United News of Bangladesh

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

Oman on Friday mediated indirect talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme, aiming to ease rising tensions following recent military clashes and political unrest in Iran. Oman’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that its Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi met separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at a palace near Muscat. The two sides did not meet face to face, and neither Washington nor Tehran issued an immediate statement on the outcome of the discussions. Associated Press journalists saw delegations from both countries arrive at the venue in separate convoys. The talks came months after previous negotiations collapsed following a brief war between Israel and Iran, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites. US officials believe Iran is currently under significant pressure after nationwide protests last month and a subsequent security crackdown. At the same time, Washington has increased its military presence in the region, raising concerns among Gulf countries about the risk of a wider conflict. Iran has said the talks are limited to its nuclear programme, while US officials have indicated they want broader issues included, such as missile development and regional security. In a message posted on X, Araghchi said Iran was entering diplomacy cautiously, stressing the need for mutual respect and honored commitments. Oman said the discussions focused on creating conditions to resume diplomatic and technical negotiations aimed at ensuring long-term security and stability. It remains unclear whether the talks will continue in the coming days.

Syria has signed a landmark agreement to develop its first offshore oil and gas field, marking a major step toward reviving the country’s energy sector after years of conflict. The state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. energy giant Chevron and Qatar-based Power International Holding. The deal was signed in Damascus in the presence of U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack. According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the agreement aims to strengthen strategic cooperation in the energy sector. It includes offshore exploration, development of oil and gas resources in Syria’s territorial waters, and broader efforts to attract investment and rebuild the energy industry. This is Syria’s first formal move toward offshore energy exploration, as the country seeks to boost hydrocarbon production and bring in foreign partners. Syrian Petroleum Company CEO Youssef Kabalawi described the agreement as the most important offshore energy deal in the country’s history. “Before the summer, God willing, we will begin mobilization and drilling,” Kabalawi said, adding that it could take up to four years to reach gas reserves. Syria’s oil and gas sector was badly damaged by nearly 15 years of conflict, which killed about half a million people and devastated the economy. Before the war began in 2011, oil was a key pillar of Syria’s economy, with production at around 380,000 barrels per day and exports earning more than $3 billion annually. Last month, Syrian government forces regained control of large parts of oil-rich eastern and northeastern Syria, potentially opening the door to renewed exploration. The country’s new authorities, who came to power after the removal of Bashar Assad in December 2024, are working to revive Syria’s economy and restore key industries.

Iran and the United States have agreed to hold nuclear talks on Friday in Oman, Iran’s foreign minister said, as tensions remain high following Tehran’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the talks on Wednesday after earlier uncertainty over their format and scope. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, issued a blunt warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying he “should be very worried.” Diplomatic efforts initially explored holding broader talks in Turkey, with regional countries involved and issues such as Iran’s missile program on the agenda. However, Iran later pushed for a narrower meeting focused only on its nuclear program, limited to direct involvement by Tehran and Washington. Oman, which has long acted as a mediator between Iran and Western powers, previously hosted similar talks. Those negotiations collapsed last year after a brief war between Iran and Israel, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. A White House official confirmed the talks will go ahead in Oman but said Washington remains skeptical about their success. Several regional leaders reportedly urged the U.S. not to abandon diplomacy despite ongoing tensions. The talks come amid sharp strains in relations, including the recent shooting down of an Iranian drone by a U.S. Navy jet and an attempted interception of a U.S.-flagged ship by Iranian fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has instructed his foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations,” signaling rare openness to talks backed by Supreme Leader Khamenei. U.S. officials said Washington hopes discussions will eventually expand beyond the nuclear issue to include Iran’s missile program, regional proxy networks and human rights concerns. Iran continues to insist its nuclear program is peaceful, though it has enriched uranium close to weapons-grade levels. Turkey has urged both sides to resolve their differences through diplomacy, warning that foreign intervention in Iran could destabilize the region.

Palestinians returning to Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt said Israeli troops blindfolded, handcuffed, and interrogated them for several hours, in what they described as humiliating treatment, according to accounts from three women who crossed on Monday. The women were among 12 Palestinians — mostly women, children, and the elderly — allowed to enter Gaza after Rafah reopened following months of closure. Israeli forces had seized the crossing in May 2024 during the Israel-Hamas war. Rotana al-Regeb and her mother, Huda Abu Abed, told the Associated Press that after crossing Rafah, they were taken to a screening station in the Israeli-controlled area. Israeli soldiers and members of the Palestinian armed group Abu Shabab reportedly searched their belongings and then took them into a room for interrogation. “They threatened that I will be detained and won’t return to my children,” said al-Regeb, who has four daughters and a son. Her mother confirmed the account. Another returnee, 57-year-old Sabah al-Qara, gave a similar account. The Israeli military denied any misconduct, stating, “No incidents of inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, apprehensions, or confiscation of property by the Israeli security establishment are known.” The Shin Bet intelligence agency and COGAT, which oversees humanitarian aid in Gaza, did not respond to requests for comment. Returnees said Israeli authorities restricted what they could bring, including limiting liquids, electronics, and other personal items. Only one mobile phone and about $650 were allowed per person with prior declaration. Some luggage, including food, children’s games, and electronics, was confiscated at the crossing. The ordeal followed a long day of waiting. Al-Regeb said 42 Palestinians completed paperwork in Egypt by 10 a.m., but only 12 were allowed through in one bus after a six-hour wait. Once released, U.N. buses transported them to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where they arrived after midnight. Hamas condemned the alleged treatment, calling it “fascist behavior and organized terrorism” and urged mediators to ensure the safety of travelers. Human rights groups and Palestinian officials warned that such abuses could discourage others from returning through Rafah. More than 110,000 Palestinians left Gaza in the early months of the war, with thousands evacuated abroad for medical treatment. About 30,000 have registered to return through Rafah, but Israeli authorities have indicated that only around 50 Palestinians a day will be allowed back.

Israeli air and ground strikes in Gaza killed at least 19 Palestinians, mostly women and children, by midday Wednesday, hospital officials said, amid rising tensions following a militant attack on Israeli troops. Among the dead were five children—including a 5-month-old and a 10-day-old infant—seven women, and a paramedic, according to Gaza’s Shifa and Nasser hospitals. The casualties mark the latest fatalities in Gaza since a U.S.-backed ceasefire, effective from Oct. 10, 2025, which has repeatedly been punctuated by deadly Israeli strikes. More than 530 Palestinians have been killed during this period, the Gaza health ministry reported. “The genocidal war against our people in the Gaza Strip continues,” said Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Shifa Hospital, in a Facebook post. “Where is the ceasefire? Where are the mediators?” An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel would continue targeting sites in Gaza. The military has defended its strikes since the ceasefire by citing militant attacks on Israeli soldiers or Hamas violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began. Early Wednesday, Israeli troops fired on a building in Gaza’s Tuffah neighborhood, killing at least 11 people, mostly from the same family. The victims included two parents, their 10-day-old daughter, her 5-month-old cousin, and their grandmother. The military said its forces returned fire after militants opened fire on Israeli troops, seriously wounding a reservist. Israel described the attack as a violation of the ceasefire deal. Subsequent strikes hit multiple areas across Gaza. An Israeli attack on a family tent in southern Khan Younis killed three people, including a 12-year-old boy, according to Nasser Hospital. Tank shelling in Zaytoun, eastern Gaza City, killed another three Palestinians, including a husband and wife, Shifa Hospital said. A strike on a tent in Muwasi, Khan Younis, killed at least two people and injured five others, including Hussein Hassan Hussein al-Semieri, a paramedic with the Palestinian Red Crescent, the field hospital reported. Since the start of the conflict, over 71,800 Palestinians have been killed, the Gaza health ministry said, without specifying civilian or militant numbers. The ministry, run by Hamas, maintains detailed casualty records considered generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and once widely viewed as his political successor, has been killed in western Libya, according to figures close to him. Saif al-Islam, 53, was killed in the city of Zintan, where he had been living since 2011. His political adviser Abdullah Othman and lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi confirmed his death on Tuesday. A statement issued by his political team said he was assassinated after four masked attackers broke into his home in Zintan, reports Al Jazeera. Before the 2011 uprising, Saif al-Islam was regarded as Libya’s second-most powerful figure and the likely heir to his father’s rule. During the Arab Spring protests and the ensuing civil war, he remained a central figure, facing repeated accusations of torture and violent repression of opponents. In early 2011, he was placed under United Nations sanctions and barred from international travel. That March, NATO launched airstrikes on Libya after the UN authorised military action to protect civilians. In June 2011, Saif al-Islam said his father was prepared to hold elections and step down if defeated, an offer rejected by NATO as the bombing campaign continued. Later that month, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity. After Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim were killed in Sirte in October 2011, Saif al-Islam was captured and held in Zintan. Libyan authorities eventually secured the right to try him domestically rather than extradite him to The Hague. In 2014, he appeared by video link at a Tripoli court while still detained in Zintan. A year later, he was sentenced to death in absentia. In 2017, he was released under an amnesty declared by eastern Libyan authorities, though the ICC warrant against him remained in force. Son of late dictator Gadhafi is killed in Libya He largely stayed out of public view for years before giving a rare interview to The New York Times in July 2021, accusing Libyan authorities of fearing elections. Later that year, he made his first public appearance since the war and registered as a presidential candidate in Sebha. Although initially barred, he was later reinstated as a candidate, but the election was never held amid Libya’s prolonged political instability and rival administrations. Western-educated and fluent in English, Saif al-Islam cultivated an image as a reformist within his father’s authoritarian system. He earned a PhD from the London School of Economics in 2008 and played a visible role in Libya’s efforts to rebuild relations with Western governments. He was involved in negotiations over Libya’s nuclear programme, compensation agreements linked to major international attacks, and the release of foreign medics imprisoned in Libya. He also promoted international initiatives, including a one-state proposal for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and peace talks in the Philippines. Despite presenting himself as a modernising figure, his legacy remained deeply controversial due to his role during the 2011 conflict.

A tense aerial encounter between the United States and Iran on Tuesday has cast uncertainty over the prospects of upcoming talks between the two rivals. Iranian media reported that a drone operated by Iran’s armed forces had completed a surveillance mission in international waters, monitoring military movements near the country and transmitting data in real time. The semi-official Tasnim news agency later said Iran had lost contact with one of its drones, adding that the cause was under investigation. Earlier, the U.S. Central Command said a U.S. F-35C fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone in the Arabian Sea after it “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The carrier was operating in international waters about 800 kilometres from Iran’s coast. The U.S. military said the action was taken in self-defence and that no personnel or equipment were harmed. The incident comes as tentative diplomatic efforts appeared to be taking shape. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to pursue “fair and equitable” negotiations with the United States, following regional requests to respond to a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump. He said any talks must be based on dignity and prudence. Iranian officials said consultations were underway to finalise a venue for possible talks in the coming days, with Türkiye and Oman among countries offering to host. Media reports suggested Tehran prefers direct talks with Washington, possibly in Oman. However, Israel has voiced strong opposition to any engagement. Israeli officials reiterated that Iran cannot be trusted and pressed the U.S. to take a tougher stance on Tehran’s missile and nuclear programmes. Tensions have also risen between Iran and the European Union after the bloc designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation, prompting Tehran to label EU militaries as terrorist groups. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said 139 foreign nationals were arrested during recent protests linked to economic hardship, which Tehran blamed on foreign interference.