Middle East Press On: Turkey, Colombia, Israel, Palestine, Indonesia, Mark Ruffalo Calls Netanyahu, Palestinian Girl, Gaza, General Warn Trump, Iran War, New Age Islam's Selection, 28 July 2026
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
28 July 2026
Can Türkiye keep pace with changing global economy?
Colombia to restore relations with Israel and halt embassy plans in Palestine
Indonesia cannot claim solidarity with Palestine while it maintains ties with Elbit
‘They Created Hell on Earth’: Roger Waters on Palestine, Apartheid and the Cost of Speaking Out
Mark Ruffalo Calls Netanyahu ‘Murderous Maniac’ after ICC Prosecutor’s Removal
‘Thank You, Layan’: Sánchez’s Message to a Palestinian Girl Resonates Across Gaza
Vance, Top General Warn Trump against Escalating Iran War – Report
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Can Türkiye keep pace with changing global economy?
by Harun Türker Kara
Jul 28, 2026
The global economy is undergoing a structural transformation that goes well beyond ordinary cyclical fluctuations. Supply-chain disruptions following the COVID-19 pandemic, energy supply problems, geopolitical tensions, particularly war, protectionist trade policies, U.S. tariffs, and intensifying competition in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the fundamental parameters of the global economic system.
For decades, global production was largely organized around cost minimization and the concentration of production in the lowest-cost locations. Today, however, production decisions are increasingly shaped not only by cost considerations but also by supply security, logistical continuity, energy availability, technological capacity and geopolitical risk.
This transformation is driving a search for a new equilibrium in the global economy. Production networks are becoming more diversified, while localization and regionalization trends are gaining strength in strategic sectors. In areas such as energy, semiconductors, defense technologies, critical minerals, AI and advanced manufacturing, economic competition is increasingly viewed through the lens of national security. Understanding the global economy correctly is essential for shaping sound and effective policy decisions. For Türkiye, the central challenge is therefore twofold: strengthening resilience against external shocks while transforming the sources of economic growth and achieving lasting price stability.
Türkiye’s window of opportunity
The central macroeconomic challenge for Türkiye in the coming period will be to establish a more sustainable balance between price stability and economic growth. Bringing inflation down on a lasting basis is not simply a matter of slowing the pace of consumer price increases. It also requires anchoring expectations, improving the predictability of long-term investment decisions, and directing capital toward more productive areas. For this reason, the disinflation process should be regarded as a macroeconomic precondition for Türkiye’s new growth model.
The change in market expectations also suggests that the disinflation process has become more difficult than initially anticipated. According to the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT)’s Market Participants Survey, the year-end inflation expectation for 2026 rose from 23.23% in January to 29.21% in July, while the year-end exchange-rate expectation remained broadly stable at around 51.17-51.60 Turkish liras per U.S. dollar. At the same time, the growth forecast for 2026 was revised down from 3.9% to 3.1%. The upward revision in the expected policy rate toward the end of the year also suggests that interest-rate cuts may be postponed for longer than previously anticipated. In short, market expectations shifted toward a combination of higher inflation, weaker growth and a longer period of tight monetary policy.
Given that monetary policy primarily affects demand conditions, maintaining low inflation cannot depend solely on demand management but must also be supported by supply-side policies. Expanding productive capacity, improving productivity, reducing energy costs, upgrading logistics infrastructure and strengthening competitive conditions are equally important structural components of price stability. At the same time, the deterioration in the inflation outlook has been driven largely by external factors, such as oil prices, while the current account deficit has remained below its historical average of around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP). Moreover, the budget deficit as a share of GDP has remained approximately three percentage points below the emerging-market average, while fiscal discipline has continued to support the disinflation process. Against this backdrop, and with a view to maintaining a balance between monetary conditions and economic activity in the second half of the year, the Central Bank may consider gradual interest-rate cuts while preserving a real interest-rate buffer of approximately five percentage points.
Over the medium and long term, however, the key determinant of Türkiye's growth performance will be total factor productivity. According to Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek's recent statements, productivity growth is rebounding, with the figure reaching 2.6 points. The widespread adoption of technology at the firm level, digitalization, improvements in stronger research and development (R&D) capacity, and more efficient resource allocation will be central to productivity growth. As emphasized in recent presentations by CBRT Governor Fatih Karahan, the continued rise in the ratio of R&D expenditures to net sales, reaching approximately 0.35 percent, provides an important indication of this trend.
Türkiye’s geographical position represents another important strategic advantage amid the ongoing transformation of the global economy. However, converting this advantage into lasting economic value will depend on greater export diversification and stronger connectivity. Initiatives such as the recently announced “Sweet Türkiye” program under Turquality can support this process by helping diversify Türkiye’s export markets and expand access to new destinations. Accordingly, a country-specific approach, exemplified by the objective of increasing bilateral trade between Türkiye and the United States to $100 billion, is consistent with such strategies based on export diversification, brand development, and market expansion.
Ultimately, strengthening Türkiye’s position in global value chains will require more than simply increasing export volumes. The technological intensity and value-added structure of exports must also be upgraded. The transformation of the defense industry provides an important example in this regard. Over the past quarter century, the domestic content ratio in Türkiye’s defense industry has increased from around 20% to more than 80%. The next challenge is to transfer this technological and industrial capability to other sectors.
More resilient Turkish economy
Türkiye’s new growth model should increasingly shift from factor accumulation toward productivity-led growth. High-technology investment, R&D, human capital, digitalization and energy transition will be central to this process. For Türkiye to strengthen its external competitiveness, the key challenge is not only to increase the share of high- and medium-high-technology exports, but also to develop stronger domestic capabilities and translate R&D into commercially scalable products, services, and production processes.
AI will be a major driver of this transformation. Its impact will extend beyond technology companies, reshaping production, logistics, finance, and business decision-making. Data centers, cloud computing, fiber infrastructure, cybersecurity and high-capacity communications networks will therefore become essential components of the new economic infrastructure. Here, the recent opening of the Türksat Data Center represents an important step in strengthening Türkiye’s digital infrastructure.
The coming period will therefore require a shift from quantitative expansion to qualitative transformation. Türkiye’s new growth equation can be summarized in four mutually reinforcing pillars: price stability, productivity growth, technological transformation and energy security. The ability to combine these pillars will determine how effectively Türkiye can translate global economic change into stronger, more competitive, and more resilient domestic production.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/can-turkiye-keep-pace-with-changing-global-economy
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Colombia to restore relations with Israel and halt embassy plans in Palestine
July 27, 2026
by Eman Abusidu
Colombia’s incoming government is preparing to reverse one of the most significant foreign policy shifts of President Gustavo Petro’s administration by restoring full diplomatic relations with Israel, halting plans to open an embassy in Palestine, and advancing the relocation of Colombia’s embassy to occupied Jerusalem.
The changes, announced by President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, mark a dramatic departure from Petro’s pro-Palestinian foreign policy and signal Colombia’s return to its traditional alignment with Israel and the United States.
De la Espriella announced that his administration will suspend the opening of Colombia’s embassy in Palestine, arguing that the diplomatic mission “never actually became operational.” The decision forms part of a broader restructuring of Colombia’s foreign policy that includes closing several embassies and consulates while consolidating diplomatic missions abroad.
The embassy initiative had been launched under Petro following Colombia’s recognition of the State of Palestine and his government’s decision to establish a permanent diplomatic presence there.
Instead, De la Espriella said his government will open Colombia’s embassy to Israel in Jerusalem—a move that would reverse Petro’s diplomatic initiative and represent one of the most consequential changes in Colombia’s Middle East policy in decades.
The incoming administration has already begun laying the groundwork for renewed relations with Israel. Colombia’s designated foreign minister, Omar Bola Escobar, met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Washington, where both sides agreed to restore diplomatic relations once De la Espriella assumes office on August 7.
According to the announced understandings, both governments plan to exchange ambassadors, restore full diplomatic relations, expand trade and security cooperation, work toward eliminating visa requirements between the two countries and advance plans to relocate Colombia’s embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.
The measures would formally reverse Petro’s decision in May 2024 to sever diplomatic ties with Israel in protest over its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to MEMO, Latin America affairs expert Victorious Bayan Shams said that although economic and security cooperation remain important, they are secondary considerations. “The political dimension is the most important,” he said.
He noted that Colombia had maintained close relations with Israel throughout most of its modern history. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1957, and Colombia opened its embassy in Tel Aviv in 1963.
“Gustavo Petro was the exception in Colombia’s political history,” Shams said, arguing that the incoming government is restoring the country’s traditional alignment with both Washington and Israel.
He added that several right-wing governments in Latin America view strong support for Israel as a means of strengthening relations with the United States and securing American political backing.
Among the most controversial proposals is relocating Colombia’s embassy to occupied Jerusalem. Shams described the move as far more than an administrative diplomatic decision. “It is a political declaration,” he said.
He argued that relocating the embassy would signal complete political alignment with Israel while simultaneously sending a message to Washington that Colombia intends to strengthen strategic ties with the United States. The move would also reflect growing ideological affinity between Colombia’s political right and the current Israeli government.
Shams cautioned against characterizing Israel’s renewed engagement with Colombia as an effort to break complete diplomatic isolation in Latin America.
Israel has continued maintaining relations with several governments across the region despite the rise of left-wing administrations during recent years. Nevertheless, Colombia remains strategically important because of its political influence, military cooperation, and regional standing. Restoring Bogotá as a close regional partner therefore represents a significant diplomatic victory for Israel.
Looking ahead, Shams believes the Palestinian cause in Colombia will increasingly depend on civil society, grassroots activism, and the political legacy Petro leaves behind. “The next Colombian government may be able to change official policy,” he said, “but it will not easily erase the transformation that has taken place in the awareness of broad sectors of Colombian society regarding the occupation and the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
Despite the expected diplomatic reversal, Shams believes Petro leaves behind a lasting political legacy. He argues that Petro fundamentally changed Colombian public perceptions of Palestine. Since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza, Colombia has witnessed repeated demonstrations outside the former Israeli embassy in Bogotá, alongside numerous solidarity events supporting Palestinians.
According to Shams, Petro helped expose wider segments of Colombian society to the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. “Petro opened the eyes of sectors of Colombian society to the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he said. He believes sympathy for Palestine has grown significantly in recent years and is no longer confined to small political movements but has become part of mainstream public debate.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260727-colombia-to-restore-relations-with-israel-and-halt-embassy-plans-in-palestine/
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Indonesia cannot claim solidarity with Palestine while it maintains ties with Elbit
by Dr. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
July 27, 2026
A photograph is circulating from the Farnborough International Airshow in England, held from 20 to 24 July. It shows Lieutenant General Rui F.G.P. Duarte, a senior Indonesian defence official, posing in front of the stand of Elbit Systems. Elbit is Israel’s largest privately owned arms company, and one of the main manufacturers arming the assault on Gaza.
Duarte was there representing Indonesia’s defence minister. The visit itself came through Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence, which confirmed that Duarte attended Farnborough from 20 to 24 July on the minister’s behalf. The photo of him at the Elbit stand was then posted by the ministry itself, on its own Instagram account. Nobody forced this photograph into existence. Jakarta published it, proudly, as if there were nothing to hide.
This is the point the photograph proves: solidarity and Elbit cannot coexist. A government that poses beside this company’s logo, however briefly, has already answered the question of where its real loyalties lie.
Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Its passports carry travel restrictions to Israel. Its foreign ministry never stops repeating its support for Palestinians. Indonesian students, Islamic mass organisations, and ordinary citizens have spent two years organising boycotts of companies tied to the genocide in Gaza. Indonesia’s public image is built on the Palestinian cause more than almost any other country outside the Middle East. That is exactly why this photograph is a betrayal, not a footnote.
Start with what Elbit actually is. Elbit is not on the sidelines of this war. It is one of the companies that makes the war possible. According to Campaign Against Arms Trade, Elbit is Israel’s leading supplier of tank and artillery munitions, through its land division, which absorbed the formerly state-owned Israel Military Industries after Elbit acquired it in 2018.
Elbit’s Lidar, laser imaging and ranging technology, has reportedly been used to map Gaza’s underground tunnel networks. Its Hermes 450 drone was named by The Intercept as the aircraft used in the widely publicised 2014 killing of four Palestinian children playing on a beach in Gaza. Its drones have since been implicated in attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza in April 2024, and in strikes in southern Lebanon in March 2024. In 2021, the Israeli military deployed Hermes 900 drones over Gaza equipped with Spike MR guided missiles. Elbit’s technology also equips Israel’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets, built by Lockheed Martin, which have flattened entire neighbourhoods in Gaza, and Elbit is heavily involved in the training facilities of Israel’s air force.
Even some Western governments, longtime backers of Israel, have started putting distance between themselves and this company. French authorities shut down and blacked out the stands of five Israeli defence firms at the Paris Air Show, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, UVision, Elbit Systems and Aeronautics, using black partitions, after Israel refused to remove offensive weapons from the displays as agreed.
Spain cancelled a roughly €700 million contract with Elbit for PULS precision artillery systems, a deal that had been agreed roughly two years earlier. Activists around the world have pushed institutions from MIT in the United States, to city councils in Canada, the United Kingdom and Romania, into cutting ties with Elbit. Bolivia, Belize, Colombia and Nicaragua have gone further still, severing diplomatic relations with Israel entirely over the war.
So while other states are scrambling to distance themselves from this company, an Indonesian officer walked up to its stand and posed for the camera. Indonesia had nothing to lose by staying away. It chose not to.
This is the part Jakarta hopes nobody looks at too closely. Indonesia’s military relationship with Israel is not a one-off lapse. It is a structural feature of the Indonesian security establishment, documented in detail by Israel’s own military-intelligence archives, going back to 1968, when quiet, unofficial military and intelligence contacts opened between the two states.
By 1971, Indonesia was buying counter-battery radar, for accurate artillery fire, from Israel Military Industries, the very company Elbit later absorbed. In March 1974, a team of 27 officers and 90 soldiers from the Indonesian Army travelled to Israel for a two-month course in artillery radar, land surveillance, electronic intelligence and signals intelligence, run by the Israeli Army. In January 1975, a 60-man team from the Indonesian Navy and Air Force went to Israel to learn special insertion techniques and covert operations from Shayetet 13 and the Israeli Navy. That November, the result of this training was the establishment of a Special Forces Training School, which trained small Kopassus units in airborne and seaborne insertion.
In August 1976, the Indonesian and Israeli Air Force chiefs of s taff met during a supposedly coincidental visit to Tehran, to discuss Indonesia’s procurement of 35 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter aircraft from Israel, which were ultimately delivered in 1981 and 1982.
In 2006, Indonesia made a $6 million deal with the Philippine company Kital for the delivery of four Israeli Searcher-II drones, intended for surveillance of the Indonesian archipelago and the Malacca Strait. Indonesian forces have also been reported using riot-control vehicles from the Israeli company Beit Alfa Technologies, though no public data exists on exactly how many were purchased.
In 2021, Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency, BPS, recorded arms imports from Israel under three separate Harmonized System codes: one covering artillery weapons such as rifles, mortars and howitzers, one covering spare parts and accessories for revolvers and pistols, and one covering spare parts and accessories for revolvers and sighting or heading guns. That same November, Israel’s National Security Adviser, Eyal Hulata, and the chargé d’affaires at Israel’s Manama embassy, Itay Tagner, were documented meeting Indonesia’s defence minister at an international event in Bahrain.
In 2022, Indonesia took part, alongside Israel and 24 other nations, in Rim of the Pacific, RIMPAC, the world’s largest maritime exercise, hosted by the United States Third Fleet off Hawaii and Southern California. And since 2009, a chamber of commerce promoting Israeli-Indonesian trade, a subsidiary of the Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce, has operated quietly out of Tel Aviv, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
None of this is compatible with the story Jakarta tells the world, and tells its own people, about where it stands.
This photograph does not create a scandal out of nothing. It rips the curtain off one that Jakarta has hidden behind for over fifty years. For decades, the Indonesian government has kept two things in separate rooms: loud, public statements of solidarity with Palestinians, and quiet, deniable military ties with Israel and Israeli-linked arms companies. That arrangement is no longer sustainable, and it was never honest to begin with. A country cannot claim solidarity with Palestine while any part of its state maintains ties, however indirect, with Elbit Systems. The two positions cancel each other out.
Statements of solidarity cost Jakarta nothing. Access to Israeli radar, drones and training has evidently been judged worth the risk, a risk the government clearly did not expect to materialise in a single Instagram post.
Palestinians do not need Indonesian hashtags. They need governments that put their money and their military procurement where their mouths are. Every dollar of Indonesian public money that ends up, even indirectly, propping up Elbit or any other arm of the war on Gaza is a direct betrayal of the solidarity Jakarta claims to embody.
The Indonesian government owes its own people, who overwhelmingly support Palestinian freedom, a real explanation, not a vague line about “diversifying suppliers,” but a full public accounting of every military, intelligence and commercial tie it has maintained with Israel and Israeli arms companies since 1968, and a clear commitment to end all of them, starting with Elbit. Anything less is complicity dressed up as neutrality.
The ministry will likely call the Farnborough visit routine diplomatic courtesy. It may point to the need to diversify arms suppliers in an unstable global market. Both claims might be technically true. Neither one changes the test: you cannot stand with Palestine and stand beside Elbit. Indonesia is currently failing.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260727-indonesia-cannot-claim-solidarity-with-palestine-while-it-maintains-ties-with-elbit/
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‘They Created Hell on Earth’: Roger Waters on Palestine, Apartheid and the Cost of Speaking Out
July 28, 2026
By Romana Rubeo
‘I Saw the Apartheid’
Rock legend and Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has said that witnessing Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank transformed his understanding of Palestine and compelled him to become an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson published earlier this month, Waters reflected on his first visits to Palestine and the experiences that led him to challenge what he described as years of misleading propaganda about Israel.
“I believed all the propaganda of the socialist Israelis with their democratic ways,” Waters said. “And then I went there and I saw the apartheid.”
The British musician said his decision to speak publicly about Palestine has come at a high personal and professional cost, including canceled concerts, pressure on charities and efforts to prevent him from securing accommodation while touring.
‘Hell on Earth’
Waters said he had initially planned to perform in Tel Aviv but canceled the concert and instead appeared in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a village founded by Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel.
He later traveled extensively across the occupied West Bank with representatives of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA.
One conversation during a journey toward Jenin, he said, fundamentally altered his perspective.
“We were driving north towards Jenin one day and I went, ‘Well at least they have nice roads,’” Waters recalled. A UNRWA official traveling with him reportedly replied: “Yeah, if you’re Jewish.”
When Waters asked what she meant, she told him that Palestinians were prohibited from driving on the road.
“I didn’t believe it,” he said. “But I did after a bit, and I saw. It was just hell on Earth.”
“They’ve created hell on Earth,” Waters added.
The occupied West Bank contains an extensive network of roads, checkpoints and military zones that impose severe restrictions on Palestinian movement while serving illegal Israeli settlements.
‘You Cannot Allow Apartheid’
Waters said the experience convinced him that silence was no longer an option.
“I decided that I would be vocal and do anything that I could to help my Palestinian brothers and sisters to achieve equal human rights with their Jewish brothers and sisters between the Jordan River and the sea,” he said.
He emphasized that his position was based on equal rights rather than violence.
“Not asking anyone to kill anyone,” Waters said. “But you cannot allow apartheid societies to spring up in the world.”
The musician has since become one of the most prominent international artists supporting Palestinian rights and the cultural boycott of Israel.
He has repeatedly condemned Israel’s occupation, apartheid system and genocide in Gaza.
‘Destroy My Career’
Waters said his advocacy triggered a sustained effort to undermine him professionally.
“The Israeli lobby in America, particularly, were not best pleased,” he said. “They have, ever since then, done everything that they can to destroy my career.”
Waters said those efforts had failed. “They have failed,” he added. “I fight back.”
He stated that organizations and donors pressured charities to end their associations with him because of his criticism of Israel. One example involved Stand Up for Heroes, a benefit supporting wounded US military veterans.
Waters said organizers informed him that he could no longer participate because of pressure from pro-Israel groups. “It was the Israeli lobby who have decided that you can’t do it anymore,” Waters recalled being told.
“So you’re not allowed to help veterans if you criticize Israel,” he responded. “That’s correct,” he said the organizers replied.
Waters said similar pressure was applied to City Harvest, a New York-based food charity with which he had volunteered.
“They told City Harvest the same thing,” he said. “‘Not a single cent from any of us if you go on dealing with Roger Waters.’”
Concerts and Hotels
Waters said the consequences of his activism also followed him during his 2023 international tour. He said that he was unable to secure hotel accommodations in Buenos Aires, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay.
“I couldn’t find a hotel to stay anywhere in Buenos Aires or in Colombia or in Ecuador,” he said.
Asked why, Waters replied that organized pro-Israel networks were responsible. “There’s an Israeli lobby that is very organized in all of those places,” he said.
He also referred to attempts to cancel his concerts in Europe.
“They did cancel my gig in Krakow in Poland,” Waters said, adding that efforts were also made to prevent him from performing in Frankfurt.
Asked why the concerts were targeted, he replied: “On the grounds that they wanted to cancel me because I was critical of the genocide.”
“I’m against genocide,” he added.
Gaza and Iran
Waters also addressed Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the recent military attacks on Iran. He described the campaign against Iran as “despicable” and questioned the justification for the attacks.
“What have they done?” he asked. “Certainly posing no threat to anyone in the United States of America or Israel, as far as we can tell. None.”
Waters warned that the widening regional war could trigger a global catastrophe.
“This could end in a nuclear conflagration at any minute,” he said.
He argued that ordinary people had a responsibility to oppose war and militarism. “We the people have to come together and raise our voice whenever we get the chance to do it, because we are many and they are few.”
‘Nothing against Jewish People’
Throughout the interview, Waters rejected attempts to portray his criticism of Israel as hostility toward Jewish people.
“I’ve got nothing against Jewish people — nothing,” he said. “I couldn’t care less what religion anybody is.”
Waters said his activism and artistic work were grounded in opposition to oppression and a belief in shared humanity. “Every word I’ve ever written is about encouraging empathy,” he said.
Recalling a line from one of his favorite books, Waters summarized the principle that he said had guided his life and work.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” he asked. “Kind.”
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/they-created-hell-on-earth-roger-waters-on-palestine-apartheid-and-the-cost-of-speaking-out/
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Mark Ruffalo Calls Netanyahu ‘Murderous Maniac’ after ICC Prosecutor’s Removal
July 28, 2026
Ruffalo Condemns Netanyahu
American actor Mark Ruffalo sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the dismissal of former International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan, saying the move would not shield the Israeli leader from accountability for alleged crimes committed in Gaza.
Writing on X on Sunday, Ruffalo addressed Netanyahu directly.
“You are a murderous maniac Benjamin Netanyahu,” he wrote.
The actor argued that lobbying to remove Khan, who sought and later secured ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, would not erase the legal case against them.
“Removing Karim Khan doesn’t make the war crimes disappear or your guilt is assuaged,” Ruffalo wrote.
“You will not lobby history. You will always be remembered as a murderous maniac. You will not outrun justice,” he added.
Netanyahu Welcomed Khan’s Dismissal
Ruffalo’s comments came two days after ICC member states voted to dismiss Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct, which the former prosecutor has consistently denied.
The vote took place during a special session of the Assembly of States Parties at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where member states approved Khan’s removal after recommendations by the court’s governing bureau.
Khan has announced that he intends to challenge the decision through legal channels.
Netanyahu welcomed Khan’s dismissal, calling the former prosecutor a “fraud” and alleging that he pursued the Gaza case to divert attention from the misconduct allegations against him.
The Israeli prime minister also confirmed that he still intends to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly despite the outstanding ICC arrest warrant.
ICC Warrants Remain in Force
Legal experts have stressed that Khan’s dismissal does not affect the validity of the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and Gallant.
Former Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said last week that the warrants were approved by ICC judges, not by Khan alone, and therefore remain legally valid regardless of the prosecutor’s removal.
“So whatever is wrong with Karim Khan, it doesn’t matter at this stage because the judges have found there’s sufficient evidence to go forward,” Roth said.
“The charges are the product of the work of a broad number of ICC staff members, not just the prosecutor. So these charges will stand and they will be assessed by the judges,” he added.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024, finding reasonable grounds to believe they bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Growing Pressure on the Court
Khan’s removal follows months of mounting political pressure on the ICC after he sought arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials.
Since announcing the warrants in May 2024, the court has faced sustained criticism from Israel and the United States. Washington subsequently imposed sanctions on Khan and other ICC officials over the Gaza investigation, while Israeli officials launched diplomatic efforts to undermine the court’s actions.
Despite those developments, the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant remain in force.
Ruffalo’s Longstanding Support for Palestinians
Ruffalo has been among the most outspoken Hollywood figures supporting Palestinian rights since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The Academy Award-nominated actor has repeatedly described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and ethnic cleansing and has called for an immediate ceasefire, accountability for violations of international law, and increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/mark-ruffalo-calls-netanyahu-murderous-maniac-after-icc-prosecutors-removal/
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‘Thank You, Layan’: Sánchez’s Message to a Palestinian Girl Resonates Across Gaza
July 27, 2026
A mural painted on the wall of a bomb-damaged building in Gaza has sparked an extraordinary exchange between a Palestinian child and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, highlighting the growing bond between Spain and Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Strip.
The story began when Layan Al-Qawqa, a young girl from Gaza, shared a video standing beside a mural she had helped create depicting Sánchez.
Addressing viewers in both Arabic and Spanish, Layan explained that the artwork was more than a painting.
“This is not just a drawing on a wall,” she said.
“We all worked very hard on it because we wanted our message to reach the Spanish people.”
She added that the mural was painted “with love” to thank both Spain and its prime minister “for his humanitarian position.”
Celebrating Spain’s victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Layan said Gazans wanted to congratulate the Spanish people “from the heart of Gaza.”
“We hope this mural reaches every home in Spain because it was painted with love, hope and gratitude.”
Sánchez Responds
Less than a week later, Sánchez answered.
In a video posted on his official Instagram account, the Spanish prime minister addressed Layan directly.
“Thank you, Layan, and thank you to the artists for this beautiful gesture.”
He also thanked Palestinians “who, amid all this pain, found a moment to send us your affection.”
Speaking directly to Gaza’s children and families, Sánchez added:
“The entire Spanish society hears you, sees you and cares for you.”
He said he hoped the day would soon come when Gaza’s children could once again “paint in their schools without fear” and grow up “in peace.”
The message concluded with Sánchez sending “a big hug from Spain.”
‘We Share the Same Hearts’
The reply deeply moved Layan, who later recorded another video after Sánchez’s message spread widely across social media.
“For the first time, a prime minister replied to a child from Gaza,” she said.
“When I heard my name—’Layan’—from your lips, I couldn’t believe it.”
hanking Spain, its people and Sánchez personally, she added:
“Even though we do not speak the same language, we share the same compassionate hearts.”
The young Palestinian also thanked everyone who had supported Gaza.
A Bond Forged through Solidarity
The exchange came as Gazans celebrated Spain’s World Cup triumph, with many residents saying they had supported La Roja throughout the tournament.
For many Palestinians, Spain has become more than a football team.
Residents interviewed during the celebrations said their support reflected Spain’s consistent political positions on Palestine, as well as repeated expressions of solidarity by Spanish players—including Lamine Yamal, who has publicly displayed the Palestinian flag on several occasions.
In cafés and shelters across Gaza, celebrations of Spain’s victory became expressions of gratitude toward a country many Palestinians see as standing with them during one of the darkest chapters in Gaza’s history.
Spain’s Position on Palestine
The emotional exchange also reflects Spain’s increasingly prominent role in advocating for Palestinian rights on the international stage.
In May 2024, Spain formally recognized the State of Palestine alongside Ireland and Norway, describing the move as consistent with international law and UN resolutions.
Sánchez has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, expanded humanitarian access, and renewed efforts toward an independent Palestinian state.
Against the backdrop of continuing devastation in Gaza, Layan’s mural—and Sánchez’s reply—became more than a social media moment.
It offered a rare reminder that, even amid war, gestures of solidarity can travel from the ruins of Gaza to the highest levels of political leadership, and back again.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/thank-you-layan-sanchezs-message-to-a-palestinian-girl-resonates-across-gaza/
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Vance, Top General Warn Trump against Escalating Iran War – Report
July 27, 2026
Risks of Escalating War
Vice President JD Vance and the highest-ranking US military officer warned President Donald Trump about the risks of escalating the war against Iran shortly before Washington paused nearly two weeks of consecutive bombing, according to a CNN report.
Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine both raised concerns during a White House meeting on Friday as Trump considered launching a broader and more destructive attack on Iran.
A Defense Department source told CNN on Saturday that US military operations against Iran were “on a hold” following 13 consecutive nights of strikes.
It remains unclear whether concerns about depleted weapons inventories, civilian casualties or regional escalation directly led to the pause, or how long the suspension will last.
Weapons Stocks under Pressure
Caine specifically warned Trump about the condition of US munitions stockpiles and other potential consequences of an expanded campaign, according to officials familiar with the meeting.
The general reportedly told the president that the military could successfully carry out the available options, but cautioned him about their broader implications.
US stocks of advanced interceptors and precision-guided weapons have come under mounting strain during the war, with officials warning that the defense industry cannot replace missiles as quickly as they are being fired.
Caine and other military leaders had reportedly warned Trump before the war that a prolonged campaign could significantly weaken US weapons inventories.
The Pentagon has nevertheless insisted that the military retains sufficient capabilities.
“America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing,” Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said, according to the report.
He added that the US possesses “a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”
Warnings of Mass Civilian Casualties
The potential for a large number of Iranian civilian deaths was also raised during Friday’s meeting.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike civilian infrastructure, including power plants, bridges and roads.
Attacks deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure could constitute war crimes and could leave large numbers of people without electricity, food, clean water or other essential services.
Trump was warned that a major escalation could kill scores of Iranians and expose many more to prolonged suffering, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
Most advisers reportedly told the president that the US military was capable of carrying out a devastating attack but urged him to consider the second- and third-order consequences.
Refugee Crisis and Gulf Retaliation
Officials also raised the possibility that a wider US assault could trigger a major refugee crisis and expand the war across the region.
Iran could retaliate by striking energy facilities and desalination infrastructure in Gulf countries that host US forces or support Washington’s military operations.
Such attacks could disrupt oil production, electricity supplies and access to drinking water across the region.
Gulf governments have urged the Trump administration to exercise restraint, although officials acknowledged that Washington possesses military capabilities that could dramatically escalate the conflict.
The discussions reflected growing concern among US allies that another major round of attacks could expose their territory and critical infrastructure to Iranian retaliation.
The apparent suspension followed almost two weeks of nightly US attacks on Iranian targets.
‘Keep Talking’
Trump said after Friday’s meeting that US officials remained engaged in negotiations with Iran.
He also suggested that the bombing could resume or intensify, saying Washington could deliver “a heavier dose.”
The president claimed Iran appeared to be becoming “more serious” in the negotiations.
Even while publicly considering a massive attack, Trump privately instructed his negotiators to “keep talking,” according to CNN.
Ukraine, Yemen and Iran
US officials have increasingly acknowledged that weapons used in Ukraine, Yemen and Iran have placed pressure on American inventories.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Sunday that the administration inherited depleted munitions stocks.
“We inherited a difficult situation with many of our munitions having been given over in Ukraine,” Waltz told Fox News.
“A lot of them (were) expended in the Houthis (Ansarallah – PC), but we are rebuilding with cheaper, faster, more technologically capable (weapons) as we are conducting this campaign,” he added.
US forces have fired large numbers of air-defense interceptors against Iranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
Those weapons are also considered essential for defending US troops and preparing for potential conflicts elsewhere, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
Democrats Call for End to War
Democratic lawmakers accused the administration of recklessly entering a war that is exhausting US military resources.
“We should never have gotten into this senseless war, and we should end it now,” Senator Chris Van Hollen said on ABC’s This Week.
“We have depleted our interceptors, which are the weapons we use to intercept incoming Iranian attacks, which are obviously necessary to protect American troops,” he added.
Van Hollen warned that the US was consuming those weapons daily despite the possibility of other conflicts developing around the world.
The warnings echoed concerns raised inside the Pentagon that every missile used against Iran reduces the number available for another military theater.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/vance-top-general-warn-trump-against-escalating-iran-war-report/
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