occupier,” she said.

    Rayburn says the arrangement has also “normalised a situation in which two million people are trapped and dependent on humanitarian assistance that is controlled and restricted by the state that has designed the scarcity”.

Agency ‘not planning on going anywhere’ despite Israeli seizure, says UNRWA chief

By Faisal Mohammad

    We have more from Christian Saunders, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

    In an interview with Al Jazeera, Saunders pushed back against Israeli claims regarding the seized Qalandiya training centre after authorities alleged the property was owned by the Jewish National Fund and allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality for a planned complex, citing October 2024 legislation restricting UNRWA’s activities.

    UNRWA firmly rejected the claims, maintaining that the centre is a UN facility protected under international law.

    “We’re a humanitarian organisation; we’re a development organisation. We are given our mandate by the United Nations General Assembly to provide critical services,” Saunders said. He added that UNRWA would continue doing so “until the General Assembly decides otherwise, or there is a durable solution to the Palestine question”.

    Saunders said UNRWA was doing what it could to protect its staff and facilities through security assessments, training and risk mitigation.

    He said the Israelis’ use of force was ill-advised and that the only solution was through dialogue.

    “I think it is long overdue for the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit down and to resolve these issues. We’re not planning on going anywhere,” Saunders said.

Tanker hit by ‘unknown projectile’ catches fire in Strait of Hormuz

    A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the vessel on fire, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.

    Citing local authorities, UKMTO said the fire has since been put out and that all crew are “safe and accounted for”, with no reported environmental impact.

Israel aims to make Palestinian refugee issue ‘go away’, UNRWA chief tells Al Jazeera

By Faisal Mohammad

    Christian Saunders, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says the Israeli government’s raid on the organisation’s Qalandiya vocational training centre was an attempt to “eliminate the presence of the United Nations” in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Saunders told Al Jazeera that while the raid displaced UNRWA employees and left at least seven Palestinians injured by live ammunition, the broader goal is to make the refugee issue disappear.

    “If UNRWA is defunded and eliminated, then they are hoping that the issue of the refugees, the Palestine refugees, will go away,” Saunders said. “Which means that the right of return, reparations, and compensation would go away as well.”

    Israeli forces seized the facility in the Kafr Aqab neighbourhood near occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participating and declaring that there was “no place for the agency in Jerusalem and Israel”.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the evacuation as lawful under Israeli legislation and accused the agency of aiding Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

    Saunders expressed “disappointment” over the impact on local young people, noting that the facility previously provided essential education and training.

    Some “340 young people are not going to get the education, not going to get the training they need”, Saunders said, stressing that the programme gives students “the skills and an opportunity to lead a full and dignified life”.

What’s been happening in the occupied West Bank

    Israeli troops and settlers kept up a wave of arrests, military raids, property demolitions and land confiscations throughout the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

    Here are some of the reported incidents:

    Israeli forces injured two young men in northern Jerusalem during a raid on Beit Inan. One man was shot in the knee with live ammunition, and another was hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet. Forces also arrested six Palestinians across the governorate, including three children.

    Additionally, forces raided Bir Nabala and detained the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Ashraf al-Awar, during a funeral in Silwan.

    Israeli settlers kidnapped two brothers, Muhammad and Omar Hamadna, near the northern entrance of Nablus city. Separately, hundreds of settlers stormed Joseph’s Tomb under heavy military protection, during which forces fired tear gas canisters at journalists and closed surrounding roads.

    Forces arrested Oday Rabie Shamroukh in the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. They also issued demolition notices for a house and a livestock barracks in Zaatara, under the pretext of lacking a permit.

    In Hebron, Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians in the Fawwar refugee camp.

    Soldiers arrested three Palestinians in Jenin, including a man with a disability.

    In Tubas, settlers vandalised water supply pipelines in the Al-Ras Al-Ahmar area.

Tehran diplomacy gathers pace as Qatari PM visits to de-escalate tensions

By Sinem Koseoglu

Reporting from Tehran, Iran

    There’s a growing sense in Tehran tonight that diplomacy is gathering pace despite a broader agreement remaining some way off.

    Today, Qatar’s foreign minister and prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, is going to pay a visit to Tehran to meet with high-level Iranian officials.

    The aim of the visit, as per the Qataris, is to de-escalate tensions and create a platform for dialogue.

    This visit comes after a very busy week featuring visits from Pakistan’s army chief, followed by Oman’s foreign minister. Qatar hopes that all these discussions may create a platform for dialogue between Iran and the United States.

    We heard Omani and Iranian officials saying that they agreed on a framework for a temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz, which is the most urgent problem in the region for now, alongside efforts to clear mines from the waterway.

    Qatar expects these negotiations may open the way to resume talks between Tehran and Washington. However, these expectations should be measured as both sides have different points of view when it comes to communication.

    Even so, this is an important development. After months of military confrontation, a diplomatic channel exists between these countries, though Iran points out that these talks shouldn’t be taken as a direct resumption of bilateral negotiations, as they are just talks with mediators.

    These are the main differences between the US and Iran. There isn’t a big expectation for an imminent breakthrough in this conflict right now, but all parties hope that diplomacy builds a new platform for dialogue and, hopefully, for the resumption of formal negotiations.

A recap of recent developments

    US President Donald Trump told Al Jazeera he is “not in a hurry” to resume talks with Iran, saying that economic and military action are both effective.

    Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote to the UN, calling the new US sanctions an “act of state and economic terrorism” and urging member states not to implement them.

    Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will visit Tehran on Thursday, where he will meet Iranian officials to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions.

    Two drones targeted facilities belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in the Erbil governorate of Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.

    Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council that Israeli strikes have killed at least 100 Palestinians in Gaza since August 12.

    Israeli forces raided Jenin and Nablus in the occupied West Bank and tightened the settler siege on Qusra with concrete blocks and an iron gate.

    The US designated the UK-based Palestine Action group a “global terrorist” organisation, a move cofounder Huda Ammori called a threat to free speech.