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The National Council Welcomes IAEA’s Decision to Consider Palestine a State

The Palestinian delegation at the IAEA General Conference
The Palestinian delegation at the IAEA General Conference
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The National Council Welcomes IAEA’s Decision to Consider Palestine a State

The Palestinian delegation at the IAEA General Conference
The Palestinian delegation at the IAEA General Conference

The Palestinian National Council and other official institutions in Ramallah welcomed two recent decisions that were described as historic.

The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency voted by a majority on a draft-resolution to officially adopt the designation of “State of Palestine”. In parallel, the Anglican Church in South Africa decided to declare Israel an “apartheid state.”

In a statement on Friday, the Palestinian National Council said that the overwhelming vote at the International Atomic Energy Agency was a clear condemnation of the Israeli occupation policy of expansion and illegal annexation in violation of international laws.

The Council thanked “all the countries that supported and endorsed the decision, especially the sister Arab Republic of Egypt, which submitted the request on behalf of the State of Palestine.”

The General Conference of the IAEA had voted, with an overwhelming majority of 92 countries, on the Egyptian draft-resolution to officially adopt the designation of “State of Palestine”, and grant it more privileges and rights. The voting was held within the 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna.

Meanwhile, the head of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, welcomed the decision of the Anglican Church in South Africa to declare Israel an “apartheid state.”

In a statement on Friday, Fattouh said: “This decision is a victory for our Palestinian cause, and expresses the extent of injustice and racial discrimination against the Palestinian people, especially the storming of Islamic and Christian places of worship, the attacks on Christian clergy, and the operations of repression committed by the fascist occupation government.”

The Higher Committee of Churches Affairs in Palestine also hailed the decision of the Anglican Church, noting that it came in response to and in solidarity with the calls made by Palestinian Christians to hold Israel accountable for its “crimes against the Palestinian people.”

The Anglican Church in South Africa has dioceses in Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Angola, and St. Helena, in addition to South Africa. It holds its church council, the “Synod,” every three years.

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Arab World

Türkiye Planning Special Flights to Bring Back Activists on Gaza Flotilla

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Planning Special Flights to Bring Back Activists on Gaza Flotilla

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye is planning special flights ​from Israel on Thursday to fly out its citizens and some activists from ‌third ‌countries ​who ‌joined ⁠a ​global aid flotilla that ⁠was intercepted by Israeli forces while trying to break ⁠its Gaza blockade, ‌Foreign ‌Minister Hakan ​Fidan ‌said.
Fidan said ‌on X that all Turkish institutions were working to ‌ensure the security and safe ⁠return ⁠of Turkish nationals. Broadcaster NTV separately said Turkish Airlines has sent three planes to Israel for the repatriations.

Arab World

Sudan’s Security and Defense Council Orders Curbs on Armed Movement Inside Cities

Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  
Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  
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Sudan’s Security and Defense Council Orders Curbs on Armed Movement Inside Cities

Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  
Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  

Sudan’s highest military and security authority has called for tighter controls on the movement of armed personnel, combat vehicles, and security cells inside cities and marketplaces, following reports and videos alleging incidents of “disorder” attributed to armed forces and army-aligned groups in areas recently recaptured by the military or currently under its control.

Following the Security and Defense Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening, Sudanese Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Hassan Daoud Kabroun said that the council had instructed the relevant authorities to regulate the movement of armed individuals and vehicles inside cities and markets, and to establish rules governing the work of “security cells” in local districts, with a focus on investigations involving those authorities describe as collaborators with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The term “security cells” refers to groups or units operating in support of military and security agencies. They are typically engaged in surveillance, monitoring, inspections, and intelligence-gathering activities in neighborhoods, markets, and conflict zones.

Authorities say their role is focused on “tracking down collaborators with the RSF, dismantling sabotage cells, and protecting areas retaken by the army.” Critics of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, however, describe them in social media commentary as an extension of Islamist organizations tied to the former regime, alleging that they seek to eliminate political opponents.

The Security and Defense Council is one of Sudan’s most prominent military and sovereign decision-making bodies. It includes executive, military, and security leaders, among them the ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, and finance, as well as army commanders and heads of security agencies. The council is chaired by Sovereignty Council President and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

According to media affiliated with it, the council met Tuesday under al-Burhan’s chairmanship, with all members in attendance, to review the country’s security and military situation.

The council’s role in managing security and military affairs has expanded since the outbreak of war between the army and the RSF on April 15, 2023, amid the widening conflict and mounting concerns over security violations in war-affected areas.

On the military front, Kabroun said the armed forces and allied troops had achieved “major victories” in recent weeks on several battlefronts, particularly in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur.

He added that the council stressed the importance of adherence to the law, respect for human rights and Sudan’s sovereignty, as well as the need to provide essential services to citizens returning to their areas, especially electricity and water.

Citizens’ Complaints

Residents in some army-controlled areas - particularly the capital, Khartoum, parts of Al Jazirah State, and other states retaken by the military in recent months - have complained of what they describe as growing “security abuses.”

The allegations include looting, arrests, and other violations attributed to armed groups or individuals wearing military uniforms, in addition to the widespread presence of weapons and combat vehicles in neighborhoods and markets.

Videos and local testimonies concerning these incidents have circulated widely on social media platforms, while authorities say they are working to regulate armed movements and pursue those responsible.

Independent verification of all the accounts has not been possible because of the ongoing war and the complexity of the security situation.

Arab World

Iraq: Al-Sadr Warns Against Being Branded a ‘Traitor’ after Backing Government

A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).
A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).
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Iraq: Al-Sadr Warns Against Being Branded a ‘Traitor’ after Backing Government

A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).
A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).

Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr is facing mounting criticism over reports that he supports Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, as major political factions reassess their alliances after failing to secure key cabinet posts in the new government.

Among the dissatisfied parties are Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition and Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), both of which saw their influence weakened by the passage of al-Zaidi’s cabinet. The developments have revived debate over the collapse of the Tripartite Alliance formed in 2021 by the Sadrist Movement, the KDP, and the Sunni-led Taqaddum coalition.

Al-Sadr’s phone call with al-Zaidi earlier this week further complicated the political landscape, reportedly unsettling factions within the Coordination Framework, the umbrella coalition of Iran-aligned Shiite groups, as well as Kurdish parties angered by the parliamentary confidence vote.

Shakhawan Abdullah, head of the KDP bloc in parliament, said candidates from both the KDP and the State of Law Coalition had filed appeals with Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court challenging the legitimacy of the session that approved al-Zaidi’s government.

According to Abdullah, the appeals focus on voting procedures and the rejection of certain nominees. He claimed there are “documents and recordings” proving procedural violations during the parliamentary vote on ministerial portfolios.

Legal experts say candidates who failed to win parliamentary approval cannot be renominated under parliament’s internal rules, which require political blocs to submit alternative names for vacant ministries.

Despite the political turmoil, al-Zaidi has sought to project an image of decisiveness. During his first cabinet meeting, he issued rapid directives aimed at addressing administrative problems, reducing bureaucracy, and accelerating government procedures.

The clearest shift, however, came in his tougher stance toward armed factions. Al-Zaidi strongly condemned attacks targeting neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, even though the factions denied responsibility.

On May 17, 2026, al-Sadr called al-Zaidi to congratulate him on forming the government and urged him to improve public services and combat corruption.

Observers believe al-Sadr’s support could provide al-Zaidi with political cover if he chooses to confront the influence of armed groups, especially amid widening divisions within the Coordination Framework.

At the same time, support voiced by US President Donald Trump for al-Zaidi has placed both the prime minister and al-Sadr in indirect confrontation with factions that identify themselves as the “Resistance” and accuse their rivals of being too close to Washington.

Al-Sadr responded sharply to the criticism, accusing some opponents of “selling their consciences” and attempting to distort his political positions through media campaigns and personal attacks.

He said he was dealing with critics “patiently,” but warned against accusations of “treason” or collaboration with foreign powers, threatening legal action against those promoting such claims.