Arab, Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Massacre in Nuseirat Camp in Gaza

 Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Arab, Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Massacre in Nuseirat Camp in Gaza

 Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect a house hit in an Israeli strike, due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 8, 2024. (Reuters)

Gulf, Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned on Sunday the horrific massacre committed by the Israeli army in the Nuseirat camp in Gaza on Saturday that left hundreds of Palestinians dead, mostly women and children.

At least 274 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more were wounded in the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas, Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation slammed the attack, saying it was an example of organized state terrorism and genocide.

In a statement, it condemned it as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Such crimes demand an investigation, accountability and punishment in line with international criminal law, it stressed, calling on the International Criminal Court to assume its responsibilities in this regard.

The OIC reiterated its call on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to intervene immediately to stop the war crimes committed by the Israeli forces in Gaza and to protect the Palestinian people.

The Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the Nuseirat attack, with its Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi describing it as a “terrorist crime that targeted unarmed civilians with unprecedented barbarism.”

“This barbaric attack reflects the true face of the Israeli occupation forces and demonstrates their complete disregard for all international treaties and humanitarian values,” he stated.

He called on the international community to assume its “historic and moral responsibilities to act immediately and firmly to put a stop to these repeated horrific crimes against the brotherly Palestinian people.”

The countries of the GCC stand strongly united behind the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and peace, he stressed.

He renewed the GCC’s call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and in line with the 2002 Arab peace initiative and international resolutions.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli massacre in Nuseirat, calling on the international community and UN Security Council to assume their responsibilities in ending Israel’s “barbaric aggression against the brotherly Palestinian people.”

Oman also slammed the attack, saying Israel’s “systematic war crimes against the Palestinian people are blatant and flagrant violations of international laws and international humanitarian law.”

It called on the international community to intervene to put an immediate end to these crimes.

Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli attack on Nuseirat, saying it is a flagrant violation of all international laws and all human values and rights.

It held Israel legally and morally responsible for the attack, demanding that it assume its responsibilities as an occupying force. It must cease its arbitrary attacks against Palestinian civilians, including in areas where they have sought refuge.

It urged influential international parties and the UN Security Council to intervene immediately to stop Israel’s war on Gaza and to act to end the humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of over 36,000 people.



Iraq Vows No Leniency with Parties Harming Ties with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
TT

Iraq Vows No Leniency with Parties Harming Ties with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)

Iraq said it was ready to cooperate fully in verifying any information about an attack on Saudi Arabia that was launched from its territory, renewing its condemnation of the incident and vowing measures to prevent any breach of Iraqi sovereignty.

The Iraqi government’s latest condemnation came a day after the Foreign Ministry denounced the attacks on the Kingdom, in what observers said signaled Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s new government was keen to protect ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered the Kingdom’s airspace from Iraq.

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi renewed Baghdad’s condemnation on Tuesday, saying Iraq “reaffirms its firm and historic position in support of distinguished and lasting relations with brotherly and friendly countries of the region, its commitment to the security of Arab states, the importance of supporting stability, all efforts to ease tensions, and preventing attacks, whatever their source.”

“The Iraqi government condemns the recent drone attacks that targeted Saudi Arabia and affirms its continued joint efforts to strengthen regional security and safeguard the security and sovereignty of countries in the region,” he said.

Awadi repeated that the military authorities did not detect or record any activity from the country’s airspace, stressing, however, that Iraqi institutions were fully ready “to cooperate in verifying any information related to the circumstances of the attack that targeted the Kingdom.”

He stressed Iraq’s “categorical rejection of the use of its territory, airspace or territorial waters to launch any attack on neighboring countries.”

Awadi said Iraqi security forces had taken “all necessary steps and measures to thwart and uncover any attempt in this context,” adding that there would be “no leniency toward anyone who tries to violate the sovereignty of the Iraqi state or damage relations with the Kingdom, neighboring countries or brotherly states.”

Observers are now raising questions over how Zaidi will deal with pro-Iran armed factions and confront their activities at home and abroad, particularly under continued US pressure.

In recent months, after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, factions launched hundreds of attacks on targets inside Iraq, most of them in the northern Kurdistan region.

They also carried out attacks on more than one country in Iraq’s regional neighborhood. Those attacks stopped during the ceasefire, before resuming with three drones over Saudi territory.

Many believe the factions’ latest attacks pose a serious challenge to Zaidi’s authority. The prime minister, whose government was approved by parliament last week, has received clear US, domestic and Arab backing, a development that was not welcomed by the factions, which are seeking to embarrass him at the start of his tenure in Iraq’s top executive post.


Bahrain Suspends Entry of Foreign Travelers Arriving from Three Countries Amid Ebola Fears

A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)
A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)
TT

Bahrain Suspends Entry of Foreign Travelers Arriving from Three Countries Amid Ebola Fears

A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)
A view of Bahrain's capital Manama. (Getty Images file)

Bahrain said on Tuesday it was suspending the entry of foreign travelers arriving from South Sudan, ‌the Democratic ‌Republic of ‌Congo ⁠and Uganda due ⁠to the Ebola virus outbreak.

The suspension will be effective for ⁠30 days ‌starting Tuesday, ‌according to ‌the country's ‌state news agency.

The World Health Organization expressed deep ‌concern on Tuesday at the speed ⁠and ⁠scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases rises.


UAE Says Drones Targeting Nuclear Plant Came from Iraq

The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)
The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)
TT

UAE Says Drones Targeting Nuclear Plant Came from Iraq

The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)
The United Arab Emirates flag flutters against the backdrop of the Abu Dhabi Skyline following a reported Iranian strike, March 1, 2026. (AFP)

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday said drones that targeted its nuclear plant last week came from Iraq, from where Iranian-backed groups have launched several attacks since the Middle East war began.

On Sunday, an unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator near the Arab world's only nuclear power plant in Barakah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries or radiation leak. Two other drones had been intercepted.

"As part of the ongoing investigation into the blatant attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on May 17, 2026, technical tracking and monitoring confirmed that the three drones... all originated from Iraqi territory," the Emirati defense ministry said.

Authorities intercepted six drones that also came from Iraq and "attempted to target civilian and vital areas" in the past 48 hours, the ministry added.

Iraqi authorities had already condemned the attack on Barakah before Abu Dhabi announced where the drones came from.

Iran has attacked the UAE and other Gulf nations since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country on February 28, targeting US assets but also energy and civilian infrastructure.

Iran-backed groups in Iraq have not claimed any strikes since the truce came into place, though Gulf countries have reported attacks from Iraq.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia had reported intercepting drones that came from Iraq, while Baghdad said its defense systems had not detected any drones launched from its territory toward the Kingdom.