Global Pulse

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  • ‘If only people knew what a tick could do’ – the deadly meat allergies caused by tick bites

    ‘If only people knew what a tick could do’ – the deadly meat allergies caused by tick bites

    Five years after a misdiagnosed allergic reaction nearly killed her 15-year-old son, Myfanwy Webb carries a quiet, heavy regret, looking back at the birthday lunch that set off a chain of missed warnings. Hours after the celebration, Jeremy Webb, a lifelong asthma sufferer, developed severe breathing trouble and vomiting. Paramedics rushed him to hospital, where clinicians flagged a possible meat allergy but ultimately chalked the episode up to an asthma flare-up, sending him home the next day without additional testing or a life-saving EpiPen.

    “I made the wrong decision,” Webb said in an interview, reflecting that she should have pushed for more comprehensive testing. Had clinicians confirmed the reaction was anaphylaxis, her son would have left the hospital with the emergency adrenaline auto-injector that could have saved his life a little over a year later.

    In June 2022, 16-year-old Jeremy died on a coastal camping trip north of Sydney, Australia, after eating a single beef sausage. The death was initially ruled an asthma attack, but a coroner’s inquest pushed by the Webb family delivered a final, groundbreaking ruling in February: Jeremy’s death was caused by tick-induced mammalian meat allergy (MMA), also known as alpha-gal syndrome. His death marks the first globally documented fatal case of MMA directly triggered by eating meat, shining a harsh new light on a little-understood, fast-growing allergy that public health experts warn poses an underrecognized deadly threat.

    Decades before Jeremy’s death, in 2007, Australian allergist Professor Sheryl van Nunen first made the landmark connection between tick bites and MMA, after noticing a clear correlation between exposure and patient symptoms at her Sydney clinic. Australia’s east coast, particularly the region north of Sydney where Jeremy grew up surrounded by dense bushland, is one of only two confirmed global hotspots for the condition — the other is the southeastern United States, though cases have now been recorded on every continent where ticks live.

    In Australia, MMA is caused by bites from the eastern paralysis tick, *Ixodes holocyclus*. Professor van Nunen explains that after two bites, half of all people develop antibodies to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule found in tick saliva. Once sensitized, 15 to 20% of these people develop an allergic reaction to red meat and other mammalian products.

    Tick expert Dr. Alex Gofton, who recently led a major study into MMA’s spread in Australia, says there are several leading hypotheses for why the east coast has become such a concentrated hotspot. Over the past three decades, the population of tick-endemic coastal bush regions has grown dramatically, bringing more humans into regular contact with ticks. The 2020–2023 La Niña years, which brought record rainfall to eastern Australia, created ideal breeding conditions for tick populations, while the COVID-19 pandemic pushed thousands of city residents to relocate to regional bush areas, further increasing exposure.

    Diagnosed cases of MMA have risen 22% annually in Australia since 2000, and Dr. Gofton’s research using national lab data confirms more than 5,000 confirmed and suspected cases across the country — a figure he says is a massive undercount of the true prevalence of the condition. In some hotspot areas, rates exceed 700 cases per 100,000 people.

    Despite the growing spread, diagnosing MMA remains notoriously difficult. Symptoms typically develop three to six hours after eating red meat, meaning they often appear overnight, long after most people have finished their evening meal. For asthma sufferers, anaphylaxis symptoms are frequently mistaken for an asthma attack, as was the case with Jeremy, and the allergy is unpredictable: reactions do not happen after every exposure, and severity varies wildly based on factors including the cut of meat, how it is cooked, whether the person drinks alcohol with the meal, exercises after eating, or is sleep deprived. Professor van Nunen calls MMA an “anytime but not every time allergy.”

    For people with severe hypersensitivity, even indirect exposure can trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis. Sensitized people can react to mammalian derivatives ranging from cow’s milk and gelatin to lanolin in beauty products and laundry softeners, and even stearic acid found in some supermarket plastic bags. Fumes from cooking red meat at barbecues, or close contact with domestic pets that have eaten mammal-based pet food, can also trigger reactions.

    Elizabeth Rowley, a mother of three living in the New South Wales mid-north coast, spent more than 15 years seeking a diagnosis for a mysterious set of symptoms that included memory loss, chronic brain fog, chest pain, full-body aches, and frequent fainting from breathing difficulties. Many clinicians dismissed her symptoms as hypochondria, telling her “it’s not anaphylaxis, get over it.”

    “It was just mentally horrendous more than anything, just trying to find out what it was. I thought I was going crazy,” Rowley said. After finally receiving an MMA diagnosis, she launched a popular Facebook support group for undiagnosed and misdiagnosed sufferers. For many, the condition upends every part of daily life: Rowley was forced to leave multiple bookkeeping jobs after workplace triggers, from restaurant fumes in shopping centers to a boss’s daily morning toast with butter, triggered constant severe reactions. Social events like barbecues and restaurant dinners, core parts of Australian community life, are often off-limits, making casual gathering nearly impossible.

    For 23-year-old Sydney psychology student Remy Williams, who was diagnosed with MMA as a child, the constant need for vigilance around food triggered an eating disorder. She says the most traumatic experience was watching her mother, who also lives with MMA, suffer two near-fatal anaphylactic attacks on commercial flights, one of which almost killed her in front of Remy. “It was incredibly scary,” she said.

    Professor van Nunen’s greatest public health concern is the 85% of people who have developed alpha-gal antibodies — meaning they are sensitized to MMA — but have never experienced a reaction after eating meat, and have no idea they carry the allergy. These asymptomatic sensitized people are still at risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis from medical products containing mammalian derivatives, including gelatin-based vaccines and some cancer treatments. At least two confirmed deaths have already been linked to these hidden triggers: one colon cancer patient died after anaphylaxis triggered by the drug cetuximab, and another died after a blood transfusion contaminated with alpha-gal. Professor van Nunen says the true number of MMA-related deaths is far higher than officially recorded, with only two cases well-documented to date: an American commercial pilot who died after eating a hamburger in 2024, and Jeremy Webb.

    Professor van Nunen notes a critical takeaway from Jeremy’s death: 94.8% of people who die from food allergy-induced anaphylaxis have pre-existing asthma, and the allergic reaction triggers a severe, rapid-onset asthma attack called status asthmaticus that can cause respiratory arrest in as little as four minutes without emergency intubation.

    Since her son’s death, Myfanwy Webb has turned her grief into action, drawing on Jeremy’s own famously positive approach to life to drive public health change. “He fitted everything into it, wouldn’t waste a minute,” Webb said of her son, who loved restoring old car motors. Today, she is working to raise global awareness of MMA, improve clinical diagnostic protocols, and prevent other families from enduring the same loss. She has collaborated with the hospital that misdiagnosed Jeremy to develop new clinician training for MMA, and is co-authoring a research paper with Professor van Nunen that will be presented at an international allergy conference later this year.

    “Now Jeremy’s positive spin is actually helping people, even though he’s passed,” Webb said. “I think he’d be really pleased with us.”

    Public Health Guidance to Prevent Tick Bites and MMA:
    1. When visiting bushland or tick-endemic areas, wear long clothing, tuck socks into trousers, and choose light-colored fabrics to make ticks easier to spot quickly
    2. Avoid lying or picnicking directly on bare ground
    3. Use EPA-approved insect repellents containing DEET or picaridin
    4. Check your entire body (and your pets) for ticks after spending time in tick territory
    5. If bitten by a tick, follow the “freeze don’t squeeze” rule: use a commercial tick-killing spray to kill the tick and let it detach on its own, rather than squeezing it with tweezers, which can force additional toxins and alpha-gal into the bloodstream

  • ‘A triumphant failure’: How Israel’s use of social media influencers to win back support backfired

    ‘A triumphant failure’: How Israel’s use of social media influencers to win back support backfired

    Against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza that has drawn widespread global condemnation, a multi-hundred-million-dollar investment in social media public diplomacy—known locally as Hasbara—has failed to reverse plummeting support for Israel across Western nations, particularly among younger demographics, regional analysts have confirmed in an interview with Middle East Eye.

    A March Pew Research Center survey underscores this shifting sentiment: 60% of the American general public now holds an unfavorable view of Israel. The trend crosses partisan lines among younger voters, with 57% of Republicans under 50 and 84% of Democrats under 50 registering unfavorable opinions. Analysts broadly attribute this shift to the growing reliance of young people on social media for news, rather than mainstream Western outlets that have historically maintained overwhelmingly pro-Israel framing.

    To counter this grassroots shift in public opinion, Israeli lawmakers approved a historic $730 million Hasbara budget in March 2025—nearly five times the previous year’s allocation, which itself was 20 times higher than pre-2023 levels. In September 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a group of high-profile American influencers in New York to recruit them to amplify pro-Israel messaging to U.S. audiences. During the meeting, Netanyahu framed social media as the most critical battlefield for Israel’s public relations campaign, noting “We have to fight with weapons that apply to the battlefields in which we’re engaged in and the most important ones are on social media.” He also praised the recent acquisition of TikTok’s U.S. operations by American billionaire Larry Ellison and other pro-Israel business leaders, calling it “the most important purchase going on right now.”

    As part of its coordinated propaganda campaign, Israel has launched covert public relations initiatives, including a secret operation code-named the “Esther Project,” which hired global corporate public relations firms to manage networks of paid influencers. U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings show Israel paid participating influencers up to $7,000 per post through its contractor Bridges Partners, which partnered with global advertising giant Havas Media Group Germany on the formal “Influencer Campaign.” Havas also signed a $15 million contract with Clock Tower X, a firm founded by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale. That contract was recently exposed as backing a covert social media campaign targeting the Biden administration’s ceasefire agreement with Iran on Israel’s behalf.

    Last week, Time Magazine published a report revealing that participating influencers received detailed scripting guidance for posts on platforms including X, Instagram, and TikTok in private group chats, with payouts reaching up to $4,250 per approved post. Separately, Wall Street Journal reporting documented a proposal from a U.S.-based group called Show Faith by Works to spend more than $3 million pushing pro-Israel messaging to megachurch attendees and Christian college students across the American Southwest, with a planned reach of 4 million people through partnerships with churches, pastors and Christian social media creators. Group founder Chad Schnitger later confirmed the organization has scrapped those plans.

    Additional details about Israel’s global Hasbara infrastructure emerged in April 2025, when Ella Kenan, a former captain in Israeli military intelligence, disclosed at a New York conference that she had coordinated with a network of 60,000 international influencers to shape public narratives in Israel’s favor after the October 7, 2023 attacks. Kenan founded the organization Bright Mind to counter what she frames as misinformation about Israel, and claimed her network’s content—much of it produced for non-Jewish influencers to share—has amassed nearly 3 billion views across social platforms. She also took credit for coining the slogan “Hamas is ISIS,” which was later adopted by global leaders including former U.S. President Joe Biden.

    The Israeli Foreign Ministry has also launched targeted outreach to right-wing American creators, funding an Israel tour for influencers associated with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement through a $86,000 contract with nonprofit Israel365. The trip brought 16 U.S.-based influencers under 30 to Israel to encourage them to share messaging aligned with the Israeli government with their large followings of young conservative Christians.

    One high-profile misstep in this outreach came recently when U.S. right-wing influencer Clavicular—real name Braden Eric Peters, a leading figure in the male “looksmaxxing” internet subculture—faced widespread backlash after visiting Israel to address past accusations of antisemitism. Clavicular had previously appeared alongside self-described misogynist Andrew Tate and white nationalist Nick Fuentes while singing lyrics from Kanye West’s song “Heil Hitler.” During the visit, which was promoted as “Israelmaxxing” by pro-Israel right-wing outlet The Free Press, Clavicular appeared on a livestream with Shira Braun, a soldier in the Israeli army’s Spokesperson Unit (the military’s official propaganda wing), and asked her if he would be paid $7,000 for sharing pro-Israel posts. Braun was subsequently removed from her role as social media coordinator and barred from continuing the position. Clavicular was also publicly confronted by Israeli citizens over his past antisemitic comments, and the entire incident failed to produce the polished positive publicity Israeli officials had planned for.

    Marc Owen Jones, associate professor of media analytics at Northwestern University, explained to Middle East Eye that modern pro-Israel propaganda campaigns have shifted away from reliance on official government accounts, instead operating through hybrid networks that blend state institutions, advocacy groups, private donors, diaspora organizations and independent content creators, blurring the line between official public diplomacy and decentralized grassroots digital advocacy. “The strategy contains an inherent trade-off: influencers derive much of their persuasive power from perceived authenticity, yet overt coordination or sponsorship can undermine that credibility and generate backlash,” Jones said, pointing to the Clavicular incident as a clear example of this flaw.

    Rachel Lester, a former Israeli military spokesperson who spent four years producing social media content for the Spokesperson Unit’s international branch, acknowledged in an interview with The Media Line that Israel cannot win the online battle against rising anti-Israel sentiment. “Our enemies are too good at manipulating the world’s emotions,” she said, adding that the “biggest challenge that we face is that you can’t really fight photos of dead children.” Lester explained that her branch’s core goal was convincing global audiences that Hamas does not care about Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and even the highest-performing pro-Israel content focused on civilian suffering in Gaza failed to shift broader public opinion, because “the international community doesn’t really have much sympathy for Israel.”

    Miriyam Aouragh, professor of Digital Anthropology at the University of Westminster in the U.K., told Middle East Eye that most of Israel’s influencer recruitment attempts have backfired. Not only have they failed to move public opinion, but they have also drawn unwanted attention to the covert infrastructure behind the messaging, turning the propaganda operation itself into the central story. She frames the strategy as a “triumphant failure”: even as Israel has consolidated control over mainstream media and gained leverage over major social media platforms, it has been unable to reverse the shifting cultural zeitgeist and growing organized pro-Palestine movement pushing for change.

    Aouragh noted that Israel faces an inherent messaging conflict between its domestic and international audiences: to maintain public support among its own population for continuing the occupation and conflict, it relies on colonial framing that radicalizes the public around ethnic supremacy, a narrative that directly undermines Israel’s longstanding international branding as “the only democracy in the Middle East.”

    “Palestine has become our generation’s… political cause like Vietnam was in the 60s and 70s,” she said. “It is impossible to break through the zeitgeist with money and influence. There are some things that money cannot buy.”

    This shift in attitudes among younger Americans poses a long-term existential challenge to Israel, which has depended on consistent bipartisan support from elected U.S. officials to maintain the billions of dollars in annual military aid it receives. However, recent Democratic midterm primary elections have seen multiple openly pro-Palestine candidates defeat establishment incumbents whose ties to pro-Israel funding have come under growing scrutiny from voters.

    One high-profile example is Abdul El-Sayed, who is running in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary against incumbent Haley Stevens. According to pro-Israel lobbying watchdog TrackAIPAC, pro-Israel political action committees have spent more than $20 million to support Stevens’ campaign. The United Democracy Project, the super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), launched a barrage of attack ads against El-Sayed claiming he has “a history of disrespecting women” after multiple polls showed El-Sayed leading the race ahead of the August 4 primary. A Jewish influencer recently revealed he received a confidential recruitment offer from Stevens’ campaign, offering $1,500 to share pro-Stevens talking points under a non-disclosure agreement he ultimately refused to sign. Middle East Eye reached out to the Stevens campaign, Clavicular, and the Israeli army for comment, but received no response prior to publication.

    During the campaign, El-Sayed faced criticism for meeting with Hasan Piker, a prominent political commentator and Twitch streamer who is one of the most influential pro-Palestine voices for younger American audiences. Piker was recently the target of a coordinated smear campaign by U.S. mainstream media, but a rally with Piker boosted El-Sayed’s polling numbers, increasing his name recognition and cementing his standing as the anti-establishment candidate voters were seeking. A similar trend benefited Piker himself after he was banned from the U.K., a move he says was “at the behest of Israel.” The ban increased his popularity, an example of what Piker calls the “Streisand effect,” where attempts at censorship draw greater public attention to the censored viewpoint.

    Unlike Israel’s network of paid influencers, Aouragh noted that independent pro-Palestine content creators set the media agenda and understand how to build social media traction that can operate parallel to mainstream media, and even drive mainstream news coverage. She added that efforts to ban creators like Piker are a dangerous development: “every erosion of citizen liberal rights is one too many, and creates… new rules of engagement” that normalize the suppression of free speech.

    Abeer al-Najjar, professor of media and journalism studies at the American University of Sharjah, told Middle East Eye that Israel’s campaign to silence pro-Palestine creators and buy support from other influencers is almost guaranteed to fail, and may in fact accelerate the shift in public opinion that Israel fears. Pro-Israel influencers act as “the ‘organic-looking’ front of a professionalised state operation” whose official channels have already lost credibility, she explained, with the core goal of “laundering state messaging as peer culture.”

    “Israel’s real problem is the gap between message and reality; you cannot ‘explain’ a livestreamed genocide,” al-Najjar said. “The Clavicular episode exposes the model’s limit; even funded, curated trips can’t manufacture the authenticity they’re buying.” Instead of winning over young audiences, Israel can expect “diminishing returns, visible backlash like the Clavicular fiasco, and deepening cynicism among the very youth being targeted,” she added.

  • Guardiola in reported talks with Italy – would England come calling?

    Guardiola in reported talks with Italy – would England come calling?

    One of the most decorated club managers in modern football history, Pep Guardiola, is at the center of emerging speculation linking him to the vacant head coaching role of the Italian men’s national team, just months after he wrapped up a legendary 10-year tenure at Manchester City. Italian outlet Sky Italia has reported that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), led by newly appointed technical director and Italian football icon Paolo Maldini, has held multiday talks with Guardiola in Barcelona to persuade him to take the national team job. Maldini was accompanied by his advisor and former AC Milan and Italy international Leonardo during the meetings. If Guardiola accepts the position, he will become only the second non-Italian manager to lead the Azzurri, and the first foreign head coach to take the role since the 1960s. Other high-profile candidates including former Italy managers Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo remain in contention for the role. A return to the dugout for Guardiola this autumn would mark an extraordinarily quick comeback to the sport, following his departure from Manchester City in May after a decade that transformed the club into a dominant global force. This would not be Guardiola’s first experience with Italian football, however. The 55-year-old, who speaks fluent Italian, spent two seasons playing in Serie A between 2001 and 2003, turning out for Brescia across two separate spells and earning another stint at AS Roma. Italy’s search for a new permanent head coach comes after a string of disappointing results for the once-dominant global powerhouse. The Azzurri claimed a famous European Championship title over England in the 2021 final, but have now failed to qualify for three consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments. Former AC Milan and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso stepped down from the role in April after Italy suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in a European play-off, which saw them miss out on the 2026 World Cup hosted by North America. Beyond the Italian speculation, there is also growing chatter linking Guardiola to a potential move to the England national team job, following the Three Lions’ impressive third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup — their best finish in a major men’s tournament since they lifted the World Cup trophy on home soil in 1966. Despite the historic high finish, current England manager Thomas Tuchel has faced widespread criticism after his side collapsed to a 2-1 semi-final defeat against Argentina. Tuchel’s late defensive substitutions were widely blamed for blowing the team’s 1-0 lead, costing them a place in the tournament final. Tuchel, 52, was appointed in January 2025 and signed a two-year contract extension just three months later, and he retains the official backing of the Football Association (FA). However, former England captain Wayne Rooney has publicly suggested that the FA would move quickly to appoint Guardiola if he became available. “I don’t see anyone else out there at the minute, unless you go and get Pep Guardiola. If Pep is available, then maybe you go and get him,” Rooney explained on his podcast following the semi-final loss. “If we sack him [Tuchel], what managers are we going to bring in? And I don’t think there’s anyone out there who’s as good as Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola.” History shows the FA has previously been interested in Guardiola: the governing body approached him before appointing Tuchel in 2025, with multiple reports suggesting a verbal agreement was in place for Guardiola to take the role — before he ultimately chose to remain at Manchester City for his final contracted season. Over his 10-year tenure with Manchester City, Guardiola built one of the most successful domestic runs in English football history, lifting 20 major trophies. That haul includes six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup. Guardiola’s trophy-laden managerial career extends far beyond his time in England. He began his senior managerial career at Barcelona, the club where he spent the bulk of his playing career, before moving to Bayern Munich for three dominant seasons. At Bayern, he won the Bundesliga every year he was in charge, added two German Cups, and claimed one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. At Barcelona, he led the first team after a spell coaching the club’s B side, lifting three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, five domestic cups, and two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups. To date, Guardiola has claimed 12 top-flight league titles across his managerial stints in Spain, Germany, and England, a record that cements his status as one of the greatest managers of all time. Guardiola said an emotional goodbye to Manchester City fans following the final match of the 2025-26 season, a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa. He opened up about his mental and physical exhaustion after a decade of relentless elite-level competition, saying: “I am so tired. Seriously, I am so tired. I did everything. We did it. The memories I have of Barcelona and Bayern Munich are unbeatable but the luggage of memories I have from here from 10 years is more than any other. Without the trophies I would have been sacked but it is not looking at the trophies in the cabinet at home that makes me happy. It is the memories and connections I had since day one with the city, the backroom staff and the players.” He added that stepping away after a decade at the Etihad Stadium was the right decision for him at this stage of his career, noting: “It is the right time. I will not miss it for the while, that’s for sure.” Guardiola explained after his departure that he needed an extended break to recharge, saying he no longer had the energy required to compete for trophies at the club level, where matches come every three days amid constant high expectations. But the question now being asked across European football is whether the less intense schedule of international management could be the ideal gentle return to the sport for the legendary manager. If appointed by Italy, Guardiola’s first major task would be guiding the Azzurri to qualification for UEFA Euro 2028, which will be co-hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland, with qualifiers kicking off in 2027. There would be no extended grace period, however: Italy’s next competitive fixture is a Nations League clash against Belgium at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico — the same ground where Guardiola played during his stint at Roma — on September 25. After that opening fixture, Italy face a packed schedule, with five more Nations League matches between September and November, drawn alongside Group opponents Turkey and 2026 World Cup semi-finalists France. Throughout his career, Guardiola has never shied away from a new challenge. For one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen, a return to the top tier of football could come just a few months after he said goodbye to the club game.

  • Yemenis turn to ‘Ruqyah’ faith healers as medical healthcare remains in crisis

    Yemenis turn to ‘Ruqyah’ faith healers as medical healthcare remains in crisis

    Deep in the heart of Taiz, Yemen, the rhythmic cadence of Quranic recitation drifts through every floor of a four-century residential building, broadcast from a decades-old cassette player tucked away on the second level. While recitations of the Quran are traditionally tied to funeral rituals across the country, this daily gathering serves a far different, more urgent purpose: hundreds of people travel from every corner of Yemen to wait for hours, just for a chance to meet with a sheikh offering Ruqyah Shari’ah, a form of divine spiritual healing through Quranic recitation. Many of these visitors also receive cupping therapy (Hijama) alongside recitations, with patients seeking relief from ailments ranging from routine headaches to late-stage, life-threatening cancer. For most who arrive, their turn to spiritual healing is not a matter of choice, but necessity born of a collapsed national healthcare system.

    Take 60-something Fatima, who is fighting an aggressive stomach cancer. When she first developed symptoms, she sought care at every major hospital across Taiz Governorate, even making the long journey to Aden in search of a diagnosis and effective treatment. Her search yielded nothing. With no other options left, she followed her sister’s advice to visit a Ruqyah sheikh, after her sister reported feeling better following similar treatment. For six months, Fatima returned weekly, paying the sheikh 12,000 Yemeni riyals – roughly $7 – each week, a sum that drained her limited resources while doing nothing to stop her cancer’s progression. The sheikh repeatedly told her her illness was caused by the evil eye and that healing required patience, but as months passed, Fatima’s condition deteriorated until she could no longer eat and the pain became unmanageable. It was only when her illness reached a critical stage that the sheikh finally urged her to see a specialist tumor. “It was then that I realised the sheikh couldn’t actually do anything; he was just trying to make money by reciting the Quran over patients,” Fatima explained in an interview.

    Today, Fatima’s case remains incomplete: she has never had a full scan to check if her cancer has spread to other parts of her body. Cancer care in Yemen is already nearly inaccessible for most: without advanced diagnostic equipment or specialized treatment available domestically, only patients wealthy enough to travel abroad for care can access life-saving treatment, while low-income patients are left to die at home. Fatima’s story is far from unique across a country where decades of armed conflict and catastrophic funding shortfalls have left the national healthcare system in complete ruins. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of all Yemeni health facilities are completely non-functional, and 18 percent of the country’s districts have no doctors at all. Most highly skilled medical professionals have fled the country for better opportunities abroad, leaving Yemen with just 0.1 doctors per 1,000 residents – a figure that is a fraction of the regional average of 1.1, the global average of 1.9, and even the average 0.5 doctors per 1,000 people seen in other conflict-affected fragile states. Overall, more than 20 million Yemenis – nearly half the country’s total population – lack access to basic medical care.

    With affordable clinical care out of reach for most, unregulated Ruqyah centers have spread rapidly across every Yemeni governorate, with rural women making up the vast majority of patients, a gap widened by widespread limited access to education in marginalized rural areas. Fifty-year-old Khadijah al-Ghaili, who struggles with chronic shortness of breath, traveled 80 kilometers from her remote village to see a well-known Ruqyah sheikh who also offers cupping therapy. While she acknowledges that formal care is available at private hospitals, the cost is far beyond what she can afford. “Private hospitals require a lot of money that I simply cannot afford, so I chose to come to this sheikh as an alternative,” al-Ghaili said. “This is a good alternative because it was recommended by our Prophet, and our grandparents used it back when there were no hospitals.” After three cupping sessions across six treatment areas, she says her shortness of breath remains, but the accompanying pain has faded, and she remains confident she will recover once she completes her treatment plan with the sheikh.

    The rising popularity of unregulated Ruqyah healing has sparked debate among both practitioners and medical professionals, who emphasize that the issue is not the religious practice itself – which is widely recognized in Islam – but the exploitation of desperate patients by unqualified actors looking to profit. Abu Ahmed, a 60-year-old Ruqyah practitioner with more than 20 years of experience who uses a pseudonym for privacy, notes that the practice is meant to address spiritual afflictions such as the evil eye, envy, or jinn possession, not to replace evidence-based clinical care for physical illness. “If I see that a patient is not suffering from the evil eye, envy, magic, or jinn possession, I advise them to visit a hospital to seek medical healthcare, as we cannot help every case,” he explained. He also acknowledged that the lack of any licensing or regulatory framework for Ruqyah centers has opened the door for bad actors: “This work should, first and foremost, be a voluntary act for the sake of Allah. Those who can afford to pay should only pay a small amount, and it should be entirely free for those who cannot.”

    Dr. Adel, a Yemeni tumor specialist who also uses a pseudonym to avoid conflict with fraudulent practitioners, says he regularly sees patients who only seek formal medical care after spending months consulting unregulated Ruqyah sheikhs, by which point their conditions have already deteriorated to untreatable stages. “I am not speaking about all Ruqyah sheikhs, as Ruqyah is part of Islam. I am talking about the fraudsters who claim they can treat physical diseases like tumours, deceiving patients for months until their conditions become critical,” he said. Just this month, he treated a female patient with a facial tumor who came to him after months of unsuccessful Ruqyah treatment, but her cancer had progressed too far for any intervention to save her. “It is the needy who fall victim to both the collapse of the healthcare system and the deception of these religious traders,” he added, noting that wealthy patients almost always seek clinical care first before traveling abroad for treatment, leaving only low-income patients exposed to exploitation.

    Mohammed Abdulkhaleq, director of health awareness and media at the Taiz health office, confirms that widespread poverty and the sky-high cost of formal medical care are the primary drivers pushing patients to seek out Ruqyah sheikhs instead of hospital care. “Ruqyah is a religious practice and is absolutely not a replacement for medical healthcare. However, there are several factors, including the two I mentioned, that prevent people from seeking hospital care,” he explained. The biggest public health risk, he notes, is that patients delay seeking formal care until their condition is already untreatable. “We urge anyone who is sick to go to whatever hospital they can afford as early as possible.”

    For her part, Fatima, who continues to fight her cancer, is now speaking out to warn other Yemeni patients to avoid the trap she fell into. “Those who need medical help should avoid Ruqyah sheikhs, and head straight to hospitals to seek medical treatment from the early stages of their illness,” she said. “Ruqyah is for spiritual healing. It is not for someone who has tumours in their body.”

  • Fifa opens investigation into Argentina post-final trouble

    Fifa opens investigation into Argentina post-final trouble

    After Spain secured a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, chaotic post-match violence has triggered an official disciplinary probe from global football’s governing body. FIFA confirmed Tuesday that its disciplinary committee has named a dedicated disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to examine the full sequence of events that unfolded immediately after the final whistle, with potential sanctions ranging from player and coach suspensions to heavy fines for the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

    The trouble ignited when Spain’s Rodri, a substitute who had already been pulled from the game in extra time, ran past Argentina defender Nahuel Molina while heading to join his celebrating teammates. Molina appeared to punch the Manchester City midfielder in the arm or torso, setting off a chain of aggressive confrontations that quickly spread across the pitch. When Spain’s Eric Garcia stepped in to support Rodri, Argentina’s Leandro Paredes intervened and jabbed Garcia in the throat. Unused Spain substitute Gavi attempted to de-escalate the clash, only to be thrown to the ground by Argentina’s Thiago Almada, before Paredes pushed Gavi further by shoving his hand into the player’s face. Argentine assistant coach Roberto Ayala was also filmed appearing to grab Garcia around the throat and strike Spain midfielder Dani Olmo.

    Early erroneous reports circulated via FIFA’s commentator information system claimed Paredes had been sent off during the incident by referee Slavko Vincic for the altercation with Garcia. FIFA later clarified to BBC Sport that no on-field disciplinary action was issued against any player during the chaos, and the incorrect red card entry was quickly removed from official records. Argentina already had one player sent off during the match itself, with Enzo Fernandez receiving a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.

    This is not the first time the AFA has faced FIFA scrutiny over controversial player behavior at this tournament. Following Argentina’s 2-1 semi-final win over England, several players displayed a banner asserting Argentina’s territorial claim to the Falkland Islands, a move that already triggered preliminary disciplinary proceedings. The AFA has a long pattern of similar incidents in recent years: after the 2022 World Cup final win over France, the organization was fined £18,300 for unsporting behavior that included a lewd gesture from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and a mocking post-match video aimed at Kylian Mbappe. In 2024, Enzo Fernandez was forced to apologize for a racist, discriminatory chant referencing the 2022 final, and Martinez received a two-game ban for offensive behavior during World Cup qualifiers. A 2014 friendly against Slovenia also resulted in a £20,000 fine when Argentine players displayed the same Falklands banner currently under investigation.

    FIFA’s disciplinary framework gives the appointed prosecutor broad authority to review all conduct related to the final brawl, beyond just violent behavior. Under Article 13 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, the actions of Argentine players and staff could be ruled a violation of fair play principles, offensive conduct, and bring the sport of football into disrepute. The prosecutor will weigh both aggravating and mitigating circumstances before issuing charges, and any guilty ruling can result in globally enforced suspensions. Precedent for harsh sanctions exists: former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales received a three-year global ban for non-consensually kissing player Jenni Hermoso after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, while Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was handed a four-month suspension for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup. Analysts do not expect the Argentine individuals involved in the 2026 final brawl to receive bans of that length, however.

    FIFA has not set a public deadline for the investigation to conclude, referencing past disciplinary probes that have taken months to reach a final ruling. For context, a recent investigation into alleged homophobic abuse by a Benfica player against Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. took more than two months to result in a six-match ban. The ongoing probe adds another layer of controversy to a World Cup final that already saw Spain claim its latest major trophy, cementing its status as one of the world’s dominant men’s football nations.

  • Notorious drug cartel leader Ismael Zambada sentenced to life in US prison

    Notorious drug cartel leader Ismael Zambada sentenced to life in US prison

    Nearly two years after a complex cross-border sting operation pulled one of the world’s most infamous drug kingpins into US custody, a federal judge has handed down a permanent life sentence to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel. The 76-year-old defendant, who built one of the most expansive drug trafficking networks in modern history alongside the equally notorious Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán in the late 1980s, learned his fate during a sentencing hearing held Monday at Brooklyn federal court, overseen by US District Judge Brian Cogan.

    Zambada’s arrest, which unfolded in July 2024, was a carefully engineered operation led by Joaquin Guzmán López, El Chapo’s own son, who convinced the cartel leader they were traveling to northern Mexico to inspect secret airstrips for drug shipments. Instead, their aircraft diverted and landed in Texas, where US law enforcement immediately took Zambada into custody. Guzmán López was also arrested during the same operation, and has since entered a guilty plea on federal drug trafficking charges, though his sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

    Following his arrest, Zambada struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors in 2025, confessing to charges of drug smuggling and criminal conspiracy in exchange for the US government removing the possibility of a death penalty. Under the terms of his guilty plea, a mandatory life sentence was already required, a detail confirmed by Reuters reporting on the hearing. Through his plea agreement, Zambada formally acknowledged his central role in building the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal enterprise that has flooded the United States with hundreds of tons of cocaine and other illicit narcotics for more than three decades.

    Prosecutors have described Zambada as one of the most prolific and powerful narcotraffickers to ever operate, according to statements shared by CBS News, the US partner of the British Broadcasting Corporation. His conviction and sentencing have already triggered massive upheaval in the criminal underworld he helped build. Since his arrest in 2024, the Sinaloa Cartel has fractured into warring factions, triggering a wave of deadly violence that has spread across the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa. Hundreds of people have been registered as missing amid ongoing factional fighting, a pattern that mirrors the chaos that erupted after El Chapo’s 2016 arrest and extradition to the US, where he is also serving a life sentence. That earlier power vacuum sparked bloody clashes between rival groups vying for control of lucrative smuggling routes and territory.

    A major unresolved question remains: where will Zambada serve his life sentence? The cartel leader has formally requested placement in a federal prison medical facility, arguing that his advanced age and age-related chronic health conditions require regular, specialized medical care. But federal prosecutors have pushed back against this request, urging authorities to place Zambada in a high-security federal correctional facility. They argue that even in incarceration, Zambada retains enough influence and connections to continue directing illegal drug operations from behind bars, posing a ongoing threat to public safety. The final decision on his placement will be made by the US Federal Bureau of Prisons.

    The conviction comes amid a sharp escalation of US pressure on Mexican drug cartels, enacted shortly after US President Donald Trump returned to office. Trump has announced new measures to increase pressure on both the Mexican government and cartel organizations, including a plan to formally designate these criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations. The US administration has also leveled accusations of conspiracy with drug traffickers against the governor of Sinaloa state. In response to rising cross-border tensions and ongoing cartel violence, the Mexican government has also ramped up its own counter-cartel operations, deploying thousands of military troops to Sinaloa to regain control of unstable regions.

  • Mexican drug lord ‘El Mayo’ sentenced to life in prison

    Mexican drug lord ‘El Mayo’ sentenced to life in prison

    In a landmark ruling that caps decades of pursuit of one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers, 76-year-old Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a United States federal court on Monday. The conviction closes a major chapter in the global fight against transnational drug trafficking, following a years-long investigation and a controversial 2024 arrest that sent shockwaves through Mexican criminal networks.

    Zambada, long the top partner to infamous Sinaloa leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman—who is already serving a life sentence in a Colorado maximum-security prison—was taken into custody under murky circumstances in July 2024 at a Texas airport. Allegations have circulated that he was kidnapped by Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s sons, before being transported across the border on a private jet, a claim that has never been formally confirmed by US authorities. His arrest, paired with the detention of Guzman Lopez just weeks later, triggered brutal internal conflict within the cartel, pitting factions loyal to the Guzman family against those aligned with Zambada. The infighting has left more than a thousand people dead or disappeared across Mexico, deepening the country’s ongoing cycle of organized crime violence.

    During Monday’s sentencing in a packed New York federal courtroom, the white-haired, frail Zambada, dressed in a tan correctional jumpsuit, made a rare public acknowledgment of his wrongdoing. Speaking through a prepared statement delivered in Spanish, he called on young people to reject the life of crime that shaped his own decades-long career. “I stand before you today knowing that my actions caused harm,” he told the court. “I chose this path and I understand that today I’m being held accountable for those decisions. I grew up in an environment where violence and crime seemed normal, but now I know that is no excuse. To the next generation I say this: Choose a different path.”

    In addition to the life sentence, Judge Brian Cogan—who also presided over the 2019 trial of El Chapo—ordered Zambada to forfeit $15 billion in illicit profits earned from nearly 40 years of drug trafficking. The judge ruled that the staggering volume of drugs trafficked by the cartel under Zambada’s leadership, paired with the hundreds of killings linked to the organization, made the life sentence fully justified. Zambada had pleaded guilty to multiple conspiracy and trafficking charges in August 2025 under a plea deal that spared him from the possibility of the death penalty, a deal that did not require him to cooperate with authorities by providing information on other cartel members or complicit Mexican officials, a point his defense attorney Frank Perez emphasized during the hearing. Perez also noted that the elderly former drug lord suffers from multiple chronic, unspecified health conditions.

    US law enforcement officials framed the sentencing as a major victory against the transnational criminal networks fueling the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. The Sinaloa Cartel, founded in the 1980s, is one of Mexico’s oldest and most powerful criminal organizations, infamous for its ability to infiltrate high levels of the Mexican government and build a global supply chain for illicit narcotics. The cartel was formally designated a global terrorist organization during the administration of former US President Donald Trump, and US authorities have repeatedly blamed it for flooding the country with deadly fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that contributes to tens of thousands of overdose deaths across the US each year. “Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way,” Joseph Nocella Jr., US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement following the sentencing.

    The outcome of the case leaves a major power vacuum at the top of the Sinaloa Cartel, experts say, and is likely to fuel further violence as competing factions fight to seize control of the cartel’s lucrative drug trafficking routes and markets.

  • ‘Legendary’ former Liverpool and England star Keegan dies aged 75

    ‘Legendary’ former Liverpool and England star Keegan dies aged 75

    Global football is in mourning this week after the announcement that Kevin Keegan, one of the most celebrated English footballers and managers of the 20th century, has passed away at the age of 75 following a battle with stage four cancer. His family confirmed the news in a public statement released on Monday, revealing that Keegan died surrounded by his closest loved ones at the end of his months-long treatment for the disease.

    Widely regarded as one of the most gifted players of his generation, Keegan’s decades-long connection to football began with humble origins: he launched his professional career at fourth-tier side Scunthorpe United before earning a move to Liverpool in 1971, where he would cement his legacy as a club icon. Over his six-year spell at Anfield, the dynamic striker, nicknamed “Mighty Mouse” for his compact, energetic playing style, claimed three First Division titles, an FA Cup, and a European Cup, establishing himself as a core part of one of Liverpool’s most successful squads. In a statement confirming Keegan’s passing, Liverpool FC paid tribute to his lasting impact, saying “His indomitable spirit and remarkable contribution will be forever etched in our history and his legacy will live on.”

    Keegan’s success extended far beyond his time in Merseyside. In 1977, he made the move to West German side Hamburg, where he added a Bundesliga title and a European Cup final appearance to his trophy list, and made history by winning the Ballon d’Or in both 1978 and 1979 — making him just one of four English players to ever claim the prestigious award, and one of few to win it twice. Hamburg’s official statement honored Keegan as an “English football icon,” signing off “Rest in peace, ‘Mighty Mouse’.”

    After leaving Hamburg, Keegan returned to England to finish his playing career with spells at Southampton and Newcastle United, retiring from play in 1984 after helping Newcastle earn promotion to the top flight. His 63-cap England career as a player also saw him score 21 times for his country.

    Transitioning to management in 1992, Keegan once again left an indelible mark on English football, most notably at Newcastle United. He led the Magpies to promotion to the newly formed Premier League in 1993, and built an exciting, attacking side dubbed “The Entertainers” that challenged for the Premier League title in the 1995-96 season, finishing runners-up to Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. His fiery public clash with Ferguson during that title race, which included his iconic “I’d love it if we beat them” rant, remains one of the most memorable moments in Premier League history. For Newcastle supporters, Keegan was far more than a manager: in a statement following his death, the club called him “the beating heart of Newcastle United for generations of supporters,” adding “Kevin gave supporters hope and pride, and led a team whose style, spirit and passion captured the imagination of football fans around the world.”

    Keegan went on to manage Fulham, then took the helm of the English national team from 1999 to 2000, a tenure that ended shortly after a defeat to Germany at Wembley that saw England fail to progress out of the group stage at Euro 2000. He later spent four successful years as manager of Manchester City, where the club credited him with transforming their trajectory, before a brief final spell back at Newcastle in 2008 closed out his managerial career.

    Tributes have poured in from across the football world following the announcement. Prince William, Patron of the Football Association, noted that Keegan was “a truly remarkable footballer and manager who inspired generations with his talent, passion and love of the game.” The FA shared its own condolences, saying it was “incredibly saddened” by the loss.

    Former players who worked with Keegan have also paid homage to his legacy. Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called him “one of the greatest players this country has ever produced, a double Ballon d’Or winner shows he was an absolute giant of the English game.” Alan Shearer, the Newcastle and England legend who played under Keegan at both club and country, called Keegan his hero, writing simply: “My Hero. My manager. My friend. Sleep easy Boss.”

    In their statement, Keegan’s family remembered him as a much-loved husband, father, and grandfather, beside his many achievements in football.

  • West Africa signs off $25bn mega gas-pipeline plan

    West Africa signs off $25bn mega gas-pipeline plan

    After nearly 10 years of diplomatic negotiations and technical planning, one of Africa’s most ambitious cross-border energy infrastructure projects has cleared its final major political hurdle. West African regional leaders gathered in Freetown on Sunday to formally sign off on the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline, a transformative initiative that experts say could reconfigure the continent’s energy economy and strengthen Africa’s position in global energy markets.

    “Don’t be surprised when the gas comes your way,” Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s president and current chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), joked following the endorsement ceremony, reflecting the widespread optimism among participating nations for the long-awaited project.

    Stretching 6,000 kilometers along Africa’s Atlantic coast, the massive pipeline will traverse the territory of 14 African countries. It will carry natural gas from Nigeria — home to Africa’s largest proven natural gas reserves — north to Morocco, where it will connect to existing European gas infrastructure via a link to Spain. If executed according to plan, the pipeline will transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, serving more than 400 million consumers across West Africa, North Africa and Europe, and ranking among the longest offshore gas pipelines in the world.

    Construction is currently scheduled to break ground in 2028, with an estimated total price tag of $25 billion. Unlike the existing Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline that crosses the Sahel region through Niger and Algeria, the Atlantic coastal route avoids the Sahel’s most politically unstable and insecure areas, though extensive offshore construction drives up the project’s overall costs.

    Energy analysts and African academics frame the pipeline as a break from the exploitative energy model that has long defined resource extraction on the continent. For decades, African gas has typically been extracted locally, shipped abroad for processing, then sold back to African nations at markups of 300% to 400%, Charles Majomi, an energy expert and former advisor to the Nigerian government, explained to BBC Focus on Africa. That cycle, he argues, devalues the abundant natural resources that African nations are endowed with, and it must end.

    When leveraged strategically, proponents argue the pipeline will deliver far-reaching benefits beyond simple energy export. It will stimulate regional industrial development, expand access to affordable energy for domestic consumers, and strengthen Africa’s negotiating power in global energy forums. “In terms of Africa’s regional security and its ability to negotiate and have a seat at the global table, if you will, it does need this measure of usefulness to countries in Europe and Asia potentially,” Majomi noted.

    Beyond energy security, the project will position West Africa as a strategic energy corridor connecting global supply and demand, according to Professor Ganiyat Adejoke Adesina-Uthman of the National Open University of Nigeria. She called the project a powerful symbol of what African nations can accomplish through cross-border collaboration.

    For nations across the Atlantic coast that currently rely on overpriced imported fuel, the pipeline will open new opportunities to build domestic power generation facilities, fertiliser production plants, petrochemical facilities and manufacturing hubs, driving inclusive economic growth across the region. For Nigeria, the project unlocks a clear path to monetise its vast untapped gas reserves while strengthening economic and political ties between West and North Africa.

    Sunday’s agreement establishes the formal legal and governance framework for the project, clearing the last major political barrier before moving forward with financing and construction planning. First proposed in 2016, the initiative has now advanced further into political and technical development than at any previous point. To reduce initial risk, the project will be built in sequential phases rather than all at once, with construction starting along the Morocco-Mauritania-Senegal corridor first, before extending east to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, and finally connecting to Nigeria to begin gas flows.

    Feasibility and front-end engineering design studies are already complete, and the pipeline’s route has been agreed by all participating parties. Still, major obstacles remain before construction can begin. The $25 billion cost projection could rise due to ongoing global inflation, and securing the 6,000-kilometer route across 14 jurisdictions will require coordinated security efforts from all member states, including the use of drone surveillance and engagement with local host communities to prevent attacks on infrastructure. Analysts also note that competing export projects, including existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) initiatives and the alternative Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, could draw investment away. Long-term uncertainty also remains around European gas demand, as the continent accelerates its transition to renewable energy sources.

    Despite these challenges, proponents remain upbeat about the project’s long-term potential. “Nigeria has the gas and there’s market access from Morocco to Europe. It’s not just extracting energy, it will lead to access to clean energy for many countries with Morocco as a gateway,” Adesina-Uthman said. “It will also create industries, job opportunities and ultimately a global market. It’s not just for regional integration but a global project.”

    The project is jointly led by Nigeria’s state oil company and Morocco’s national mining body, with support from regional and international institutions including ECOWAS, the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development.

  • Israeli fire kills two Palestinians during settler assault on West Bank town

    Israeli fire kills two Palestinians during settler assault on West Bank town

    Two Palestinian men have been killed by live fire during a coordinated attack carried out by Israeli settlers and backed by regular Israeli military forces in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to local Palestinian officials. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has publicly identified the deceased victims: 26-year-old Ahmad Adel Abu Mukho and 53-year-old Odeh Abdul Rahim Odeh Farakhneh.

    The assault unfolded after nightfall in Deir Jarir, a small town located northeast of Ramallah, when a group of armed Israeli settlers entered the populated area, local Palestinian media reports confirm. Eid Hammad, who leads the Deir Jarir village council, told reporters that settlers first broke into a residential property in the town’s old quarter and stole a flock of sheep belonging to the local homeowner. When local residents mobilized to intervene and halt the incursion, settlers and accompanying Israeli soldiers opened live fire on the crowd, Hammad said.

    Hammad added that Israeli military forces blocked emergency medical ambulances from reaching the shooting site to treat the wounded. The Palestine Red Crescent Society further confirmed that Israeli troops also opened direct fire on one of its ambulances responding to the incident, endangering medical personnel.

    Settler violence targeting Palestinian communities has been a persistent reality for Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank for decades, but UN and Palestinian official data shows that attacks have spiked dramatically since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Today, settlers carry out near-daily assaults on Palestinian towns and villages, ranging from arson and property vandalism to violent physical attacks and efforts to forcibly displace local communities. Most of these attacks occur with explicit military protection from Israeli forces, according to multiple international investigations.

    The escalation of violence continued in the days leading up to the Deir Jarir attack: on Saturday, settlers set fire to a privately owned Palestinian home in the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus, while Israeli military forces burned dozens of mature olive trees— a critical source of income for many Palestinian agricultural families— in Deir Qaddis, west of Ramallah.

    Last month, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released a report documenting an unprecedented, sustained surge in settler violence against Palestinian civilians across the West Bank. The commission concluded that the Israeli government actively facilitates these attacks through direct financial backing, logistical support, and military protection for settler groups. “Violence by settlers is the direct outcome of Israeli policies that support, enable and protect their actions,” said Srinivasan Muralidhar, the commission’s chair.

    The UN report recorded that settlers killed seven Palestinians and injured 832 more in 2025, representing a 130 percent increase in fatal attacks compared to 2024. This sharp upward trend has continued into 2026, with documented attacks reported on an almost daily basis. Official data from the Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission shows that at least 50 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers since October 2023, with at least 15 of those fatalities recorded in the first half of 2026.