West Bank olive harvest begins amid settler attacks on Palestinians, groves Between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinian families in the West Bank rely on the olive harvest for primary or secondary sources of income, according to the United Nations. Palestine
Culture Algeria moves to restore death penalty for arson: What to know President Abdelmadjid Tebboune wants a return to executions after another summer of devastating wild fires, but rights groups say the amendment passed by parliament is problematic. Algeria
Israel, Turkey, Iran offer aid as Venezuela’s 2 quakes kill at least 188 Iran, Turkey and Israel were among the first countries to offer assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela despite their varying diplomatic relationships with Caracas. Turkey
Interview UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable' Abdulla Balalaa, UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability, spoke to Al-Monitor about the situation in the Gulf along with the UAE's focus on promoting privatization in the water sector and the 2026 UN Water Conference. Abdulla Balalaa UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability
Analysis Iran’s mismanagement in focus as fires ravage 25-million-year-old forests By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Israel suspends fuel-transport deal with UAE The environmental decision to halt the fuel-transport deal with the Emirates created the first real diplomatic crisis between the countries since the signing of the Abraham Accords. Israel
Al-Azhar sheikh demands 'serious action' on climate change The leading Sunni Muslim religious authority's comments followed floods in Turkey and scorching temperatures in Iraq, among other issues. News Brief
New environment minister has ambitious plans for Israel New Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg has announced some lofty goals, including raising the target for renewable energy to 40% by 2030. Israel
Ancient fossilized fish found in Egypt that survived in hot waters Fossilized fish dating back 56 million years have been discovered in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, shedding light on a time period when Earth was experiencing massive warming. Culture
Massive Turkey-led logging in Iraqi Kurdistan causes outcry Extensive logging led by Turkey in Iraqi Kurdistan has set off an outcry, fueling the already strong anger toward the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq. Turkey
UN urges Houthis to permit inspection of aging oil tanker The Houthis, who control access to the FSO Safer, have prevented the UN from sending a technical team to assess the risk of a potential massive oil spill. Yemen
Environmentalists call Eilat oil shipping disaster waiting to happen Environmental groups claim that the new project to transport Gulf oil via Eilat to Europe is likely to damage the local unique coral reef. Israel
Saudi Arabia plans to plant 10 billion trees in the desert Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s tree-planting program raises environmental awareness, helps society reconnect to nature and creates employment opportunities for rural communities. Legacy: Gulf
Qatar LNG expansion plan turns spotlight back on methane emissions The natural gas industry is a major emitter of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that receives less attention than carbon dioxide, despite having a much higher warming potential. Qatar
Israel protects two rare fish species in Mediterranean Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel published a law amendment to protect the Goldblotch grouper fish and the dusky groupers, but marine life lovers say the measures are not enough to ensure the recovery of these species. Israel
Oil spill in Mediterranean reaches besieged Gaza Strip An oil spill in the Mediterranean washed up to the shores of the Gaza Strip, threatening the fish wealth and the beach season amid great challenges for government agencies in Gaza to clean the beach given their lack of appropriate resources. Palestine
Egypt forges ahead with campaign to make the Nile 100% plastic free The VeryNile initiative has been working since 2018 to remove plastic waste from the Nile River and has launched a project to support the fishermen of Cairo by providing them with additional income and access to health services. Egypt
