Aletho News

Palestinian woman dies after Israeli army delays ambulance for more than 30 minutes in Ramallah

MEMO | July 19, 2026

An official announced Saturday that a 30-year-old Palestinian woman who suffered a heart attack died after the Israeli army held up the ambulance carrying her for more than 30 minutes at a military barrier at the entrance to the town, Anadolu reports.

Mayor Mutez Tawafsha from the Sinjil Municipality, a town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said in a video statement that an ambulance attempting to transport Sujoud Fuqaha, a mother of two, to the hospital was forced to wait for more than 30 minutes at the military gate before being granted permission to pass.

Emphasizing that time is critical in medical emergencies, Tawafsha said, “The woman needed to reach the hospital as quickly as possible in order to receive the necessary treatment. How many more innocent lives will these iron gates and military barriers continue to claim in the town of Sinjil?”

Footage showed Tawafsha standing in front of the iron gate, the ambulance waiting for the gate to be opened and permission to pass before transporting Fuqaha. It also showed medical workers making urgent verbal appeals for the gate to be opened in an effort to save her life. … Full article

Israel issues eviction, demolition orders for Palestinian homes north of East Jerusalem

MEMO | July 19, 2026

The Israeli army issued 22 eviction and demolition orders for Palestinian homes in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of occupied East Jerusalem, amid an escalating Israeli campaign targeting Palestinian presence in the West Bank.

In a statement, the Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli forces raided the town and distributed eviction orders for an unspecified number of homes ahead of their demolition.

The governorate said the notices gave the Palestinian homeowners one week to evacuate their buildings before they are demolished.

An earlier statement by the governorate said Israeli authorities had previously distributed notices to halt construction works for around 20 homes in the town.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces placed concrete blocks in the Khneideq area on the road connecting the towns of Beit Anan and Beit Liqya, northwest of East Jerusalem, in preparation for installing a military gate in the area, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Wafa said the Khneideq faces frequent raids and attacks by Israeli forces targeting farmers and obstructing their access to their lands, as part of ongoing Israeli restrictions in East Jerusalem.

Figures released by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission showed that Israel has established 917 military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, including 244 gates erected since October 2023. … Full article

Israeli settlers attack homes, mosque in occupied West Bank

Al Mayadeen| July 19, 2026

Israeli settlers carried out a series of attacks overnight on Saturday and into Sunday morning in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to a mosque and multiple homes, stealing livestock, and assaulting residents, according to Palestinian sources. The incidents occurred in the al-Khalil and Nablus governorates, with Israeli forces reportedly protecting the assailants.

In the al-Khalil governorate, settlers attacked two homes belonging to Palestinian residents in the Wadi al-Rakhim area south of the town of Yatta. The assailants stole three heads of livestock from a pen on the property.

During the incident, Israeli forces fired live ammunition in the area, though no injuries were reported.

In the town of As-Samu, also south of Al-Khalil, armed settlers attempted to steal sheep in the Wadi Ajhish area while under the protection of Israeli troops; however, residents confronted the group and forced them to withdraw.

In the village of At-Tuwani, located in the Masafer Yatta region, settlers from the “Havat Ma’on” outpost set fire to two homes belonging to residents Kamal Musa Rab’i and Mahmoud Salman Rab’i, as well as the village mosque. … continue

Israeli attacks kill at least 13 Palestinians in Gaza, including an entire family

Press TV – July 19, 2026

In a series of fresh Israeli assaults over the past 24 hours, at least 13 Palestinians have been killed across the besieged Gaza Strip, including five members of the same family.

The family was killed when an Israeli missile struck their apartment in the al-Nasr neighborhood of western Gaza City on Saturday evening. Among those martyred were father Adham Ibrahim Shaaban Nisman (42), his wife Marwa Nayef Mohammad Nisman (39), and their three children: Arwa (8), Yahya (17), and Ibrahim (15).

One child survived only because he was not at home during the strike. The attack also injured several other residents inside and around the building.

In other parts of Gaza City, civil defense teams recovered the bodies of two Palestinians from Kashko Street in the Zaytoun neighborhood following overnight Israeli artillery shelling.

Rescue crews had been unable to reach the site earlier due to ongoing bombardment. In the same area, an Israeli artillery strike killed a woman and wounded several others, including her husband.

Medical sources reported additional injuries from an Israeli strike on an apartment in the al-Madina building on Aydiya Street, west of Gaza City. … Full article

Israel continues air raids on southern Lebanon in violation of ceasefire

Press TV – July 19, 2026

The Israeli military has carried on with its offensives in southern Lebanon, conducting airstrikes, artillery shelling, explosions, sound-bomb attacks, and tree-cutting activities that resulted in several injuries.

According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency, Israeli forces shelled the town of Haris, situated in the Bint Jbeil district of the Nabatieh Governorate, on Saturday, causing injuries to an unspecified number of individuals.

Israeli troops also cut down all trees planted along the roadsides in the Bint Jbeil district.

In the early hours of Saturday, Israeli forces launched multiple missiles at neighborhoods in the town of Mansouri, located in the Tyre district of the South Governorate, near the Bayt al-Sayyad farm.

An Israeli drone also dropped two sound bombs in the al-Mashaa neighborhood, located between the towns of Majdal Zoun and Mansouri, while Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike in the same vicinity.

Additionally, an Israeli drone targeted the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while Israeli warplanes conducted bombings in the town of Kfar Tibnit within the same district late on Friday. … Full article

Iran Army targets US bases in Kuwait after deadly American strikes on civilian sites

Press TV – July 19, 2026

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army has targeted two key US bases in Kuwait in response to deadly American aerial assaults on civilian infrastructure, including bridges.

The Army’s Public Relations Department said on Sunday that the large-scale attack involved launching explosive drones at the US army’s ammunition depot in al-Adiri Camp, as well as Patriot and air surveillance radars belonging to the terrorist military in Ali Al Salem Air Base.

Located approximately 104 kilometers from Iran’s borders, al-Adiri Camp serves as a major logistical support and force-reconstitution center for American forces, it added, saying disruptions at the base would have a significant impact on the US army’s logistical support operations throughout the region.

Ali Al Salem Air Base serves as the principal airlift hub and a primary gateway for the deployment of military forces into West Asia, the Army said. The base also plays a central role in the aggressor regime’s military and logistical strategy in the region. … Full article

Russia Continues to Pound Ukraine

By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | July 19, 2026

While the Western media continues to hype Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia as incredible military achievements that are sapping Russia’s will to fight, the reality is that Russia continues an unrelenting bombing and missile campaign that is destroying critical Ukrainian assets and infrastructure from Kyiv to Odessa. … continue

Von der Leyen paints target signs on Europe with Ukraine drone pact

Strategic Culture Foundation | July 17, 2026

The European Union has officially joined the war effort against Russia. This week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed a “historic pact” with Ukraine to integrate the production of combat drones to strike Russia. … continue

US violations of MoU prove American president’s signature ‘worthless’: Khamenei

Iran Has No Reason To Trust The United States In Future Negotiations

By Justin K.P. | The Dissident | July 18, 2026

Yesterday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a statement saying, “The signature of the U.S. President is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility”.

“The repeated breaches of the agreement by the Great Satan [the US] regarding the MOU signed by the Presidents of Iran and the US have once again laid bare a fundamental truth: the signature of the US President is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility,” the Iranian leader said in a statement.

And who could possibly blame him for coming to this conclusion?

The United States has shown time and time again that they have no interest in negotiating with Iran in good faith. … continue

Pakistan, Kuwait hold early talks on defense-for-energy partnership

The Cradle | July 17, 2026

Pakistan and Kuwait have entered early-stage negotiations to expand defense cooperation, with Islamabad seeking deeper energy ties and greater investment from the Gulf monarchy in return, Reuters reported on 17 July.

“Kuwait’s wish list includes everything,” said a Pakistani security official familiar with the negotiations. “But let me be clear about one thing: We are not and we cannot consider a deployment of combat troops at this stage.”

One source confirmed the talks have covered defense procurement, but noted it was “not clear this will amount to a defense pact per se.”

In exchange for any deal, Islamabad wants expanded cooperation on energy security as it builds up its strategic oil and fuel reserves as part of a wider initiative led by Pakistan’s Energy Ministry.

Over the past year, Pakistan and the Gulf monarchies have moved toward new regional defense arrangements.

The realignment was accelerated by the US’s war on Iran, which saw Gulf countries absorb the brunt of the retaliatory impact, and called into question the reliability of the US as a defense partner.

Meanwhile, Islamabad commands one of the region’s largest armies and manufactures its own fighter jets, credentials that have positioned it as a potential supplement, or even alternative, to US protection. … continue

US to send more refuelling aircraft as Trump weighs wider Iran war: Report

MEMO | July 17, 2026

The US plans to deploy “dozens” of additional aerial refuelling aircraft as President Donald Trump considers expanding military operations against Iran, Axios reported Friday.

Citing three US and Israeli officials, the US news outlet said Trump was presented with several new military options during a Situation Room meeting Tuesday but had not made a final decision.

The proposals reportedly include strikes on Iranian power plants and other infrastructure, and additional attacks on suspected nuclear facilities, including an operation targeting the underground Pickaxe Mountain site.

US and Israeli officials said Trump could order an escalation within days, aiming to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington’s nuclear demands.

The US currently has about 30 refuelling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel, according to the report.

Israeli officials said Washington wants to deploy several dozen more aircraft, restoring the fleet to roughly the level maintained at the beginning of the conflict.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) was not immediately available for comment.

The US military reportedly prefers Ben Gurion Airport because other regional bases are considered more exposed to attacks by Iran, which has repeatedly struck US facilities across the Gulf region over the past several months. … Full article

Rahm Emmanuel’s Israel-Endorsed ‘Opposition’ to Israel

By Harrison Berger | The American Conservative | July 18, 2026

Hoping to transition from being “Chicago’s Most Connected Banker” to once again holding elected office, the two-term former Mayor of Chicago and former chief of staff to Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, did this month what all savvy political hopefuls do: He traveled to meet some of the largest power brokers in American politics at their homes in Tel Aviv.

In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama flew to Israel and declared his “unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security,” and in 2015, Hillary Clinton pledged to “immediately dispatch a delegation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to meet with senior Israeli commanders” and to “invite the Israeli prime minister to the White House” in her first month in office.

Emanuel, who as a civilian volunteer worked with the Israel Defense Forces in the early 1990s, and whose father was a member of the Jewish terrorist group Irgun, is widely suspected to be eyeing a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028—one that will require winning over a base that has notably soured on Israel amid its genocide in Gaza and nonstop wars of aggression in the region. … continue

AIPAC blacklists dozens of US lawmakers that backed cutting military aid to Israel

The Cradle | July 18, 2026

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) cut off online donations to more than two dozen House Democrats on 17 July, only days after they voted against a $3.3 billion military aid package to Israel.

AIPAC’s donation portal shows “pro-Israel” incumbents with contribution buttons, which were removed for Democrats who backed the amendment, while links stayed active for those who opposed the vote this week.

“AIPAC members are deeply appreciative of their representatives who stand on principle and are disappointed by those who don’t,” AIPAC spokesperson Deryn Sousa said in a statement.

On 15 July, Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced the amendment to the National Security and Department of State Appropriations Act (NSDSA) 2027, aiming to cut about $3.3 billion annually in US military aid to Israel.

If approved, the measure would have eliminated Israel’s share of Foreign Military Financing (FMF), the program through which Washington funds foreign governments’ purchases of US weaponry, and would also have prohibited any funds in the fiscal 2027 State Department bill from being used to support Israel.

While the proposed amendment was defeated in a 314-to-104 vote, it marked a significant political shift, with nearly half of House Democrats voting in its favor. … continue

Is the West looking for a new relationship with Israel?

By Martin Jay | Strategic Culture Foundation | July 18, 2026

Is Britain’s new prime minister about to stand up to the hugely powerful Israeli lobby? A recent glimpse of his views about Israel and its genocide carried out in Gaza might have been a clue for things to come. The interview itself was carried out not with a journalist but with a sports celebrity whom most Brits associate with a brand of potato chips – which is indicative of how Andy Burnham is going to deal with media: in other words, ignore it altogether.

Burnham has at least done the impossible and steered the debate and the narrative away from Keir Starmer’s all-out pro-Israel stance, and has at least started calling the war in Gaza what it really is – which is not a war at all but a genocide. His appointment as PM may well reduce the mad simmer of blind, dogmatic support for Israel and play into the hands of minority groups in the UK who feel politically lost over Downing Street’s Middle East policies, which have seen U.S. bombers leave the country’s military bases to bomb children in Gaza. Burnham’s interview with Gary Lineker – his first interview – before formally taking office gives a clue to where he wants to take the Labour party before the country goes to the polls in three years’ time.

Yet how long will it take before Israel’s cash and influence get to him? The real test of this new strategy is not the narrative but the endurance of it, especially given that there are so many Labour MPs around him who are on Israel’s payroll – which recently, we presume, extended to even Reform officials who recently returned from an all-expenses-paid trip to Gaza, magically converted to Zionists spouting IDF talking points. … continue

Israel closes probes into prisoner deaths without indictments, Haaretz reports

Palestinian Information Center – July 18, 2026

NAZARETH – The Israeli occupation army opened 57 criminal investigations into the deaths of 56 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza and one Lebanese prisoner during the latest wars on Gaza and Lebanon, but none led to indictments, Haaretz reported on Friday.

The newspaper said seven investigations involved shooting incidents that killed prisoners, yet no charges were filed, despite growing criticism from international rights groups over the conditions in which Gaza detainees are held.

Most of the deaths occurred inside military detention facilities equipped with surveillance cameras and in the presence of soldiers and detainees who could serve as witnesses, the report said. However, the army claimed it was unable to identify suspects in most cases, citing difficulties in proving evidence under wartime conditions. … Full article

Teen Succumbs to Israeli Explosive‑Round Injury in al‑Mughayyer

IMEMC | July 18, 2026

Seventeen‑year‑old Fadi Hamdallah an‑Na’san died at dawn Saturday from injuries sustained a week earlier when Israeli soldiers shot him with an expanding bullet during an invasion of al‑Mughayyer, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank’s central region, as illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers attacked the village.

Medical sources said Fadi succumbed early Saturday to the critical injuries he suffered when Israeli occupation soldiers fired an explosive round into his thigh. Doctors were forced to amputate his leg on Thursday due to the severity of the wound.

Deputy head of the al‑Mughayyer Village Council, Marzouq Abu Na’im, said an‑Na’san was shot on July 11 when Israeli soldiers and colonizers attacked the home of local resident Mohammad Abu ‘Alia.

Soldiers fired live rounds, striking the teen, while other residents were injured with rubber‑coated metal bullets. Ten‑year‑old Raed Odah Abu ‘Alia was hit in the head with a concussion grenade. … Full article

Israeli Drone Strike Kills Three Palestinians in Gaza City

IMEMC | July 18, 2026

Three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded on Saturday when an Israeli military drone attacked civilians in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, in a new violation of the “ceasefire agreement” in the devastated and besieged Gaza Strip.

Medical sources at Al‑Ahli Baptist Hospital confirmed that three slain Palestinians and multiple wounded arrived at the facility after an Israeli Quad‑Copter drone fired on a group of civilians near Dawla Junction in Zeitoun.

Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance teams reported that they were delayed for more than an hour from reaching the strike site due to Israeli fire.

The three Palestinians killed were identified as Salem Tawfiq Abu Zour, 48‑year‑old Luay Alaa Al‑Mubayed, and 18‑year‑old Ahmed Nimir Abu Zour.

In eastern Gaza City, an Israeli drone opened direct fire on the Al‑Zahra School camp, injuring one civilian. … Full article

Israeli war chief praises devastation of Gaza as ‘deliberate policy’

The Cradle | July 17, 2026

A report aired on Channel 14 on 12 July shows Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and other senior officials openly celebrating the apocalyptic destruction of Gaza and the mass killing of Palestinians and their forced displacement to tent cities near the beach.

“The important thing: those neighborhoods like Jabaliya, Shujaiyya, which we only controlled a part of – are destroyed. In ruins,” stated Katz while touring the strip with military officials and journalists.

“When you see Gaza destroyed like this, how do you feel?” a journalist asked him.

“What do I feel? Feel good. What, this is all the result of a deliberate policy that [was designed] to remove threats,” Katz responded. … continue

Israeli regime forces destroy three schools in southern Lebanon

Press TV – July 18, 2026

Israeli regime forces have looted and destroyed three schools in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s education minister.

Lebanese Education and Higher Education Minister Rima Karami said the Israeli forces destroyed three schools in the country’s south after going through and stealing their contents, and rigging the buildings with explosives.

The schools were “looted” before using explosives to reduce them into “piles of ashes”, she said in a statement carried by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Friday.

“The Israeli army looted the contents of these institutions, and then surrounded them with explosives, turning them into piles of ashes,” she said.

She said the demolished schools had now been added to the long list of educational institutions destroyed by the brutal Israeli regime forces in their attacks on southern Lebanon.

Karami said two of the destroyed schools were in Khiam, a municipality in Nabatieh Governorate, and one school in Bint Jbeil, also a municipality in the Nabatiye Governorate in Southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese official drew attention to the legal framework of international law that protects schools during armed conflicts and war, expressing outrage over the fact that the destruction of schools and educational centers in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces was taking place “before the eyes of the entire world.”

She stressed that international law recognizes schools, educational centers, hospitals and sports facilities as among the safest and most protected places, often used as refugee shelters during wars, disasters and other emergencies and crises. … Full article

State Department Offering Quarter-Million Dollar Grants to Groups in Lebanon that Promote US Image

By Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute | July 15, 2026

The US Embassy in Lebanon announced that the State Department is offering grants of up to $250,000 to groups that help promote American propaganda.

“The US Embassy in Beirut is opening a new Notice of Funding Opportunity for 2026,” a statement published on Tuesday explained. “We’re looking for partners to implement programs that strengthen ties between the US and Lebanon, with a focus on highlighting US-led peace and stabilization efforts, and advancing digital literacy to help people identify and push back on false, adversarial narratives.”

The State Department website says the program is expected to award $500,000 to at least two groups to promote US propaganda in Lebanon. It adds that the program’s goal is to “strengthen local public understanding of US-led peace and stabilization efforts, and its role as a partner committed to security, economic opportunity, and responsible regional leadership.” … Full article

What Happens if Trump Succeeds at Pushing Syria to Invade Lebanon?

By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | July 18, 2026

… Very public calls have been made repeatedly by the American President, stating his interest in using the forces that constitute Syria’s new army to invade Lebanese territory with the mission of degrading Hezbollah and taking out its weapons. Although Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara’a initially issued two public denials that he was planning to order the invasion, he has more recently remained silent, even as the issue was brought up at a public meeting with Trump at an Ankara-based NATO summit.

Meanwhile, Syrian forces have been actively mobilizing and amassing equipment along the Lebanese border, a process that has been ongoing for at least three weeks […]

It suffices to say that if Trump gets what he wants – on Israel’s behalf – we are looking at a terrifying escalation that can spiral out of control in so many different ways. Truly, for the sake of everyone, this war should never even be a consideration. It will only end up benefiting Tel Aviv if it does occur. – Full article

The conflict in the Middle East never ended

The pause between the United States and Iran was merely the prelude to a new phase of the war

By Lucas Leiroz | Strategic Culture Foundation | July 18, 2026

… For the United States, victory appears to mean no clearly defined objective at all. Thus far, Washington has failed to articulate any coherent political goal for the war beyond satisfying the interests of the Israeli lobby. … Full article

Iran reports 50 killed, more than 500 injured in recent US attacks

Press TV – July 18, 2026

Iran’s Health Ministry says 50 people have been martyred and more than 500 others injured in US attacks across the country since June 27.

Hossein Kermanpour, head of the Health Ministry’s Public Relations Center, said on Saturday that the death toll includes five women and two children under the age of 18, while 32 women and 18 children were among the injured.

He added that 28 surgeries have been performed so far, 460 patients have been discharged, and 37 remain hospitalized. … Full article

IRGC: Missile strike on US airbase in Jordan destroyed aircraft

Press TV – July 18, 2026

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has carried out a coordinated missile and drone strike on a US military base in Jordan, destroying several American aircraft, urging Jordanians to confront US forces stationed in the country.

In its 29th official statement issued by the IRGC Public Relations Department on Saturday, the force said its Aerospace Force launched the 20th wave of “Nasr 2” operations in response to overnight US attacks against Iran.

According to the statement, the operation targeted aircraft shelters and a large aircraft parking ramp at the US military facility in Azraq, eastern Jordan.

The IRGC went on to say that the strike resulted in the destruction of at least two US fighter jets and three additional aircraft, while causing significant damage to several others.

The statement further said the United States is escalating the war by targeting civilian infrastructure inside Iran, including hospitals, bridges, railways, ports and airports, noting that Washington is attempting to conceal battlefield setbacks by attacking civilian sites. … continue

US strikes on desalination plant disrupt water supply to 20 villages in southern Iran

Press TV – July 18, 2026

US strikes on a desalination plant have disrupted drinking water supply to 20 villages in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, according to provincial authorities.

Abdolhamid Hamzehpour, CEO of the Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company, told media on Saturday that the US strikes damaged water desalination pumps in the coastal Bunji village, in Iran’s Jask county, denouncing it as a “terrorist attack.”

Hamzehpour said the pumping plant for extracting seawater, in addition to an electrical power transformer station, were “completely destroyed.” … continue

How to Make a Supplement That Lowers Death Look Deadly

The press just took one of the most consistently life-extending supplements ever studied — and taught you to be afraid of it

By Sayer Ji | July 7, 2026

On July 7, 2026, The Washington Post ran a headline engineered to plant a single seed of doubt: “Should you take glucosamine for joint pain? A study suggests it might have risks.” The on-page deck softened it only slightly — “Many people use glucosamine, though evidence of its effectiveness is mixed at best.” The message a busy reader takes away in three seconds is unmistakable: the joint pill in your cabinet might be hurting you.

Here is what that reader will almost certainly never learn from the coverage. Glucosamine is one of the most consistently mortality-lowering compounds ever tracked in large human populations. In nearly half a million adults in the UK Biobank, regular users had a 15% lower risk of dying from any cause, with fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory illness, and digestive disease alike. A separate U.S. national cohort found regular users about 39% less likely to die of any cause and 65% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease after adjustment. A dedicated UK Biobank cardiovascular analysis in The BMJ found a 15% lower risk of total cardiovascular events, including lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular death.

That is the actual weight of the evidence on this “risky” supplement. So how does a compound repeatedly linked to living longer get rebranded, in a single news cycle, as something you should fear?

By doing exactly what the coverage did.

The trigger is a single paper in Nature Metabolism (June 9, 2026), titled “Hyperglycosylation is a metabolic driver of Alzheimer’s disease,” from a University of Florida team led by biochemist Ramon Sun. Strip away the headlines and here is precisely what it reported. … continue

Trump’s Nominee for CDC Director Calls mRNA Technology ‘Safe and Effective’

CDC Director Nominee shows a serious lack of scientific understanding

By Sharyl Attkisson | July 16, 2026

When asked at a Senate hearing whether she thinks mRNA vaccines are safe and effective, CDC Director-nominee Erica Schwartz replied, “I do believe that mRNA technology is safe and effective.”

Both the question and the answer show a serious lack of scientific understanding.

Here’s the scientifically accurate answer to the question: We don’t know the full safety profile of either of the two types of approved mRNA vaccines or the technology. First, It’s all too new. Second, we’re not even collecting the full data.

Read on for details. … continue

How to Manufacture Safety

An Essay on the Formula Behind Vaccine Post-Marketing Studies

Lies are Unbekoming | July 16, 2026

The Phillips 2020 paper is publicly available. Every number in this essay is taken from the paper itself. What the essay does is walk through what the paper does with them.

Adverse events following HPV vaccination: 11 years of surveillance in Australia, published in the journal Vaccine in July 2020, is one of the most cited pieces of post-marketing surveillance in the vaccine literature. It reports 4,551 adverse event reports across 9.4 million doses of quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Its concluding sentence reads: “affirms the safety profile of 4vHPV.”¹

The paper contains, in its own results, evidence that its own conclusion cannot be drawn from its own data.

During 2013 and 2014, Australian school nurses were told to record adverse events on the spot as they injected twelve- and thirteen-year-olds with quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Reporting rates for syncope in that age group quadrupled. When enhanced surveillance ended, rates returned to their prior level.¹

This is not about syncope. It is the difference between a reporting system operating at intensity and the same system operating passively. The paper contains this natural experiment in its results and applies its finding to nothing. The passive rate is used as the safety baseline. The multiplier, which is evidence that the reporting system misses most of what it should catch, is set aside.

This is not an oversight. It is a move.

The Phillips paper is one instance of a formula. Post-marketing vaccine safety studies are built by executing a repeatable sequence of decisions, each producing the appearance of safety without producing its measurement. Once the sequence is visible, it can be recognized in almost any major published safety analysis of the last two decades. The Phillips paper is typical of the genre. That is what makes it worth reading closely.

What follows walks through the formula in order. … continue

‘Crocodile Prisons’ – Israel Clears Legal Hurdle for Ben-Gvir’s Shocking Proposal

Palestine Chronicle | July 17, 2026

Israel has removed a key legal obstacle to Ben-Gvir’s proposal to surround prisons holding Palestinian detainees with crocodile-filled moats.

What initially appeared to many as an outlandish political proposal has moved a step closer to reality.

Israel has taken a significant legal step toward implementing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s controversial proposal to surround prisons holding Palestinian detainees with crocodile-filled moats, according to Hebrew media reports.

The move follows a decision by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to reclassify crocodiles as “managed wild animals,” allowing Israeli government agencies—including the Israel Prison Service—to keep the reptiles under specified conditions.

According to Israel’s Channel 7, the legal change removes one of the principal obstacles that had prevented the proposal from advancing.

Previously, crocodiles were classified as protected wild animals and could only be kept in licensed zoological facilities.

Hebrew media reported that the decision follows months of discussions surrounding Ben-Gvir’s proposal, which he unveiled roughly six months ago as part of plans for a new high-security prison designed to hold Palestinian detainees.

The proposal calls for surrounding the prison with waterways inhabited by crocodiles to deter escape attempts.

Channel 13 reported that the project—dubbed the “crocodile prison” by Israeli media—had previously stalled after objections from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The new legal classification removes that obstacle, allowing state institutions to keep crocodiles under government supervision. … Full article

Palestinian youth shot, another detained by Israeli police in Occupied Jerusalem

Palestinian Information Center – July 17, 2026

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – A Palestinian youth was shot by Israeli police on Friday morning, while another was detained, in occupied Jerusalem.

Their identities have not been revealed yet.

The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli occupation police forces opened fire at a young man and detained another man who was with him while being chased by the police on a motorcycle in the Wadi Al-Joz neighborhood.

Israeli strikes kill six Palestinians, injure many, in Gaza

IMEMC | July 17, 2026

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed six Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Friday, including women and children, as ongoing violations of the October 11, 2025 “ceasefire” agreement continued to raise the casualty toll.

Attacks were documented in Gaza City, Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, and the al‑Mawasi coastal area west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to medical sources and the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In Gaza City, medical teams confirmed that Mohammad Tayseer Obeid was killed and six civilians, including women and children, were wounded when an Israeli drone fired a missile at an apartment in the al‑Taj building on al‑Yarmouk Street.

A second Israeli strike targeted another apartment west of the city, causing additional injuries. Later, Israeli warplanes bombed a separate apartment on al‑Yarmouk Street, killing one Palestinian and wounding others who were transferred to al‑Shifa Hospital.

In Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, a woman, En’aam Abdullah al‑Attar, 52, was killed when an Israeli drone dropped an explosive device near Abu Tammam School.

In al‑Mawasi, west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, another woman, Amani Ibrahim Abu Jazar, 49, was killed by Israeli gunfire. Medical teams at Nasser Hospital said her body arrived after she was shot southwest of the city.

In the central Gaza Strip, Israeli forces shelled the “new camp” area west of the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing Suleiman Ibrahim Farajallah and wounding several others. Additional civilians were wounded when Israeli forces targeted a tent inside a shelter center west of Deir al‑Balah.

Later, Taher Abdul‑Wahed was killed when Israeli forces bombed the roof of a room behind the al‑Tawhid Mosque west of Nuseirat. Several Palestinians were also injured when the army bombarded an‑Nakhil Street in Deir al‑Balah. … Full article

Israeli strikes kill eight more Palestinians attending Gaza funeral

Press TV – July 17, 2026

An Israeli airstrike has killed at least eight Palestinians and wounded more than 20 others as they attended a funeral in the central besieged Gaza Strip.

Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp confirmed the casualties, reporting that the strike directly hit mourners gathered for the funeral of a Palestinian martyred in an earlier Israeli attack on the same day.

Combined with several other Palestinians killed in separate Israeli airstrikes across the blockaded territory, Friday’s death toll reached at least 12. … Full article

British Intel’s Covert War On Hezbollah

By Kit Klarenberg | Global Delinquents | July 17, 2026

In recent years, the Palestinian Civil Defence has been presented by Western media and rights groups as a vital volunteer emergency service, operating out of Lebanon’s myriad refugee camps. First on the scene of major disasters, including the officially unsolved August 2020 Beirut blast, the group has provided news outlets with first-person disaster footage, while apparently winning hearts and minds among the country’s diverse population. But behind the PCD’s noble facade lurks a sinister British intelligence project, exploiting local Palestinian resistance to neutralise Hezbollah.

The PCD has invited comparisons with Syria’s notorious White Helmets, and this is no coincidence. ARK, a ubiquitous British intelligence contractor founded by MI6 veteran Alistair Harris, was behind the creation of both groups. An entry on ARK’s website outlining the firm’s experience of creating “search and rescue teams” overseas notes the Syrian White Helmets’ success directly inspired the PCD’s 2014 founding. The Western state-funded “programme” that created the Syrian ‘humanitarian’ group was “expanded” specifically to repeat the exercise, in Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps.

A little-remembered controversy over the White Helmets related to its formal name, Syrian Civil Defence, being indistinguishable from the country’s established civil defence force. On the ground reporting from Vanessa Beeley indicated extremist groups murdered the state’s emergency and medical workers, before stealing their equipment, uniforms and ambulances to found the White Helmets. Beirut’s PCD similarly emulates the long-established Palestinian Civil Defence’s name, a rescue group operating in both Gaza and the West Bank. Is this similarly a malicious attempt to falsely conflate the pair?

Like the White Helmets, Lebanon’s PCD aims to be an alternative, quasi-state structure, advancing regime change objectives. The PCD very visibly provides parallel services to those proffered by Hezbollah. The Resistance group’s Islamic Health Organization, Risala Scout Association and civil defence units are typically responsible for rescuing civilians from rubble, extinguishing fires, and other emergencies. Such provision has significantly bolstered Hezbollah’s support across Lebanon’s multifaith society, problematically for Western powers – including Britain – which desperately want the Resistance faction crippled politically and militarily. … continue

Judge rules US violated Palestinian American’s rights in phone search

The Cradle | July 17, 2026

A federal judge has ruled that the US government violated the constitutional rights of Palestinian American Osama Abu Irshaid after customs officials seized and searched his cellphone during two separate encounters at a US international airport in 2024.

In a ruling filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff determined that the phone searches violated Irshaid’s Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable government searches and seizures. … continue

ADC sues DHS Secretary Mullin over illegal CBP seizure of Max Blumenthal’s devices

Israel-backed propagandists demanded Blumenthal face US government persecution for reporting from Iran. The Trump admin obliged.

The Grayzone | July 16, 2026

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a time-sensitive motion in the Eastern District of Virginia’s federal court on behalf of journalist Max Blumenthal, seeking the immediate return of two smartphones unlawfully seized and retained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The motion argues that CBP’s warrantless seizure and continued retention of Blumenthal’s phones violate the First and Fourth Amendments and the Privacy Protection Act. It seeks the immediate return of both devices and all information or copies obtained from them under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g), along with an expedited hearing because the seizure is interfering with Blumenthal’s work, chilling his reporting, and threatening the confidentiality of his sources and unpublished reporting. … continue

US blocks SSL security certificates for Iran’s Fars News Agency

The Cradle | July 17, 2026

Washington has blocked the issuance of SSL security certificates for Fars News Agency‘s website, cutting the country’s most visited news outlet off from browser-trusted encryption, the agency revealed on 17 July.

Without valid certificates, visitors to the site face security warnings and restricted access, while the agency’s content has been removed from Google search results.

Technical assessments confirm that all major internationally recognized Certificate Authorities – including Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert, and Sectigo – have rejected certificate requests for the agency’s domains, citing US sanctions pressure.

The measure is the latest in a series of US actions against the outlet. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control seized the agency’s .com domain in 2020, and in September 2023 added Fars and its CEO to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) sanctions list.

The EU and Canada have since imposed sanctions of their own. … continue

Heather Herbert Charged Over Ann Widdecombe Bluesky Posts

By Cam Wakefield | Reclaim The Net | July 17, 2026

Police Scotland has arrested and charged someone over two posts published online.

Heather Herbert, a 50-year-old web developer at the University of Aberdeen, a transgender activist and a former Labour and Scottish Greens candidate, wrote two vile messages on Bluesky about the death of Ann Widdecombe, a British politician and television personality who was found murdered in her home last week.

“And some good news for once. I hope it was an extremely painful death,” the first one said. The second went further. “And I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.”

Wishing an elderly woman a screaming, agonized end is the sort of thing that typically earns you a wide social berth and a lot of quiet unfollowing.

Then the police got involved. And un-involved. And then involved again.

Police Scotland looked at the posts and decided, in its own words, that “no criminality has been established.” Filed away, done. Then a petition gathered around 3,500 signatures in a matter of days, and the force pulled a handbrake turn.

A spokesman confirmed that “following further assessment, additional inquiries are being carried out.” Put plainly, the public shouted and the definition of a crime shuffled over to meet the shouting. … continue

Finnish MEP: UK is ‘worst example’ of death to free speech in Europe after entry ban ahead of CPAC speech

Remix News | July 16, 2026

Finnish MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen has warned that Britain is fast becoming the worst example in Europe when it comes to defending free speech after he became the latest elected European politician to be banned from entering the country ahead of his appearance at the inaugural Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Great Britain.

In a video posted on social media, the conservative politician said, “I was just banned from entering the U.K. I am an elected member of the European Parliament and was invited to speak at the very first conservative CPAC conference in the U.K.

“We had the adverts out, flights and hotel booked, and I was supposed to head to the airport in just two hours.

“Then, only moments ago, I was informed that my presence wouldn’t be conducive to the public good.

“Throughout my political career, I have defended our girls and women from the threats posed by mass migration. For some, like U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, this is hate speech.

“For me, it is simply what all politicians should be doing: addressing the problem, changing the legislation and sending them home.”

Tynkkynen then warned the British people that something is “deeply wrong” with their country, and that it was “becoming the worst example in Europe of the death of freedom of speech.”

He urged them to change their leadership if they wanted to change their lives “for the better.”

Tynkkynen is a member of the co-governing Finns Party, a right-wing populist party that is currently the second-largest in the Finnish parliament. The party holds seven of the 19 ministerial positions in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s coalition government. … Full article

Kremlin responds to US election meddling accusations

RT | July 17, 2026

Moscow has dismissed claims linking Russia to threats against US elections, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, calling the intelligence cited by Washington unsubstantiated.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump delivered a prime-time address which focused on alleged vulnerabilities in the voting infrastructure. He said the current system “falls catastrophically short” and is exposed to hacking.

While Trump barely mentioned Russia in his speech and was more focused on alleged meddling efforts by China – which Beijing has denied – the White House released a trove of declassified documents, with one assessment stating: “We judge that US adversaries, including at a minimum Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea… have the capability to compromise US election infrastructure.”

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov said the allegations are based on “certain anonymous and unsubstantiated information from the US intelligence services.” … continue

China denies interfering in US elections, calls Trump’s claims ‘entirely fabricated’

The Cradle | July 17, 2026

China on 17 July rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that Beijing had interfered in the 2020 US presidential elections, saying the allegations were baseless and an attempt to smear China.

“The relevant allegations by the US are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China,” stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian. “We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so.”

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson made the remarks at a press conference in response to Trump’s comments during a speech at the White House on Thursday.

Lin said China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs and has never influenced, or had a reason to influence US elections.

“On the contrary, the international community sees all too clearly who routinely interferes in the internal affairs of other nations, conducts long-term, indiscriminate surveillance of governments, businesses, and ordinary citizens worldwide, and steals the data of other countries’ citizens on a massive scale,” the spokesman said. … continue

Iran says Israeli campaign to steer US into ‘unwinnable’ war will ‘soon unravel’

Press TV – July 17, 2026

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the Israeli influence campaign aimed at steering the United States into an “unwinnable war of choice” against Iran will “soon unravel,” pointing to Israeli manipulation of US policymakers and suppressing dissenting voices.

Araghchi made the remarks in a post on his X account on Friday as US strikes on southern Iranian cities and ports continued for a sixth consecutive day despite a war-ending memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington.

He said Americans are being warned of “foreign influence”, directly turning the accusation toward the US closest ally in the region.

“Americans are being warned of Foreign Influence. How about the extensive Israeli Campaign to bamboozle the U.S. Administration into an unwinnable war of choice?” he wrote. … Full article

US strikes kill 38 across Iran, destroy Chabahar port control tower, bridges

Press TV – July 17, 2026

Criminal attacks by the terrorist US Army targeted civilian infrastructure across several Iranian provinces overnight and into Friday, including the destruction of the maritime control tower at Chabahar’s Shahid Kalantari Port, killing eight people and injuring 20 others.

The attacks from late Thursday into early on Friday primarily struck the provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan and Lorestan, media reports said.

The latest strikes follow US President Donald Trump’s threats to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants amid international community’s silence on war crimes committed by the US. … continue

IRGC strikes US aircraft in Jordan, addresses ‘noble Jordanian people’

Al Mayadeen | July 17, 2026

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Friday that it had targeted US fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft stationed in Jordan, as well as bases in Kuwait and Qatar, in response to US aggression carried out on Thursday, July 16.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it targeted US fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft in Jordan in response to the US aggression against “civilian targets, including several bridges, residential areas, and a water pumping station in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran.”

The IRGC said the operation was carried out during Wave 14 of Operation Nasr 2, using “several ballistic missiles and a large number of drones” in a two-phase operation.

Iran urges Jordanian people to stand up against US occupation

In its Statement No. 22 detailing the operation and the reason behind it, the IRGC directly addressed the “noble Jordanian people” and said that following its strike last year on the Al Udeid base in Qatar, the US military “transferred the command center of US forces in the region from Qatar to Al-Azraq, and it became the command center of aggression against the Palestinian people and other Islamic countries on your land and within your reach.”

The IRGC stated that in addition to the US Central Command base, “there is an air base containing dozens of aerial refueling aircraft where US F-35, F-15, and F-16 aircraft are stationed, and from which they launch airstrikes against the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon.”

“The US aggression used its bases in Jordan to commit a major war crime and strike civilian targets, including several bridges, residential neighborhoods, and a water pumping station in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran,” it continued. … Full article

Iran’s New Onslaught on US Gulf Bases Exposes Devastating Success of Spring Counterstrikes

Sputnik – 17.07.2026

Iran’s March drone and missile attacks disabled numerous critical US radars and forced it to “expend a significant portion of their air and missile defense stockpiles,” military expert and CAST security think tank senior research fellow Yuri Lyamin told Sputnik.

Lyamin pointed out, for example, that “the AN/TPY-2 radar in Jordan destroyed by Iranian strikes in March, was part of the American THAAD missile defense system battery providing cover for American bases in Jordan against medium-range ballistic missiles. The destruction of the radar effectively rendered the THAAD battery inoperable, as it’s used to detect and track targets and guides interceptor missiles to them.”

Fast forward the present, and Iran is freely targeting US barracks, logistics bases and Air Force facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain using Arash heavy drones.

Lack of effective resistance on the US’ part signals that whatever efforts the Pentagon took to restore regional capabilities (like transferring THAAD from South Korea) proved insufficient, Lyamin says. … continue

DoD scrambles for new drone plans as Iran shoots down costly Reapers

By Mark Thompson | The Bunker | July 17, 2026

… Back in May, the Air Force’s top officer declared the MQ-9 Reaper drone the “most valuable player” in the U.S. war against Iran. Last week, a U.S. official said Iran has shot down about 30 Reapers, leaving the U.S. military with about 135. At roughly $30 million each — raise your hand if you remember experts telling us how cheap drones would be — that’s close to $1 billion in grim Reapers.

So, on July 7, the Pentagon refreshingly conceded its Reaper fleet costs too much. It needs to be replaced with something cheaper, yet able to fly the “missions that the MQ-9A performs today.” That would allow the Pentagon to buy more drones, and risk dispatching them on more dangerous missions than crewed aircraft.

This, of course, also requires a new acronym: MMA, for Massed Modular Aircraft. According to the Air Force and the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit:

By deploying large groups of risk-tolerant MMA, the Joint Force can overwhelm enemy defenses even while experiencing numerous MMA losses. Keeping a constant airborne MMA presence to launch weapons, gather intelligence, perform electronic warfare missions, or relay communications will force an adversary to stay on the defensive. This relentless pressure will exhaust the adversary, forcing them to burn through expensive anti-aircraft missiles and resources faster than they can be replaced.

The technical term for such language is “wishful thinking.” … Full article

Zelensky fired defense minister to tighten grip on power – opposition leader

RT | July 17, 2026

Ukraine’s latest government reshuffle is not about reforming the military but about Vladimir Zelensky trying to preserve his grip on power, exiled opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk has said.

Medvedchuk, who formerly led the Opposition Platform – For Life party, banned by Kiev, made the remarks after Zelensky dismissed Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov and launched a broader cabinet overhaul that has triggered protests across Ukraine.

Zelensky justified Fedorov’s dismissal by citing tensions between the defense minister and Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky, stating the two could not work together without his personal mediation.

However, in an article published on Thursday via his Other Ukraine platform, Medvedchuk said the real political struggle in Kiev is actually between Fedorov and Zelensky himself, and is “not for military power, but for civilian power, for overall leadership of the country.”

He claimed that despite nationwide protests, Zelensky cannot afford to back down after firing Fedorov because doing so would mean surrendering political control and access to wartime graft schemes.

“For the bloody clown, to retreat now means to finally lose power and hand over military corruption flows to others,” Medvedchuk wrote. … Full article