Israeli Settlers Uproot 400 Olive Trees

Israeli settlers are on the rampage. Their latest vandalism is the destruction of 400 olive trees in the village of Turmus Aya, northeast of Ramallah West Bank. 

Sources say settlers from the settlement of ‘Adi Ad’ which was established on the lands of the village came down to its groves, Saturday night, and proceeded to fell the trees.

The attack came days after the settlers set fire to a house and a car in the village as part of an increase in attacks against the people and property of the village according to a media report.

According to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli forces and settlers, who are also referred to as colonists, carried out 1,819 attacks last  March, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. It added this is part of a systematic campaign in a systematic campaign targeting Palestinian people, land, and property.

The Israeli occupation continues to uproot olive trees in different Palestinian villages, towns and cities with no apparent reason and employing bulldozers if the acts are carried out by the Israeli army to make sure the trees no longer exist.

As well as Turmus Aya, there has been an increase of uprooting of trees in Nablus, Burqa village and Jenin.

According to the Palestinian commission the Israeli army is responsible for 1,322 of these attacks, while settlers carried out 497 acts of vandalism, adding Hebron topped the attacks at 321, Nablus 315, Ramallah and Al-Bireh 292, and Jerusalem 203.

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Amidst Death, Palestinians Celebrate in Group Wedding!

It’s day 198 of the supposed ceasefire in Gaza, yet Israel continues to violate it on a wide scale. The Israeli army continues to blow up homes and residential buildings all over the Gaza Strip and kill its people.

The recent death is of Naya Al Tanani, a child from north Gaza. She finally succumbed to her injuries after shelling by the Israeli army of the place she lived.

Her tragedy reflects what continues to happen to the Palestinians of Gaza. On Friday, 13 people were killed, including a woman and three children in addition to a number of injuries some of whom are critical.

Today, Saturday, the Israeli war machine continued bombing eastern areas of the Al Maghazi Camp in the central Gaza Strip. Media reports shows Israeli gunboats were firing on the beaches of Gaza City at the same time.

This is in addition to the fact that Israeli drones dominated the skies of Khan Younis that was also being bombed from the ground through Israeli tanks that today continue to surround the city.

Despite the violent tensions however, there was a “happy occasion” in the central city of Dier Al Balah, Friday night, when 300 brides and grooms tied the knot in a spectacular “group wedding,” the second of its kind to be held recently.

“Only the Palestinians can do this, amidst war, destruction and Israeli tanks,” one observer said definitely.

Tens of Gaza Police, in full spick and span uniforms, were there  to make sure the wedding event was properly organized and went smoothly.

The Palestinian police are continually being targeted on the Gaza Strip. On Friday, a police car was hit in Khan Younis by an Israeli drone and five officers killed. Similarly, a police patrol was targeted in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City where two officers were martyred.

The Gaza Police Directorate has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to pressure the Israeli occupation to stop targeting the civilian police. Since 10 October, 2025 when the ceasefire took effect, 27 policemen were killed and tens of injured.

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Dr Marwan Asmar is a writer based in Amman and is the editor of www.crossfirearabia.com

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Iranian Missiles Cause ‘Extensive’ Damage to US Bases Than Previously Thought – Report

Iran has inflicted more “extensive” damage to US bases and equipment in the Middle East since the start of US and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, NBC News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

The report said that the damages from Iran’s retaliatory strikes against US military bases in seven Middle Eastern countries were “far worse than publicly acknowledged and is expected to cost billions of dollars to repair.”

Iran has hit dozens of targets, including warehouses, command headquarters, aircraft hangars, satellite communications infrastructure, runways, high-end radar systems, and dozens of aircraft, the report said.

The Pentagon has not detailed the extent of the damage to US military bases publicly, according to the report, with US Central Command declining to comment on battle damage assessments.

According to the report, some Republican lawmakers privately expressed their dissatisfaction with senior Pentagon officials for refusing to provide information on the extent of the damage or a cost estimate for repairs.

“No one knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking,” one congressional aide was quoted by NBC News as saying. “We have been asking for weeks and not getting specifics, even as the Pentagon is asking for a record high budget.”

The report mentioned that the damage to and cost of repairing the bases could reignite a debate over the merits of maintaining US bases in such close proximity to an adversary like Iran. Anadolu

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Why is Iran’s FM in Oman?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat, Oman’s capital, on Saturday evening, leading a diplomatic delegation, according to Tasnim news agency.

Araghchi is expected to meet with senior officials in Oman to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional developments.

The visit follows his trip to Pakistan, where he said in a statement that he shared his country’s “position concerning a workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran,” without providing further details.

He also expressed skepticism about Washington’s intentions.

“Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said on the US social media company X.

Pakistan has been acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington amid ongoing tensions following recent military escalation.

Araghchi arrived in Pakistan late Friday and met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Saturday, amid efforts to revive stalled peace talks between the US and Iran to end their eight-week war.

The first round was held in Islamabad two weeks ago but failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict that began on Feb. 28 and engulfed the entire Middle East. Those talks came after Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on April 8, which was later extended by US President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he has cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.

“I’ve told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18 hour flight to go there. We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18 hour flights to sit around talking about nothing’,” Trump told Fox News via phone.

Iran has refused to hold direct talks with the US and said observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.

Some of the sticking points are said to be the Strait of Hormuz, the US blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran’s enriched uranium. Anadolu

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Iran Detains Two Ship With Links to Israel

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy detained two commercial cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, citing unauthorized operations and alleged ties to Israel, according to a report Friday.

The IRGC identified the vessels as the “MSC-Francesca” and the “Epaminondas,” both operating under the MSC shipping line, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Tehran accused the ships of breaching maritime regulations, interfering with navigation systems, and endangering other vessels in the waterway.

The report said Iranian authorities said the ships were allegedly attempting to pass through the strait undetected before being intercepted and escorted into Iranian territorial waters.

Since the war initiated by the US and Israel against Iran began Feb. 28, Tehran has maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz, followed by an American naval blockade on April 13, hitting global energy supplies, mostly across Asia. Anadolu

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