Middle East Geopolitical Reporting for 2026-02-18
We've collected the top geopolitical conflict articles from the Middle East and brought them all here. If you're tired of only having access to MSM versions of the story, you've found the right place. We’ll include all of the outlets we know of.
Massive pro-Palestine rally in Paris calls for sanctions on Israel
A large pro-Palestine rally takes place in Paris, with protesters demanding an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Over 80 Berlin Film Festival alumni sign open letter urging organizers to take stance on Gaza
The Berlin Film Festival is considered the most political of its peers, Venice and Cannes, and prides itself on showing cinema from underrepresented communities and young talent.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 18, 2026 - jpost.com
From Hamas to Iran, Israel's disarmament demands reveal a strategy of perpetual threat
Haaretz latest headlines
Feb 18, 2026 - haaretz.com
Warships can be sent to the seabed, Leader warns in response to Trump’s threats
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has responded to repeated US military threats against Iran, saying that the weapon which can sink the hyped aircraft carriers are more dangerous than the warships.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Israeli soldier admits to murder, rape in Gaza during live stream
A video circulating on social media has sparked widespread outrage online after an Israeli soldier unashamedly admitted to committing atrocities in the Gaza Strip.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Israeli reservists exploited secret bombing intelligence to bet on Gaza strikes
Israeli authorities have detained several suspects for using classified information to place bets on the prediction platform Polymarket during the Gaza genocide.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Iran faces off with E3 over snapback sanctions as Russia and China back Tehran
Europe’s bid to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran has ignited a fierce backlash, with Iran denouncing the move as “illegal” and vowing firm retaliation.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Silenced in France: The unjust detention of a pro-Palestine Iranian activist
Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian academic who lived in France for eight years, has been unjustly detained for condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza on social media.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
IRGC is part of Iran’s national army: Pundit
Iranian academician states that Europe is not genuinely committed to labeling the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” and is facing significant pressure from the Israeli regime.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Washington seeking regime change in Venezuela: Analyst
Podcaster and Journalist Esha Krishnaswamy believes the U-S military buildup in the Caribbean region is aimed at regime change in Venezuela.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
US warship seizes second Venezuelan oil tanker in Indian Ocean
The US military seizes the 2nd oil tanker in the Indian Ocean linked to Venezuela.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Israeli forces loot Palestinian homes across West Bank
Reports from across the occupied West Bank have documented Israeli occupation forces looting Palestinian homes during military raids.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Another Gaza medic dies in Israeli custody
A Palestinian medic has died in Israeli custody over a year after his detention, the latest healthcare worker not to return from prison.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Israel approves land registration in West Bank’s Area C, raising Palestinian annexation fears
For the first time since 1967, the Israeli regime has approved opening a land registration process across the occupied West Bank.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Brussels exhibition exposes Western-backed genocide in Gaza
A powerful new exhibition in Brussels exposes the human cost of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Presstv
Feb 18, 2026 - presstv.ir
Algorithms and AI have turned Gaza into a laboratory of death
The revelations by +972 Magazine and Local Call have exposed the darkest core of the contemporary war in Gaza, in which genocide is carried out not only by bombs and missiles, but by data, algorithms and global digital platforms. The Israeli artificial intelligence system known as Lavender has confirmed what the Palestinian resistance, Lebanon, and Iran have denounced for years: Technology as an o...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Hamas rejects reported deadline to hand over weapons in Gaza
Hamas has announced its complete rejection of the deadline indicated by Israeli media, which gives Hamas 60 days to surrender all its weapons, including individual weapons. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi told Al Jazeera on Monday that the group had not been formally informed of any such decision. He said the statements attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli medi...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Continuing genocide, with full international approval
The international community has truly illustrated its fragmented approach to both international law, order and human rights. Not only did the UN Security Council members vote the international community out of its usual process in favour of the US 20-point plan which places Gaza in the hands of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The international community is now...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Report cites sharp rise in administrative detention of Palestinians since Gaza war
A new human rights report has documented an unprecedented escalation in the use of administrative detention against Palestinians, including Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of occupied East Jerusalem, particularly since the outbreak of the Gaza war. The report, issued by Adalah Center, states that administrative detention has historically been used almost exclusively against Palestinia...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Palestinian presidency urges immediate international action over Gaza bloodshed
The Palestinian presidency has called for immediate international action over what it described as the continued shedding of Palestinian blood in the Gaza Strip. On Monday, the presidency strongly condemned what it called the ongoing “violation of Palestinian blood” in Gaza. It urged the international community to intervene to stop what it described as a war of genocide and to oblige Israel to hal...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Over 80 Berlin Film Festival alumni sign open letter urging organisers to take stance on Gaza
BERLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - More than 80 actors, directors and other artists who have taken part in the Berlin Film Festival, including Tilda Swinton and Javier Bardem, signed an open letter to the organisers published on Tuesday calling for them to take a clear stance on Israel's war in Gaza."We call on the Berlinale to fulfil its moral duty and clearly state its opposition to Israel's genocide, c...
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Dozens of film figures condemn Berlin Film Festival 'silence' on Gaza
More than 80 film industry figures including Oscar-winning actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton issued a statement on Tuesday slamming the Berlin Film Festival's "silence" on Gaza. The signatories to the open letter, sent to AFP, said they were "appalled" by the festival's "institutional silence" and "dismayed" at its "involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel's ongoing genocide against...
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Hamas-linked org. trains Gazans to edit Wikipedia pages about Israel, Palestine
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor announced last week the launch of the third edition of the WikiRights project, which trains 12 young Palestinians as professional editors on Wikipedia.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Big plans, little money: Trump's Board of Peace to meet with Gaza rebuild a distant dream
Funding for Gaza's reconstruction depends on assurances that the war is over, yet Hamas shows no sign of disarming – and any deal would likely require militias that sided with Israel to do the same
Haaretz latest headlines
Feb 17, 2026 - haaretz.com
Israel will not withdraw ‘one millmeter’ from Gaza, defence minister says
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel will not move “one millimeter” from the “Yellow Line” in Gaza until Hamas is disarmed, despite the start of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war, Anadolu reports. The “Yellow Line” refers to the line to which Israeli forces withdrew in eastern Gaza during the first phase of Trump’s plan to end the war. Und...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
1,200 Israelis oppose proposed death penalty law for Palestinian prisoners: Report
Around 1,200 Israeli public figures announced their opposition to a proposed law that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners, a bill being advanced by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing it as a “moral stain,” local media reported on Tuesday. The Israeli figures, including Nobel Prize laureates, former senior military officials, and former Supreme Court...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Freedom does not arrive on a cruise missile
When Reza Pahlavi spoke on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference this week, he did not simply criticise the Islamic Republic. He urged United States officials to embrace something far more consequential: “military intervention” against Iran, framed as a humanitarian shortcut. In an interview with Reuters, he argued that an American “attack could weaken [the government] or accelerate its ...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Independent UN body condemns 'vicious attacks' on UN expert on Palestinian rights
By Olivia Le PoidevinGENEVA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - An independent United Nations body on Tuesday condemned what it described as vicious attacks based on disinformation by several European ministers against the organisation's special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese.In the past week several European countries, including Germany, France and Italy, called for Albanese’s resignation over her ...
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Hamas: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ must stop Israel’s killing in Gaza
'War of genocide against the Strip is still ongoing', Hamas says, warning the board not to act as 'cover'.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
Feb 17, 2026 - aljazeera.com
Khamenei's threat: Iran can hit US Navy so hard it 'cannot get up again'
Iran’s supreme leader threatened US military power, rejected limits on Iran’s missile program, and criticized Washington after US aircraft carriers were sent to the region.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
As Iran plays for time in talks with U.S., Israel prepares for war
With Iran seeking a partial deal to ease sanctions and quiet protests, and the U.S. zigzagging between talks and further military build-up, the IDF is bracing for the worst scenario: failed talks leading to America and Iran getting into a war that might well involve Israel
Haaretz latest headlines
Feb 17, 2026 - haaretz.com
CSIR demonstrates broadband underwater communication system for Armscor
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has successfully demonstrated a new broadband underwater data communication system to Armscor. This project aims to provide the South African Navy with […]
Military Africa
Feb 17, 2026 - military.africa
Israel orders closure of East Jerusalem’s Burj al-Luqluq community center for 6 months
Israeli authorities closed the Burj al-Laqlaq Community Association in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem for six months on Tuesday, its director said. Munther Idkeidek told Anadolu that police forces raided the association’s headquarters and delivered an order requiring its closure for six months. “The order claims the association operates with funding from the Palestinian Authority. This is...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Russia, China, Iran deploy ships for joint exercises in Strait of Hormuz
Russia, China and Iran have deployed naval vessels for joint exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev said on Tuesday, Anadolu reports. In an interview with the weekly Argumenty i Fakty, Patrushev said Russia is working to build a “multipolar world order on the oceans” in response to what he called Western hegemony. “We will tap into the potential of BRICS, wh...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israeli authorities issue notices for 60 West Bank and Jerusalem structures
Israeli authorities issued stop-work and demolition notices for 60 homes and commercial structures across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on Monday, citing construction without permits. According to local sources, 20 homes in the town of Tuqu’, south-east of Bethlehem, received stop-work orders. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli municipality distributed demolition notices for more than 40 s...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israeli police arrest Al-Aqsa Mosque imam inside compound
Israeli police arrested Sheikh Muhammad Ali Al-Abbasi, imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, on Monday evening inside the mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, according to local sources. Witnesses said that officers detained Sheikh Al-Abbasi within the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, without immediately clarifying the reasons for the arrest or the legal measures being taken against him. The incident comes amid w...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Aid groups begin Gaza withdrawal after new Israeli restrictions
Several international aid organisations, including prominent British charities, have begun steps to wind down their operations in the Gaza Strip ahead of a deadline set by the Israeli authorities for 1st March 2026. The move follows a series of measures introduced by Israel at the start of the year. According to humanitarian sources, 37 international organisations operating in Gaza and the West Ba...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
The new calculus in the Gulf: How Beijing and Moscow have altered the Iran equation
In the rarefied environment of the West Wing, the ghosts of the “Twelve-Day War” that transpired last June still linger in the Situation Room. For President Trump, the goal remains unchanged: the same triad of demands that Iran ceases its enrichment activities, dismantles its missile program, and severs its “axis of resistance” connections. But as Washington pursues a policy dictated almost entire...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Only 29% compliance with Rafah crossing reopening amid Israeli restrictions
Only 29 per cent compliance was recorded in the reopening of Rafah crossing since the start of the month due to strict Israeli restrictions, the Gaza government media office said on Monday. In a statement, the office said that 811 people were able to travel in and out through the Rafah land crossing between 2 and 15 February, out of a total of 2,800 applicants, reflecting what it described as I...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Analysis-US envoys juggle two crisis talks, raising questions about prospects for success
By Matt Spetalnick, Olivia Le Poidevin and Parisa HafeziWASHINGTON/GENEVA/DUBAI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Even for a U.S. president long fixated on deal-making, Donald Trump’s assignment of his favorite envoys to juggle two sets of negotiations – the Iranian nuclear standoff and Russia’s war in Ukraine - in a single day in Geneva has left many in the foreign policy world scratching their heads.
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
As Israel advances West Bank land registration, Palestinians see de facto annexation
The plan restarts a land registration process in Area C of the West Bank, requiring Palestinians to prove ownership or risk having their land classified as state property.
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Thousands in Kosovo rally against war crimes trial of ex-KLA commanders
Special court in The Hague hears closing arguments this week in the trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
Feb 17, 2026 - aljazeera.com
US sends over 50 fighter jets to Middle East in military buildup against Iran - report
The American military buildup comes amid indirect negotiations with Iranian officials, in which "progress was made" on Tuesday in Geneva, a US official told The Post.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Iranian officials moving to consolidate power for a post-Khamenei era - report
The Institute for the Study of War assessed that, since June 2025, factions within the Iranian regime are working to secure positions of influence to shape future policies.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
U.S. drone hunters prepare for Iran clash, with decades-old rocket as a key weapon
An 80-year-old unguided rocket has been upgraded into a precision interceptor, reshaping how the U.S. counters Iranian drone swarms targeting Israel and American bases in the Middle East
Haaretz latest headlines
Feb 17, 2026 - haaretz.com
Government adviser probes Attorney General's conflict in ex-IDF lawyer case, despite police refuting claim
Justice Ministry Legal Adviser Yael Kotik demanded that the police hand her 'all the facts concerning the relevant affinities' regarding the IDF chief military advocate's alleged involvement in leaking a video showing the abuse of a Palestinian detainee. 'She is trying to stain the entire judiciary without any basis,' a law enforcement source said
Haaretz latest headlines
Feb 17, 2026 - haaretz.com
Leader warns US, says weapon that can sink an aircraft carrier is even more dangerous
Tehran, IRNA – Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has rebuked US President Donald Trump for his repeated military threats against Iran and the deployment of warships to the West Asia region.
IRNA English
Feb 17, 2026 - en.irna.ir
Over 80 UN members condemn Israeli acts to expand ‘unlawful presence’ in occupied West Bank
More than 80 UN member states and several organizations on Tuesday condemned “unilateral” Israeli decisions aimed at expanding Israel’s “unlawful presence” in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. Delivering a statement at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York, Palestine’s UN envoy Riyad Mansour said, “I have the honor to deliver the following statement on behalf of 80 States and a n...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Extremist Israeli settler burns copy of Quran in Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan
An extremist Israeli settler burned a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, at an unspecified location in Jerusalem, days before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, a video showed on Tuesday, Anadolu reports. “A religious Zionist activist from the neo-Nazis is burning the Holy Quran with his face uncovered,” Arab Knesset member Ahmad Tibi said on the US social media company X. He said the e...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Governance by weather: Iran’s independence, priced in dollars
When US and Iranian officials sit in separate rooms in Muscat, passing messages through Omani mediators, people in Iran do not wait for the communiqué. The quickest dispatch from Oman is never a carefully chosen diplomatic phrase. It is something more elemental — a shift in the atmosphere. And the atmosphere moves fast. On 13th February, the USS Gerald R. Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrie...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Rising prices strain family ties in Egypt
“I used to host my sisters for lunch every Friday at the family home, but I stopped that tradition after meat and poultry prices rose,” said Ahmed Sayed, 40, explaining how rising prices in Egypt’s markets have affected him socially. As Egyptians approach the holy month of Ramadan, they face a major dilemma amid a climate of austerity now shaping social relations, driven by inflation, the collapse...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Tehran signals readiness to negotiate on 60% uranium enrichment
Iran has confirmed its readiness to negotiate with the United States over uranium enrichment at the 60 per cent level, provided Washington demonstrates seriousness in lifting economic sanctions. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran was open to discussions on enrichment to 60 per cent, but stressed that any agreement would depend on tangible steps towards sanctions relie...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Iran’s Khamenei says US warships could be ‘sunk’ as nuclear talks resume in Geneva
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Tuesday that the US warships currently deployed to the Persian Gulf “could be sunk to the bottom of the sea,” Anadolu reports. “The strongest army in the world may receive a slap it cannot recover from,” Khamenei said at an event in Tehran, referring to US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington has the “strongest army” in the world. “They...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Belgium summons US ambassador over ‘anti-Semitism’ claim
Belgium has summoned the United States ambassador in Brussels after he accused the Belgian government of “anti-Semitism”. The US ambassador to Brussels, Bill White, was called to the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest remarks in which he described the government as anti-Semitic. On 14 May, Belgian police carried out raids at several addresses in Antwerp as part of an investigation into...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
PFB accuse British Museum of historical erasure
The Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB) on Monday wrote to the Board of Trustees of the British Museum expressing their profound concern of the Palestinian community in the UK and its absolute rejection of the museum’s recent measures to remove the name “Palestine” from historical materials and galleries related to the country’s heritage. The PFB said, “We view this as a troubling act of historica...
Middle East Monitor
Feb 17, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Qatar PM arrives in Venezuela on first trip since Maduro’s ouster: What to know
Qatar is moving to shore up ties with Venezuela as the US seeks greater control over the South American country’s oil revenues.
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan and government's four-month timeline
By Laila Bassam and Tala RamadanDUBAI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Armed group Hezbollah rejected on Tuesday the Lebanese government's decision to grant the army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, saying it would not accept what it sees as a move serving Israel.Lebanon's cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up and beginning to implement a plan ...
Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East
Feb 17, 2026 - al-monitor.com
US-Iran talks reveal diplomatic gaps despite progress, sources tell 'Post'
According to a US official, the Iranians said they would return within two weeks with detailed proposals to bridge some of the remaining gaps with Washington.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Smotrich announces intention to abolish Oslo Accords, dismantle PA during next term
Smotritch suggested the dismantling of the PA in favor of creating a new military administration to govern the area, with the ultimate aim of applying full Israeli sovereignty over the region.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Iran says 'understanding' reached with US as Geneva nuclear talks conclude amid threat of war
In a Fox News interview, US Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration "would like to resolve this through a conversation and a diplomatic negotiation."
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Ultra-Orthodox rioters to remain in custody after chasing female IDF soldiers, clashing with police
The suspects' arrests were extended until Wednesday, and one additional suspect, aged 12, was granted conditional release, the statement added.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Frederick Wiseman, social institution documentary filmaker, dies at 96
Wiseman directed 45 films and some theatrical productions in France. His experiences of antisemitism greatly influenced his documentary career.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
Feb 17, 2026 - jpost.com
Israel arrests Palestinian journalist – for sending news clips to an outlawed media agency
It is unclear whether the journalist knew that AlQastal News was designated a terrorist organization. Clips were sent more than two months ago, and her defense attorney questioned why the arrest was carried out only now, and why she was not summoned earlier for police questioning