Palestine This Week

As the dramatic ceasefire places a temporary pause to the latest hostilities between Israel and Iran, we break down how and why this fragile agreement came together, what each side hoped to gain, and who ultimately walked away with the upper hand. President Donald Trump’s intervention has exposed deep divisions within US policy circles. “America Firsters” clashed with “Israeli Firsters”—and once again, the “Israeli Firsters” prevailed, drawing the US into yet another conflict. But at what cost? The fallout has further damaged Israel’s global image, as both Zionism and the Israeli state increasingly resemble a toxic brand.While global attention fixates on Iran, Israel’s assault on Gaza continues with ruthless intensity. Palestinians searching for food and aid are being targeted with deadly force, compounding an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. A scathing EU review has documented over 30 violations of its agreement with Israel. In this episode, Nasim Ahmed and Mouin Rabbani unpack the deeper implications of the latest developmentsSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/447fpn8kVisit our website: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/Follow us on social media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/middleeastmonitorFacebook https://www.facebook.com/middleeastmonitorTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeastmonitorX https://www.x.com/middleeastmnt

On this episode of Palestine This Week, we dive into the rapidly escalating war between Israel and Iran. Mouin Rabbani joins Nasim Ahmed to unpack the timing, motives, and wider implications of Israel’s unprovoked strike, launched even as Iranian officials were engaged in negotiations with the US. Meanwhile in Gaza, another mass casualty event unfolded as starving civilians were killed while queuing for food.We examine Israel’s stated justification for the attack: an IAEA report claiming Iran is in breach of its obligations under the non-proliferation agreement. Yet the same document explicitly acknowledges there is no evidence Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. Is this ambiguous language being manipulated to serve long-standing political goals? We also discuss Iran’s release of documents alleging collusion between Israel and the IAEA and what it could mean if Iran walks away from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether.We examine the legal justifications offered by Israel for its attack—specifically the claim of a “pre-emptive strike.” Yet prior to the attack, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. CNN reporting echoed that conclusion, citing American intelligence assessments that Iran was at least three years away from being able to build and deliver one.We close by looking at how this war is being sold by the same voices who cheer leaded the Iraq invasion. With Netanyahu facing domestic collapse, has he gambled on a wider war to save his political career? What are the risks if Arab states, China, and Russia allow this to continue unchecked?

This week’s episode opens with the news of sanctions imposed by the UK on Israel’s far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The UK joined a small bloc of Western states attempting to pressure Israel over its Gaza genocide. But does targeting two of the most extreme figures in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu signal genuine attempt to hold Israel to account, or is it diplomatic window dressing by governments that criminalises the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement while selling weapons to Israel? We interrogate the contradictions and timing of this move with host Mouin Rabbani.We then unpack a startling revelation from The New York Times: Israel is arming Palestinian militias in Gaza in a new strategy to fragment the besieged territory and sow chaos. We revisit the history of Israeli support for Hamas to divide Palestinian unity, and discuss how arming criminal elements today mirrors a decades-old tactic of manipulation, one that may well backfire. Central to this story is the figure of Yasser Abu Shabab, a warlord in southern Gaza. Just who is who is Abu Shabab?In our third segment, we explore the BBC’s rare departure from its usual deference to Israel, via an investigative report by Jeremy Bowen. With claims that Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, and insights from international law experts, this may be the most forthright report ever aired by the BBC. We consider whether this marks a shift in the UK media landscape or is a one-off anomaly prompted by global outcry.Finally, we zoom out to assess growing international backlash against Israeli impunity. From France and the UK backtracking on Palestinian statehood to David Cameron’s threats to defund the International Criminal Court, and the hijacking of an aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg. We close the show with a discussion over revealing case of Eyal Yakoby, the pro-Israel student who stood next to US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson claiming he no longer felt safe—despite enjoying unprecedented institutional support from the US government. Judge dismissed Yakoby’s case against the University of Pennsylvania, who found no evidence of anti-Semitism.

This week’s show opens with a discussion on “Israel’s dystopian aid trap,” as Nasim Ahmed and Mouin Rabbani examine the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—an initiative critics say is less about aid and more about engineering chaos, displacement, and colonial domination. The episode highlights the recent killing of over 30 Palestinians near an aid distribution site in Rafah and growing evidence that Israeli-backed criminal gangs, not Hamas, are looting aid. The conversation then shifts to the murky and increasingly contradictory ceasefire negotiations. Drawing on reporting from Drop Site News and other sources, the show interrogates the competing claims over what Hamas and Israel actually agreed to. In a striking revelation, it emerges that Hamas had agreed to step aside and allow a technocratic Palestinian government to take over governance in Gaza—yet it was Israel that removed this clause from the deal, seemingly preferring Hamas remain in placeThe episode then turns to Israel’s decision to block a delegation of Arab foreign ministers, including representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan, from visiting the Palestinian Authority. The episode closes with a look at rising global resistance, from the Freedom Flotilla joined by Greta Thunberg to the Sarajevo Declaration’s call to confront Zionist domination and uphold international law. In a stark reversal, former US official Matthew Miller—who once defended Israel’s actions—now concedes the state has “without doubt” committed war crimes.

Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani is your uncompromising weekly deep dive into the brutality of Israeli occupation and the political theatre that attempts to mask it all. As Western governments scramble to whitewash their role and clean their blood-soaked hands, this show strips away the spin to reveal the uncomfortable truth: there is no way to run a successful PR campaign for genocide.This week, we break down the diplomatic posturing behind the latest ceasefire negotiations, fronted by American figures with dubious histories, while Israel makes clear it has no intention of ending its campaign of annihilation. As Gazans starve, Israel’s so-called “neutral” aid plan bypasses the UN and funnels supplies through criminal proxies under IDF protection. Even its handpicked humanitarian lead resigned, citing violations of basic humanitarian principles.We also turn to Europe and North America, where governments issue carefully worded condemnations while expanding military and trade ties with Israel. From Ehud Olmert’s blunt admission of a war of annihilation, to Cindy McCain publicly challenging Israeli disinformation, the global narrative may be shifting, but little else has changed. Behind it all is a steady stream of reports: diplomats being shot at, settlers chanting “Death to Arabs,” and overwhelming support inside Israeli society for ethnic cleansing.Whether it's the ethnic cleansing polls, settler rampages in the West Bank, or Israel’s systematic use of Palestinians as human shields, Palestine This Week brings you the stories that Western media won't touch.

The situation in Gaza is beyond anything we can imagine. There was a chilling warning issued by the UN emergency relief chief today of 14,000 babies dying in the next 48 hours unless aid reaches them. Ceasefire talks in Doha have stalled in Doha because of because of “fundamental differences,” that’s according to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani. Israel’s latest military offensive is undermining talks said Al-Thani.

As global outrage over Israel’s genocide in Gaza intensifies, this week’s episode of Palestine This Week explores a pivotal shift in regional politics: Is Israel’s strategic value to its Western allies diminishing? President Donald Trump’s latest Middle East tour has sparked speculation that Washington is preparing for a post-Israel regional order. With major powers recalibrating their approach, signs are emerging that Israel is no longer the untouchable ally it once was.Host Nasim Ahmed is joined by veteran analyst Mouin Rabbani to break down major stories from the past week, including EU’s former top diplomat Josep Borrell calling Israel’s action in Gaza genocide. The episode also breaks down a new report by the World Food Programme warning of the famine in Gaza.The episode closes with a sobering reflection on the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, as Palestinians mark over seven decades of dispossession and struggle. Nasim and Mouin explore how this year’s commemorations take on new meaning amid Israel’s attempts to erase Palestinian life and identity.Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/447fpn8kVisit our website: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/Follow us on social media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/middleeastmonitorFacebook https://www.facebook.com/middleeastmonitorTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeastmonitorX https://www.x.com/middleeastmnt

Israel’s new offensive in Gaza, legal showdowns at the ICJ, and drone strikes in international waters — this week’s MEMO Review returns with a powerful analysis of the region’s biggest developments.Host Nasim Ahmed is joined by analyst Mouin Rabbani to unpack the collapse of the ceasefire and Israel’s latest assault on Gaza, which includes carving the Strip into isolated zones and placing humanitarian aid under the control of private US security contractors. The pair examine whether these new tactics further the ICJ’s case for genocide.From Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla to ongoing airstrikes in Syria and Yemen, the episode highlights Israel’s widening military aggression and the silence surrounding violations in international waters.Nasim and Mouin also explore the ICJ’s emergency hearings, Netanyahu’s war of words with Qatar, and the escalating repression on US campuses. They dissect the firing of US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the resurrection of the Anti-Boycott Act. Join us for an unfiltered deep dive into the headlines of the Middle East.

The Israeli supreme court has given the government the right to ignore International law and starve Gaza. This week on the MEMO Review, host Nasim Ahmed is joined by Mouin Rabbani to unpack a week of major developments from across the region. At the centre of the discussion is the Israeli Supreme Court’s shocking decision that it has no obligation to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza—a ruling that stands in stark contrast to the ICJ’s landmark 2024 ruling declaring Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as illegal. With Gaza on the brink and global legal norms under fire, the episode begins with a critique of Israel’s expanding judicial impunity.The review turns to protests in northern Gaza, where hundreds gathered in Beit Lahiya to express opposition to Israel’s genocide and Hamas. Is the protest spontaneous or externally engineered pressure on Hamas?Next, attention shifts to Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to task Mossad with finding a host country for expelled Gazan. In parallel, signs emerge of a potential hostage deal: Hamas may be ready to release five captives in return for a 50-day ceasefire. Could a truce be back on the table?we also take a sharp look at developments in Iran and Syria. Tensions rise as Iran signals its openness to indirect talks with the US—just days after former President Trump threatened to bomb the country unless it returned to a nuclear deal he himself tore up. Meanwhile in Syria, the formation of a new opposition-backed government offers a rare glimmer of possibility. But has the new leadership, including the appointment of Sheikh Osama Al-Rifai as Grand Mufti, truly lived up to its promise of representing all Syrians?The episode closes with a deep dive into US politics: from leaked opposition to a Houthi strike, to troubling reports of foreign students being deported not for criticising America, but for criticising Israel. With legal action now underway, Nasim and Mouin examine how repression on US campuses is becoming a new front in the global Palestine solidarity struggle. Tune in for an unfiltered analysis of power, resistance, and the stories others won’t tell.

In the early hours of 18 March, Israel returned to bombing Gaza, killing more than 400 Palestinians - the vast majority women and children - in what has become the deadliest day in its genocide so far. What are its intentions? Who are its targets? And why has the world remained silent? This episode of Palestine This Week opens with a sobering reflection on the grim milestone of over 50,000 Palestinians killed by Israel. The week saw yet another massive assault, as Israeli forces shattered a ceasefire and ordered families to flee once again to so-called 'safe zones'. What followed was one of the deadliest days in this war: hundreds of civilians were killed, including 200 children and 100 women, in what has been described as the largest child massacre in Israel’s history. Mouin Rabbani unpacks the scale of this humanitarian catastrophe and the international silence that continues to surround it.As the death toll climbs, the show turns to a chilling new revelation about the mindset driving this devastation. Reports have surfaced of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing military assessments that 1,500 targets had been hit in Gaza, demanding instead: 'Why not 5,000?' He went on to demand the army 'bomb everything in Gaza', offering a stark insight into the genocidal intent of Israeli leaders waging a war of annihilation on Palestinians. The rhetoric is reflected on the ground, with Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s only specialised cancer hospital, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, a blatant attack on essential infrastructure under the guise of 'targeting Hamas'. Mouin and Nasim explore what this reveals about Israel’s intentions — and the increasingly blurred line between military targets and war crimes.The conversation takes a deeper turn as we unpack internal fractures within Israeli society, with former Supreme Court Chief Aharon Barak warning that Israel is veering toward civil war. Netanyahu is facing multiple crises — his corruption trial, public unrest, a budget crisis, and renewed protests — while continuing to de-prioritise the release of captives in favour of political survival. Meanwhile, right-wing figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir are back in government and US allies like Trump’s Middle East envoy are now pushing the blame for the ceasefire collapse squarely onto Hamas.One of the most shocking developments this week is the Israeli government’s formal establishment of a bureau to promote the so-called 'voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from Gaza. The historical irony is staggering — drawing parallels with Nazi Germany’s 'Central Office for Jewish Emigration'. This, alongside US bombing campaign in Yemen and the UAE’s efforts to sabotage a post-war plan for Gaza, reveals the broader regional and international dynamics at play.