United News of Bangladesh

The acting mayor of Hebron has warned that Israel’s latest legal and administrative measures in the occupied West Bank amount to the effective end of meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians, saying they leave local authorities powerless and unprotected. Asma al-Sharabati said recent decisions approved by Israel’s security cabinet would sideline Palestinian institutions from urban planning and development, even in areas officially under Palestinian administration. She described the move as “the end of the road” for the peace process, arguing that Palestinians were being excluded from decisions shaping their own cities. Hebron, a frequent flashpoint, is a deeply divided city where several hundred Israeli settlers live under heavy military protection among tens of thousands of Palestinians. Under arrangements set out in the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, parts of the city remain under Palestinian civil control, while others are overseen by Israel. On Sunday, Israel approved sweeping changes that expand its authority beyond military occupation into civilian and municipal affairs in Palestinian-run areas. The measures also grant Israel broad powers over so-called heritage sites across the West Bank, citing the protection of water, environmental and archaeological resources. Among the changes, Israel said it would assume planning authority at the Cave of the Patriarchs, one of Judaism’s holiest sites, which is located within Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque compound. Palestinian officials fear the new rules allow Israel to declare properties or land as historic sites and take control without Palestinian consent. “Now they can simply declare any building ancient, and Palestinian authorities have no say at all in planning or development,” al-Sharabati said, adding that she learned of the details through Israeli media rather than formal notification. Palestinian activist Issa Amro, who lives in the highly volatile H2 area of Hebron, said the measures marked a turning point. He argued that actions previously taken without a clear legal basis were now being formalised. “This is annexation without rights,” he said, warning that the status of the territory was being shifted from occupation to a unilateral legal claim. Israel has also said it plans to provide municipal services directly to Jewish settlers in Hebron and to open up land ownership across the West Bank to private Israeli citizens. Palestinians are prohibited from selling property to non-Palestinians under both Jordanian-era and Palestinian laws, and activists warn that planned publication of land registry data could expose sellers to serious risks. The West Bank, along with Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, is home to more than 700,000 Israeli settlers. Palestinians seek the territory for a future independent state, together with the Gaza Strip. The settlements are considered illegal under international law. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement policy, said the measures were intended to deepen Israel’s presence across what he calls Judea and Samaria, declaring openly that they would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a firm response from the United States, saying the decisions violate international law and undermine regional peace efforts. US President Donald Trump has so far reiterated his opposition to Israel’s formal annexation of the West Bank but has not announced concrete steps. The United Kingdom, which last year recognised a Palestinian state, said it strongly condemned the Israeli decision. UK Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said London expected the measures to be reversed, calling them a serious mistake that risked further destabilising the region. Al-Sharabati said Palestinians felt abandoned by the international community. “We are living the ugly truth that we are not protected,” she said, adding that while global attention remains focused on Gaza, developments in Hebron and across the West Bank could have lasting consequences for any future peace efforts in the Middle East.   With inputs from BBC

The United States military is preparing for the possibility of weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders military action, according to two US officials, raising concerns of a more serious conflict between the longtime rivals. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said planning is underway for a sustained campaign that could target Iranian state and security facilities beyond nuclear infrastructure. Such operations would carry greater risks for US forces and could trigger wider instability across the Middle East, reports Reuters. Diplomatic efforts are continuing alongside the military preparations. US and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week aimed at reviving negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme. However, Trump said reaching a deal has been “difficult,” warning that the alternative to diplomacy could be “very traumatic.” The Pentagon has recently deployed additional military assets to the region, including an aircraft carrier, fighter jets, guided-missile destroyers and thousands of troops to strengthen offensive and defensive capabilities. US officials said Washington fully expects Iran to retaliate if strikes occur, potentially leading to prolonged exchanges of attacks. Experts warn that Iran’s large missile arsenal could threaten US forces and bases across the region. The White House said Trump is considering all options regarding Iran but will make a final decision based on US national security interests. The Pentagon declined to comment on the operational planning. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that any strike on Iranian territory would be met with retaliation against US bases in the Middle East, including those in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Tehran says it is open to negotiations on limits to its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, but it has ruled out linking the talks to its missile programme.

Mahmoud Hammad, a father from Gaza City, is painstakingly digging through the rubble of his destroyed home, searching for the remains of his wife, five children, and unborn daughter who were killed more than two years ago in an Israeli airstrike. Using picks, shovels, and his hands, Hammad sifts dirt through a large sieve, collecting tiny bones that he believes belong to his unborn baby girl. “I won’t find them all,” he said, describing months of labor in the debris of what once was his family home. Around 8,000 people remain buried under rubble across Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, as retrieving bodies during Israel’s military campaign was nearly impossible. Since a ceasefire deal in October, recovery efforts have increased, though they are hampered by a lack of heavy equipment and ongoing military control in parts of the territory. Hammad survived the December 6, 2023, airstrike that destroyed the six-story building where he lived with his family in the Sabra neighborhood. His wife, nine months pregnant, and their children aged 8 to 16 were killed along with his brother, sister-in-law, and their four children. Hammad was hospitalized with multiple injuries but returned to the ruins to continue searching for his family. Since the ceasefire, more than 700 bodies have been recovered from collapsed buildings, bringing Gaza’s confirmed death toll to over 72,000. The UN reports that Israeli bombardment destroyed or damaged 81 percent of Gaza’s 250,000 buildings, leaving the enclave with roughly 61 million tons of rubble — a volume equivalent to 15 Great Pyramids of Giza. Rescue operations remain slow due to restrictions on heavy machinery and ongoing Israeli military presence. Hammad said discovering the fragments of his unborn daughter has given him hope of eventually recovering and burying the rest of his family properly.

Forty-one Palestinians returned to Gaza on Tuesday through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, becoming the seventh group to enter the enclave since the partial reopening earlier this month, amid continued Israeli attacks and humanitarian challenges. The returnees, transported in World Health Organization buses, were taken to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, according to reports from Al Jazeera correspondents. Many described undergoing humiliating searches and interrogations by the Israeli military, which controls the Palestinian side of the crossing. The Rafah crossing, the only gateway for most of Gaza’s more than two million residents, remained largely closed during Israel’s military campaign and was reopened partially on February 2 under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. Since then, 172 Palestinians have returned to Gaza, while only 250, mostly patients needing medical treatment abroad with their companions, have been allowed to leave, far below the numbers outlined in the ceasefire deal. Gaza’s healthcare system has been severely damaged during the conflict, with 22 hospitals out of service and 1,700 medical staff killed, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli air strikes and shelling continue. On Wednesday, areas east of Khan Younis were targeted, following at least seven deaths from Israeli attacks the previous day, including three in central Gaza and one north of Khan Younis. Meanwhile, Israel announced the forced expulsion of two Palestinians convicted of crimes in Israel to Gaza, a move widely condemned by human rights groups. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed orders revoking their citizenship, marking the first implementation of a 2023 law allowing deportation of Palestinian citizens convicted of “terrorism”. The legal group Adalah described the deportations as “unprecedented” and said they violate international law, leaving the men effectively stateless and unable to access hospitals or register children in schools. The humanitarian and political situation remains tense as Israeli military operations and restrictions continue to affect daily life in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.   With inputs from ALJAZEERA

Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling targeted areas east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Tuesday, causing further casualties among Palestinians, as violence persisted across Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The seventh group of wounded Palestinians returned to Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Meanwhile, Gaza held its first organised football tournament in over two years, with young players expressing mixed emotions amid ongoing hardships. “Life is difficult, but playing football gives a little joy,” said 21-year-old Youssef Jendiya, whose team, Jabalia Youth, faced Al-Sadaqa at the Palestine Pitch in Gaza City. Humanitarian sources reported that Israeli forces continued raids across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Residents in Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, were assaulted by Israeli troops. In the northern Jordan Valley, Israeli settlers wounded two Palestinians with pepper spray. At least 15 families in Deir al-Dik village near Jericho were displaced due to ongoing settler attacks, accompanied by land-levelling operations. Since October 2023, Israeli operations in the occupied West Bank have killed at least 1,113 Palestinians, including 230 children, and wounded over 11,111 people. More than 21,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned, with 3,358 held without charges. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described recent Israeli policies in the West Bank as an attempt at ethnic cleansing to facilitate eventual annexation. He criticized the government for failing to restrain violent settler activities, accusing authorities of tacitly supporting the expansion. In diplomatic developments, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke with US President Donald Trump over the phone, discussing the ongoing regional tensions and efforts to strengthen security and peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House, with discussions expected to focus on Gaza and ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations. The violence in Gaza has already violated the ceasefire agreement over 1,620 times since October 2025, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, resulting in 586 deaths and 1,558 injuries. Israeli attacks have targeted civilians, residential areas, and properties, while 50 Palestinians were detained in the same period. The humanitarian situation remains dire as air strikes, artillery shelling, and raids continue to affect daily life in Gaza and the West Bank, with widespread destruction and displacement compounding the ongoing crisis.   With inputs from ALJAZEERA

Iran on Wednesday commemorated the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution, even as the country faces growing internal and external pressures. The anniversary comes as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East, while many Iranians continue to protest the government’s deadly crackdown on nationwide demonstrations last year. Trump’s comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a long-time critic of Tehran, visited Washington to push for tougher terms in ongoing nuclear negotiations. Amid the celebrations, a top Iranian security official traveled to Qatar after earlier visiting Oman, a key mediator in the nuclear talks. Iranian state media showed thousands of people rallying across the country in support of the Islamic Republic and 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, reports from Tehran also captured citizens shouting “Death to the dictator!” from their homes as fireworks lit the night sky. In public squares, many waved images of Khamenei and the revolution’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, alongside Iranian and Palestinian flags, while chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel. President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, was expected to speak at Tehran’s Azadi Square. While a segment of the population remains loyal to the theocracy, including members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that crushed last year’s protests, others participate in state-sponsored events more for social or professional reasons. Iran warns Netanyahu’s US visit could undermine nuclear talks Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to Russian media, stressed the country’s lingering mistrust of the U.S., recalling the June attack on Iranian sites amid previous negotiations. He indicated that Tehran still sees a chance for a nuclear deal “better than Obama’s” 2015 agreement, which Trump withdrew the U.S. from during his first term. The U.S. has already deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other forces to the region. Tensions remain high, with U.S. forces recently shooting down an Iranian drone and intervening in the Strait of Hormuz to protect a U.S.-flagged vessel. Trump told Axios he is considering sending a second carrier, though details are not yet confirmed. The anniversary highlights the complex challenges Iran faces as it balances internal dissent, hardline loyalty, and international pressure over its nuclear ambitions.  

Iran on Tuesday warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States could disrupt the newly resumed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Netanyahu left for Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to push for a tougher stance on Iran’s ballistic missile program. This marks his seventh meeting with Trump since returning to office, including one in Jerusalem last October following a Gaza ceasefire. “On this trip, we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but first and foremost the negotiations with Iran,” Netanyahu told reporters. He said Israel will present its views on “principles of the negotiations,” which he described as crucial for regional peace and security. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei criticized the visit, saying Israel has been the main source of insecurity in the region. He accused Israel of turning Iran’s peaceful nuclear program into a “fabricated crisis” and said the U.S. should act independently of “destructive pressures” from foreign lobbies. Baghaei stressed that Iran is serious about diplomacy and seeks the removal of “illegal” sanctions. Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, visited Oman, where he met Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to discuss the Iranian-U.S. negotiations and ways to reach a fair agreement. The Omani statement emphasized dialogue, peaceful resolution of disputes, and promotion of regional and global stability. The talks in Muscat last Friday came amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington over U.S. military deployments in West Asia. Following the discussions, Trump described them as “very good,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Araghchi said the process’s continuation depends on consultations in both capitals.

Palestinians, several Arab countries, Israeli anti-occupation groups and the United Kingdom have strongly condemned newly approved Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank, warning that the steps amount to a de facto annexation of Palestinian land. The measures were announced by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich following approval by Israel’s security cabinet. Smotrich said the decisions would make it easier for Jewish settlers to take over land in the West Bank and declared that Israel would continue efforts to block the creation of a Palestinian state. All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are regarded as illegal under international law. The new steps, which are expected to receive final approval from Israel’s top military commander in the West Bank, are designed to expand Israeli control over land administration, including property law, planning, licensing and enforcement. The announcement came just days before a scheduled meeting in Washington between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.According to the United Nations, settlement expansion in the West Bank reached its fastest pace on record last year. Among the measures is the removal of a long-standing ban on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jewish buyers and the declassification of local land registry records. Until now, settlers were generally limited to purchasing property through registered companies on land administered by the Israeli state. Israeli ministers described the move as a step to increase transparency and facilitate land acquisition. Israel’s foreign ministry later said the changes corrected what it called discriminatory rules that restricted property purchases by non-Arabs in what Israel refers to as Judea and Samaria. The cabinet also voted to repeal a requirement for special transaction permits for real estate purchases, a mechanism previously used to maintain oversight and prevent fraud. Palestinians expressed fears that the changes would intensify pressure on landowners to sell and could lead to forgery and deception. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the measures as dangerous, calling them an open attempt to legalise settlement expansion, land confiscation and the demolition of Palestinian property, including in areas under Palestinian Authority administration. He urged the United States and the UN Security Council to intervene immediately. The Israeli rights group Peace Now warned that the decisions could destabilise the Palestinian Authority and effectively cancel existing agreements, accusing the government of paving the way for widespread land seizure and de facto annexation. The United Kingdom said it strongly condemned the move and called on Israel to reverse the decision, warning that any unilateral action altering the geographic or demographic character of Palestinian territory would violate international law. Foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar also issued a joint statement condemning the measures. They said the decisions accelerated illegal annexation efforts and the displacement of Palestinians, warning that such policies would fuel further violence and instability. Additional steps announced by Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz include transferring building and licensing authority at sensitive religious sites in Hebron exclusively to Israeli bodies. These include areas surrounding the Cave of the Patriarchs, also known as the Ibrahimi Mosque, one of the holiest sites in both Judaism and Islam. Israeli authorities would also be granted enforcement powers over environmental and archaeological matters in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. A committee would be revived to allow the Israeli state to make what it described as proactive land purchases in the West Bank to secure land for future settlements. Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority was given full control over major Palestinian urban areas, known as Area A, which make up about 20 percent of the West Bank. Israel retained full administrative and security control over Area C, which covers about 60 percent of the territory and contains most Israeli settlements. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank and Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek these areas for a future independent state along with the Gaza Strip. While the Trump administration has ruled out formal annexation of the West Bank, it has not moved to halt Israel’s rapid settlement expansion. Smotrich, himself a settler and leader of a pro-settler party, has pledged to double the settler population. In December, Israel’s cabinet approved plans for 19 new settlements and is preparing to advance construction of the controversial E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, a move that would effectively split the West Bank in two. The United Nations says more than 37,000 Palestinians were displaced in 2025 alone, alongside record levels of settler violence. Netanyahu’s governing coalition includes strong pro-settler factions that openly support annexation. The prime minister, who faces elections later this year, has repeatedly said he would not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state, describing it as a security threat. In 2024, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding advisory opinion stating that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and should be brought to an end.   With inputs from BBC

Several Arab and Islamic countries on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s recent steps aimed at tightening its control over the occupied West Bank and expanding Jewish settlements. In a brief statement, Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh called on the Arab League Council, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations Security Council to convene emergency meetings to address what he termed the Israeli government’s “dangerous decisions.” He urged the international community to adopt a unified position to denounce the measures and press for their immediate reversal. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim countries sharply criticised what they described as “illegal” Israeli actions designed to entrench settlement activities in the West Bank. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories. They warned against what they called Israel’s ongoing expansionist policies and illegal practices in the West Bank, expressing their “absolute rejection” of the measures. The ministers said the Israeli decisions represent a clear violation of international law and pose a serious threat to the two-state solution, while also undermining efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region. Women returning to Gaza allege blindfolding, interrogation by Israeli troops at Rafah The statement urged the international community to meet its legal and moral obligations and take action to compel Israel to halt what it described as a dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank. On Sunday, Israel’s security cabinet approved a series of decisions aimed at changing the legal and civil framework of the West Bank and reinforcing Israeli control over the territory. The measures include repealing a law that banned land sales to Jews, removing the requirement for special permits for such transactions and reviving a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for nearly two decades. Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war. The settlements built there and the continuing military occupation are widely regarded as illegal under international law. Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that expanding settlements and extending Israeli civilian authority in the West Bank severely undermine prospects for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been handed additional prison sentences totalling seven and a half years, her lawyer said on Sunday. Mostafa Nili said a court in the north eastern city of Mashhad sentenced the prominent human rights activist to six years in prison on charges of gathering and collusion, and another one and a half years for what it called propaganda activities. Mohammadi was arrested in December after attending a memorial ceremony where, according to authorities, she made provocative remarks. Her family said she was beaten during the arrest and later taken to hospital. Nili said he spoke to Mohammadi for the first time since mid December and confirmed that the court also imposed a two year travel ban and ordered her two years of internal exile to the eastern Khusf region. The Narges Foundation, which supports Mohammadi, described the trial held on Saturday as a sham and said she began a hunger strike on February 2. According to Nili, she was taken to hospital three days ago due to poor health before being returned to detention. Mohammadi’s husband, Taghi Rahmani, said she refused to defend herself in court, insisting that the judiciary had no legitimacy and that the proceedings were pre decided. He called the verdict cruel and unjust, and urged international human rights groups to protest. Her daughter, Kiana Rahmani, said the family was deeply worried about her mother’s condition. The 53 year old activist has already spent more than a decade in prison. The Narges Foundation said the latest ruling brings the total prison time ordered against her to 44 years. Since 2021, Mohammadi has been serving a 13 year sentence on charges related to propaganda and state security, which she denies. She was granted temporary medical release from Tehran’s Evin prison in December last year but was expected to return shortly after. Her latest arrest followed her attendance at a memorial for lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was found dead in his office in early December. Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into his death. Iranian prosecutors said Mohammadi was among dozens arrested for encouraging slogan chanting and disturbing public order. Rights groups, however, say she was attacked by plainclothes security agents during the memorial. Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her long standing campaign against the oppression of women and for human rights in Iran.   With inputs from BBC