分类： world

Veteran Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, who became a globally recognized symbol of resistance against Beijing’s tightening restrictions on free speech after his 2015 abduction by Chinese authorities, has passed away in Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported Friday, citing an anonymous familiar source.

No official cause of death has been released, but details shared by the outlet indicate the 70-year-old had experienced a recurrence of cancer last year, and was admitted to Taipei’s MacKay Memorial Hospital earlier this week. After slipping into a coma on Wednesday, Lam died on Thursday evening, the report added.

Lam, who spent years working at Hong Kong’s iconic Causeway Bay Books, fled to Taipei in 2019 amid growing fears that he would face politically motivated legal charges under Hong Kong’s new national security law. A year after relocating, he fulfilled his long-held goal by reopening the iconic bookstore under the same name in the Taiwanese capital. Earlier this year, in June, Lam told the Central News Agency he had been forced to temporarily shut down the Taipei store due to his declining health, and could not confirm when or if the shop would welcome customers again.

News of Lam’s death drew immediate condolences from Taiwanese leadership. President Lai Ching-te shared a statement on his official Facebook page honoring Lam’s legacy. “The passing of Mr Lam Wing-kee is deeply saddening, but the courage he left behind would not fade,” Lai wrote. “Taiwan will remember that a Hong Kong bookstore worker once told us in the most ordinary yet most steadfast way how precious freedom is and reminded us that democracy requires the efforts of generation after generation to defend it.”

Lam’s rise as an international figure for free expression began in late 2015, when he became one of five people connected to Causeway Bay Books who disappeared within a span of months. The bookstore had long drawn the ire of Chinese authorities for selling texts that alleged to expose unreported details of Chinese Communist Party leadership’s personal lives and alleged political scandals. Among the five missing booksellers was publisher Gui Minhai, who vanished from his vacation home in Thailand before ultimately being sentenced to 10 years in prison in China on charges of illegally providing state intelligence overseas.

In a bold act of defiance that shocked Beijing’s official narrative, Lam spoke publicly in 2016 to share a firsthand, explosive account of his abduction that directly contradicted the Chinese government’s official version of events. He told reporters that plainclothes Chinese agents seized him in October 2015, immediately after he crossed the border from Hong Kong into the mainland city of Shenzhen. He was blindfolded for a 13-hour train ride to Ningbo, a coastal city in eastern China, where he was held in solitary confinement in a small room for five months, with two-person surveillance teams rotating around the clock to monitor his every move, Lam said. He added that after months of detention, he was forced to deliver a scripted televised confession to criminal charges to be broadcast across mainland China.

Lam’s death comes as authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have continued to ramp up restrictions on political and press freedom in the semi-autonomous territory, following mass pro-democracy protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019. Just this past June, Hong Kong police arrested two individuals under the sweeping national security law, accusing them of selling seditious publications and receiving funding from foreign political organizations, marking the latest in a years-long crackdown on independent speech in the city.

Residents across U.S. territories in the western Pacific entered a state of emergency preparation Friday as they brace for an approaching storm forecast to strengthen into a super typhoon, arriving just months after the region was battered by the most powerful tropical cyclone recorded on Earth this year. The U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is still picking up the pieces from April’s Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which brought destructive, gale-force winds and torrential, unrelenting rainfall that left lasting damage across the archipelago. As of Friday, full electrical service had not been restored across the islands, and dozens of residents whose homes were leveled by the storm continue to live in temporary tent shelters.

Edwin Propst, a former legislator who now serves in the Saipan governor’s office, called the timing of the new storm nothing short of catastrophic. “We’re getting ready to do this all over again,” he said Friday, as the first outer bands of the system began to approach the island. “The timing is terrible.”

Paul Stanko, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Guam office, told reporters that Typhoon Bavi was on track to intensify into a super typhoon by late Sunday or early Monday, when it is projected to make landfall in the Mariana Islands chain. The threshold for classification as a super typhoon is maximum sustained wind speeds of 150 miles per hour (241 kilometers per hour) or higher, a strength equivalent to an upper-tier Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Stanko explained. As of Friday afternoon, Bavi was located 760 miles (1,223 kilometers) east of Guam, with measured sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph), and continuing to gain strength as it moves west across the Pacific.

Stanko noted that a growing number of Guam residents have expressed a quiet hope that the island will absorb the full force of Bavi, sparing the still-recovering Northern Marianas from another catastrophic blow. “That’s what we’re actually hoping for because then Saipan wouldn’t get it as bad,” he said. Propst confirmed that this sentiment is widespread across the region, calling the gesture a reflection of close-knit island community values. “That’s so island-style,” he said. “God bless them for saying that.”

Guam, which lies west of the International Date Line, is nicknamed “Where America’s Day Begins” due to it being multiple hours ahead of Hawaii, Alaska, and the entire U.S. mainland. The island is also a key strategic outpost for the U.S. military, hosting two large active-duty bases.

Propst reported that residents across the region have already begun prepping for the storm: covering home and business windows with plywood, stockpiling drinking water and non-perishable food, and queuing for gasoline at filling stations — a repeat of the long lines that lasted for weeks after Sinlaku knocked out power to most fuel infrastructure.

The Rev. Francis Hezel, assistant pastor of Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Dededo, Guam, said he holds out hope that no island will suffer a direct hit. A long-time Guam resident who has weathered dozens of typhoons over decades, Hezel said he remains cautiously optimistic that Bavi will shift course before reaching populated areas. “Right now the pattern is heading towards us, but those patterns change,” he noted. Even so, he said, church staff and local residents have not cut corners on preparedness, adding that frequent typhoon drills have become a new way of life for the region. “This is getting to be the normal thing now, typhoon preparedness,” he said. “It’s happening more frequently.”

Climate scientists link the increasing frequency of intense Pacific typhoons in part to the current El Niño event, a natural ocean warming cycle that amplifies tropical cyclone activity across the eastern and central Pacific. Experts warn that this natural warming is compounded by human-caused climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions, which has already raised global average ocean and atmospheric temperatures, creating conditions that supercharge extreme weather events across the globe.

While Sinlaku did not claim any lives on land in the Northern Marianas, Propst said residents are still grieving six crew members who died when their cargo ship overturned during the storm. Search teams recovered the body of one crew member, but the U.S. Coast Guard ended a more than 100-hour search operation without locating the remaining five. Though recovery efforts after Sinlaku have made steady progress, Propst said the region is still not fully back on its feet. “A few more months would have been good,” he said of the time needed to fully rebuild.

On Thursday, medical practitioners and public health experts across the Gaza Strip marked a grim milestone: 1,000 days of unrelenting humanitarian crisis, issuing an urgent plea for the global community to impose targeted pressure on Israel to end its 16-year blockade of the enclave and lift a sweeping ban on life-saving critical medical and sanitation supplies—including basic chlorine bleach used to disinfect hospital facilities.

The appeal came during a virtual briefing organized by Doctors Against Genocide, the global non-profit, where participating clinicians and sector leaders painted a catastrophic picture of a collapsed health system that can barely meet the needs of healthy Gaza residents, let alone vulnerable groups including elderly people, disabled individuals, and patients living with chronic pre-existing conditions. These conditions have drastically worsened following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel and the subsequent large-scale Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

Official data from the Gaza Ministry of Health confirms the devastating toll on the enclave’s healthcare infrastructure: Israel’s military operations have killed more than 1,700 medical personnel, destroyed 38 hospitals either partially or completely, and damaged or destroyed nearly 200 ambulances across the blockaded territory.

Dr. Ahmed Shatat, director general of International Cooperation and Planning in Gaza, explained that urgent, invasive procedures have become the standard of care for patients who would normally receive targeted, less radical treatment. “Women with breast cancer are undergoing immediate mastectomies because it’s the fastest way to save their lives when there are no deeper diagnostic tools or cancer drugs,” Shatat reported during the briefing. He added that the enclave has lost access to even the most essential diagnostic equipment: “Previously, we were holding seven MRI machines. Now we have not even one MRI machine – zero – in the Gaza Strip.”

The crisis extends equally to cardiac care, a specialty that once served tens of thousands of chronic patients across Gaza. “Out of the cardiac catheterisation machines, we were handling seven. Now we are just working in one old machine… with no availability of a stent for catheterisation,” Shatat said. Cardiac catheterization is a common, life-saving procedure used to detect blockages that can trigger fatal heart attacks, making preventive care for heart disease all but impossible today.

For a region that built a reputation for robust medical training and functional infrastructure even through 16 years of Israeli siege, preventive medicine is now an unattainable luxury. Vaccination rates across the enclave have plummeted from 96 percent to just 80 percent, opening the door to a surge in preventable infectious diseases. Cases of scabies, gastroenteritis, and Hepatitis A have skyrocketed, as the collapse of clean water access leaves residents unable to maintain basic personal hygiene.

Dr. Munir al-Barsh, head of the water and environment sector in Gaza, reported that water output from local wells has fallen to just one-third of levels seen before October 7 2023, and even that limited supply is often contaminated by raw waste that has seeped into groundwater following infrastructure damage. Most large-scale desalination projects are non-operational, as chronic fuel shortages prevent running the machinery needed to deliver safe drinking water to residents. Most alarmingly, al-Barsh confirmed that even chlorine, a low-cost, essential disinfectant for water and medical facilities, is blocked from entering Gaza by Israeli restrictions.

Israeli officials assert that between 600 and 800 aid trucks are cleared to enter Gaza daily. But independent analysis from the non-profit Refugees International contradicts this claim, finding that the vast majority of these trucks carry commercial goods for private traders rather than life-saving humanitarian and medical supplies.

As of the briefing, the Gaza Ministry of Health puts the total number of Palestinians killed in the current campaign at 73,066, with more than 1,000 additional fatalities recorded since the United States announced a fragile ceasefire declaration on October 10. Counting both killed and injured residents, the total number of casualties reaches 250,000—equal to 12.5 percent of Gaza’s entire population. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, framed the scale of harm for a global audience: “Apply that number to the United States of America, and you will be talking about no less than 36 million people killed or injured. You can imagine what the United States would have done if one million Americans were injured or killed.”

Beyond the visible physical damage and death toll, a growing mental health crisis has overwhelmed the enclave’s limited care system, where most providers have themselves lost at least one family member to Israeli fire. Abdullah el-Jamal, a psychiatric consultant based in Gaza, explained that widespread trauma far outstrips the capacity of local doctors and social workers. He shared the story of a 32-year-old woman struggling with severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who was referred to a local psychologist—only for the psychologist to turn the case away, as she herself had recently lost her own son in the conflict. “We don’t know how to deal with this situation,” el-Jamal said. “We need a lot of support.”

Today, roughly two million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are displaced, with close to 500,000 buildings destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by bombardment. Despite the catastrophic conditions, Barghouti maintained a message of steadfastness. “We are steadfast,” he said. “Although we lost maybe almost 22,000 children in Gaza killed by the genocide… [there are now] 82,000 newborn children… These are signs of the resistance of the Palestinian people.”

This reporting is based on independent original coverage from Middle East Eye, a publication focused on independent reporting and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and broader global region.

Deep inside Saudi Arabia’s overcrowded Khamis Mushait detention center in Aseer province, hundreds of Ethiopian migrants sit on death row, trapped in harrowing conditions and dreading the early-morning knock that will mark their final day. On April 21, that knock came for three young men from Ethiopia’s war-scarred Tigray region, whose desperate search for a better life ended in execution by beheading.

The executed men — Kibrom Gebremariam, 30, Tsigabu Hagos, 26, and Kidane Angesom — were among hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans who have fled their home region since the 2020–2022 civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions, and left the local economy in ruins. Crossing the Gulf of Aden and traversing war-torn Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, the three carried small amounts of khat, a mild stimulant widely consumed and legal in Ethiopia and Yemen. They had no idea that possession of the plant is classified as a serious drug offense under Saudi law, carrying an automatic death sentence.

Human Rights Watch records show the three men were arrested between 2023 and 2024, held in a series of detention facilities before being transferred to Khamis Mushait to await execution. They are not alone. On June 23, just two months after their deaths, five additional Ethiopian nationals were executed for non-violent drug crimes, according to multiple on-the-ground sources. Many foreign detainees report being forced to confess to crimes they did not commit, after being beaten and coerced into signing Arabic-language documents they cannot read.

Hailay Berhane (a pseudonym granted for his safety), a Tigrayan migrant currently held on death row at Khamis Mushait, shared a firsthand account of the system’s abuses with Middle East Eye via a smuggled phone on the encrypted messaging app Imo. Three years ago, he was detained in the violent border region of Rago, where Saudi border guards have been repeatedly accused of indiscriminately shooting unarmed migrants. “They handed me 41kg of drugs and forced me to believe it was mine, and made me sign documents that I don’t even understand,” Berhane said. In the three years since his arrest, he has appeared in court three times — each hearing lasting only minutes, none with a translator to help him defend himself.

“Foreign nationals who are on death row in Saudi Arabia are, most of the time, subjected to grossly unfair trials,” explained Yared Hailemariam, a prominent Ethiopian human rights advocate. Recent data from Amnesty International confirms this pattern: Saudi Arabia has executed nearly 100 people already this year, at least 61 of them for drug-related offenses. The organization’s latest report warns that “foreign nationals have borne the brunt of Saudi Arabia’s ruthless use of the death penalty for drug-related offences, frequently after grossly unfair trials.” At least 63 Ethiopian detainees are held in a single ward at Khamis Mushait alone, all at imminent risk of execution for non-violent drug crimes. Across Saudi Arabia, local officials and human rights defenders estimate as many as 200 Ethiopian citizens are currently on death row — a figure many prisoners believe is significantly undercounted.

For the families of the three men executed in April, the grief is compounded by unanswered questions and a lack of closure. Back in Tigray’s Egela district, Kibrom Gebremariam’s family has already lost one son to migration: his older brother Merhawi was killed by Yemeni security forces three years ago, after crossing the border in 2020. “We anticipated Kibrom’s wedding, not his death. His murder has become an open wound for us,” said Gimja Gebremariam, Kibrom’s heartbroken mother. The 30-year-old had left Tigray 12 years earlier, fleeing a village with almost no economic prospects, dreaming of building a life that would let him support his family. He spoke to his father just one day before his execution, promising he would soon be home. His father, 60-year-old Gebremariam Gebrezgiabher, has been bedridden with shock since receiving word of his son’s beheading from fellow prisoners. “His death has killed a part of me and is made worse by the fact that I have nothing to bury,” he said. Saudi authorities have not released the men’s bodies to their families, leaving them unable to hold a proper burial.

For Tsigabu Hagos’ family in Tigray, the pain is just as raw. The 26-year-old was the only son among eight children, who left in 2020 hoping to build a business and lift his family out of poverty. “He wanted to have his own business, be self-sufficient and live a productive life,” his father Hagos Gebremeskel said, glancing at his son’s photo on a mobile phone. His mother Letekristos Gebretsadkan still struggles to process the loss: “I never thought they would kill my son. I wonder how much our son had been tortured before he was killed, if the family would ever get justice, if we would at least get the body of our son back.”

The flow of migration out of Tigray continues, even after the formal end of the war in 2022. Decades of political instability, armed conflict, and economic collapse have left youth unemployment at catastrophic levels, and many young people still face forced conscription into regional conflicts. Even the execution of her brother has not dissuaded Tsigabu’s 20-year-old sister Masho Hagos, who had to suspend her high school studies during the war, from planning her own journey to Saudi Arabia.

“Political instability, armed conflict and economic crisis are the major factors affecting the life of Ethiopian youths,” Hailemariam explained. “They are also forcefully recruited for military training and deployed as soldiers for both internal conflicts and cross-border war.”

Religious leaders from Tigray’s Catholic and Orthodox churches, as well as the president of the Tigray region, have issued formal appeals to Saudi Arabia to grant clemency to the hundreds of Ethiopian death row prisoners. Human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling on Saudi Arabia’s international partners to intervene immediately to halt the executions.

“Saudi Arabia’s willingness to execute foreign migrants for non-violent offences following trials that denied them basic due process reflects a profound disregard for their rights and lives,” said Nadia Hardman, senior refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Saudi Arabia’s partners should urgently intervene before it is too late.”

Back in his Tigray village, Kibrom Gebremariam’s father has only one plea: an end to the wave of deaths that has shattered so many young Ethiopian lives, as migrants search for safety and opportunity abroad. “That must end,” he whispered, overcome by grief. For the hundreds of men still waiting on death row in Khamis Mushait, that intervention cannot come soon enough. “Every time the security guards knock on the door, we feel that our names will be called,” one unnamed prisoner told Middle East Eye.

Long maligned as a dull, lifeless hub by many Turks—particularly Istanbul residents who dismiss the Anatolian capital as a “gray, soulless desert”—Ankara is stepping onto the global stage next month, when it plays host to the 2024 NATO Summit scheduled for July 7-8. For delegates, journalists, and visitors descending on the city for the high-stakes gathering, this will be their first chance to see whether Ankara really lives up to its unflattering reputation. As a long-time resident who has called Ankara home since 2019, I have a deeply biased take: this underappreciated capital is full of hidden surprises, with thousands of years of history and a booming culinary scene waiting to be explored beyond the summit conference rooms.

Ankara’s roots stretch all the way back to the ancient Hittite civilization, and centuries later it grew into a vital Roman trade hub, renowned across the Mediterranean for its luxurious goat wool. For centuries, the trade sustained the city, but legend holds that 19th-century European smugglers managed to transport Ankara’s prized goats to South Africa and North America, collapsing the local wool industry and leaving the city overlooked by the Ottoman Empire for generations. That changed when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, selected Ankara as the new republic’s capital in the 1920s. Over the following two decades, Atatürk oversaw the construction of a purpose-built capital: grand tree-lined boulevards, world-class schools, grand theaters, government ministries, and sprawling public parks, most of which still stand and shape the city’s character today.

For visitors with free time to explore the city ahead of or after summit events, here is my curated guide to the best of Ankara, from traditional Turkish fare to modern cultural hotspots.

### Culinary Highlights by Neighborhood
If you are staying near the Cukurambar district, home to the JW Marriott and other major summit hotels, you will find no shortage of standout dining options:
– **Muslum Kebap**: A favorite gathering spot for Ankara’s conservative politicians and senior bureaucrats, this spot is slightly higher-priced than local kebab chains, but its exceptional Adana kebab and melt-in-your-mouth kusleme (tender slow-cooked lamb cut) are well worth the cost. For dessert, walk next door to Sitki Usta to try the signature moist “islak baklava.”
– **Bayram Usta Yaprak Kebap**: For a unique grilled meat experience, travel a short distance to this restaurant, famous for its yaprak kebab—thinly sliced marinated meat cooked slowly over open flame.
– **Taka**: This Black Sea-region themed restaurant, located just steps from the ruling AKP party headquarters and popular with top government officials, serves stellar doner kebab, traditional bean stew, and fluffy Black Sea pide flatbread, but its standout dish is rich sea bass stew. For even more authentic Black Sea cuisine, don’t miss Niyazi Kesim, a beloved local hidden gem.
– **1071 Manti Cukurambar**: Just a 10-minute walk from the Marriott, this spot serves solid Kayseri-style Turkish dumplings (manti), making it a great stop if you want to sample this iconic dish without traveling across the city.

If your accommodation is near Tunali, where the Grand Ankara Hotel, Sheraton, and Hilton are located, you will have even more diverse options to explore:
Turkey’s famous meze—small shareable plates of vegetables, seafood, and cured meat—are the centerpiece of the traditional meyhane (Turkish tavern), and pair perfectly with either anise-flavored raki (what many Turks consider the national drink, a label President Recep Erdogan famously argues belongs to yogurt-based ayran). For one of the best meyhane experiences in the city, visit Afitap Tunus, which serves more than 50 different meze using everything from cured pastirma to eggplant, yogurt, and fresh shrimp. Incir is another excellent option, while Ege Restaurant offers a more budget-friendly, laid-back experience with outdoor evening seating.

Contrary to what many first-time visitors assume, Ankara boasts some of the best fish restaurants in all of Turkey, thanks to daily fresh shipments from the Black, Marmara, and Aegean Seas—all within easy driving distance of the landlocked capital. Trilye, located on a scenic uphill spot, is widely considered the city’s top fish restaurant, serving delicious Black Sea kalkan turbot and a range of standout hot appetizers. Chef Bros, Yelken Balik, and Deli Yengec are all great alternatives if Trilye is fully booked.

For other local favorites near Tunali and Cankaya:
– Masa Başı Kebapcisi serves reliably delicious traditional kebab
– Mutlu Lokantası on Guvenlik Street offers what many locals call the best doner kebab in the entire city
– Cankaya Lokantasi, located near Ankara’s iconic Atakule observation tower, was founded by a former personal chef for Turkish President Ismet Inonu, and serves a classic presidential-style feast
– For pizza, try Studyo Pizza, where renowned local chef Murat Artukmac creates pies with fresh Anatolian ingredients. Unica on Simsek Street also serves exceptional crispy pizza, and its creamy hummus is a must-order.
– Kokorec—grilled lamb intestines, a classic Turkish hangover cure and staple street food dating back to Byzantine times—can be enjoyed at Kitir, near Kugulu Park, one of the only spots in the country that serves the hearty dish alongside cold beer.
– For a leisurely Turkish breakfast, don’t miss Vina Bakery on Cinnah Street and Kakule Bakery on Buklum Street, both long-favored by locals.

### Trendy New Hotspots and Cultural Attractions
Beyond traditional dining, Ankara has a fast-growing modern scene, and one of the most popular new hubs is the recently renovated Esat Hal market district near Tunali. This trendy space hosts boutique shops, cafes, community projects, and some of the city’s best modern dining:
– Poche, a modern sandwich shop inspired by the flavors of northeastern Kars, serves rich cheesy and meaty sandwiches, but its signature sutlac (Turkish rice pudding) is the real star
– The Log Burger is widely agreed to serve the best burger in Ankara, no competition
– Celebrity chef Tolgar Mireli recently opened Halden, a restaurant highlighting innovative modern Turkish cuisine; don’t miss the sea bass ceviche, half-baked chicken, Cafe de Paris burger, and silky chocolate mousse
– After a meal, grab a coffee at the sleek, modern Kakule Coffee, or walk next door to the lush Amelie’s Garden
– Soul Kitchen combines an independent apparel and gift boutique with a casual cafe, serving great pizza and tiramisu for shoppers stopping for a break.

For visitors looking to stretch their legs during the summit—including a certain French president who has sparked local speculation about where he will go for his daily morning run—Ankara has no shortage of green space. Botanik Park, Portakal Cicegi Parki, and Segmenler Park offer shaded, hilly trails perfect for running or hiking, while Dikmen Vadisi, a man-made urban valley, offers sweeping scenic views, and Kurtulus Park is ideal for runners who prefer flat terrain. The best option for a casual walk or run, though, is the sprawling Genclik Parki, which was commissioned by Ataturk himself in the 1920s.

No trip to Ankara is complete without a trip to Atakule, the iconic observation tower that offers unrivaled panoramic views of the entire city center. History and culture buffs will also want to add these spots to their itinerary:
– The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, an award-winning museum housing thousands of priceless ancient artifacts from across Anatolia, is an absolute must-visit
– The Ankara Art and Sculpture Museum, Rahmi M Koc Museum, and CerModern (one of Turkey’s top modern art spaces) are all worth a stop
– To learn about the early years of the Turkish Republic, visit the Is Bankasi Museum, housed in a stunningly preserved early republican-era building
– In the historic Ulus district, don’t miss the ancient ruins of the Temple of Augustus, the nearby Haci Bayram Veli Islamic shrine, and the Column of Julian, a Roman monument erected in 362 CE to mark the visit of Emperor Julian to the city.

As NATO’s summit draws thousands of global visitors to this often-overlooked capital, there has never been a better time to discover everything Ankara has to offer beyond its unfair reputation as a boring government town.

For months, Israeli officials and the operator of the country’s largest oil refining complex downplayed the impact of Iranian missile attacks on the strategic Haifa Bay facility. But new reports from multiple Israeli media outlets have pulled back the curtain on far more extensive destruction than was originally disclosed to the public, revealing a years-long reconstruction timeline that will reshape the site’s operational capacity for the foreseeable future.

The revelation comes amid longstanding Israeli military censorship that has restricted the flow of information about damage from Iranian strikes during ongoing US-Israeli military conflict with Iran, raising new questions about government transparency around the economic and security costs of regional hostilities.

Israeli Channel 12 News first broke the revised account of the damage on Monday, confirming that two separate Iranian strikes carried out earlier this year inflicted critical harm to the refinery complex, directly contradicting prior statements from Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Bazan, the private company that manages the site. Just months ago, in a formal filing to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in March, Bazan sought to downplay the incident, acknowledging only “localised damage” to the roof of a single distillate storage tank, and insisting all production infrastructure remained fully operational. “The company estimates that the damage is not significant. As of the time of this announcement, all the company’s facilities remain operational,” the company stated at the time.

But an unreleased official internal report from Israel’s Ministry of Interior, cited by Israeli outlet Yeshiva World, documents harm to critical infrastructure that was never made public: gas turbines, steam boilers, and central electrical rooms all sustained heavy damage that was hidden from public view. The Interior Ministry has now approved a massive reconstruction project that is not scheduled to reach full completion until 2028, a timeline that would have been unthinkable based on the original, minimal damage assessment.

Worse still, one large oil derivatives storage tank hit in the March 2025 strike is completely beyond repair, and cannot be salvaged or returned to service. The damage did not begin this year, either: Channel 12 confirmed the refinery also sustained significant damage during the 12-day 2024 Israel-Iran war. In that June 2025 strike, three Bazan employees were killed after Iranian missiles successfully penetrated the US-backed Iron Dome mobile air defense system, a defensive barrier that Israeli officials have long claimed provides near-total protection against incoming projectile attacks. After that earlier strike, Bazan publicly pegged losses at only $150 million to $200 million, and officials insisted domestic fuel supplies would remain completely unaffected, a claim that can now be reexamined in light of the new disclosures.

The Haifa Bay refineries are far more than a standard industrial site: they are one of Israel’s most strategically critical energy assets, meeting the majority of domestic demand for refined oil products that power manufacturing, agriculture, national infrastructure, and household consumption across the country. Per Bazan’s own public data, the complex processes roughly 26,000 tonnes of crude oil per day, and has an annual throughput capacity of 9.8 million tonnes of crude oil.

The facility also carries deep historical significance: it was originally constructed during the British Mandate for Palestine, when British authorities built the complex to receive crude oil transported from Iraq via the historic Kirkuk-Haifa pipeline. When Israeli forces seized control of Haifa during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and established the State of Israel, the new government nationalized and took full control of the refineries, and the site’s iconic Bazan cooling towers have since become one of the most recognizable landmarks of the northern port city.

The underreporting of damage to the refinery is not an isolated incident: for years, Israel has enforced strict military censorship to conceal the full extent of damage caused by Iranian missile attacks across the country. Data collected by independent Israeli outlet +972 Magazine, which has tracked military censorship trends since 2011, shows that censorship reached a 13-year peak in 2024, when roughly 8,000 articles were either fully banned from publication or partially redacted. While the total number of censored articles declined slightly in 2025 to around 5,000, that still marks the second-highest annual censorship total recorded since +972 began its tracking.

Iran has targeted a wide range of high-value strategic sites across Israel during the ongoing conflict, beyond the Haifa Bay refineries: reported targets have included the Kirya, Israel’s central military headquarters in Tel Aviv, the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science, the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, and the commercial port of Haifa. Earlier this month, the Times of Israel published confirmation of additional damage at the Ramat David airbase, based on analysis of low-resolution satellite imagery of the site.

This story was originally published by Middle East Eye, an independent outlet specializing in original, on-the-ground coverage of the Middle East and North Africa region.