Middle East and north Africa – War Watch

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US shoots down Iranian drone flying towards aircraft carrier, navy says
ByGuardian staff and agencies February 3, 2026

Shahed-139 drone approached USS Abraham Lincoln ‘with unclear intent’ as US warships headed towards IranThe US military says it has shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.The Ir…

Read More US shoots down Iranian drone flying towards aircraft carrier, navy says
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Time to talk? Inside the 6 February Guardian Weekly
ByIsobel Montgomery February 3, 2026

Will Tehran and Washington find common ground? Plus: Inside the Epstein files• Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home addressHave Donald Trump’s hard talk and the arrival of a strike-ready flotilla finally made Tehran blink? It certainly seemed…

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French magistrate reportedly summons two French-Israelis over ‘complicity in genocide’
ByJon Henley and Emma Graham-Harrison February 3, 2026

Nili Kupfer-Naouri and Rachel Touitou said to be accused of trying to block delivery of humanitarian aid to GazaA French investigating magistrate has issued summonses to two French-Israeli nationals in relation to “complicity in genocide” over allegati…

Read More French magistrate reportedly summons two French-Israelis over ‘complicity in genocide’
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Gaza: Rafah crossing reopens under Israeli restrictions – The Latest
By February 3, 2026

A small number of Palestinians from Gaza have started crossing into Egypt for medical treatment after Israel allowed a limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing. It had been largely closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024, cutting off a …

Read More Gaza: Rafah crossing reopens under Israeli restrictions – The Latest
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Human Rights Watch researchers resign after report on Palestinian right of return blocked
ByAlex Kane of Jewish Currents February 3, 2026

The organization claims the report, which finds Israel’s denial of the right of return is a crime against humanity, is ‘paused pending further analysis and research’Two Human Rights Watch (HRW) employees who make up the organization’s entire Israel and…

Read More Human Rights Watch researchers resign after report on Palestinian right of return blocked
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Marwan Barghouti, ‘Palestine’s Mandela’, to publish book from prison
ByEmma Loffhagen February 3, 2026

Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine is a collection of writings by the Palestinian political leader, who has been held in Israeli prisons since 2002A collection of writings by the imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti will …

Read More Marwan Barghouti, ‘Palestine’s Mandela’, to publish book from prison
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Palestinians hope for more after limited Rafah crossing opening – video
ByMiddle East and north Africa | The Guardian February 3, 2026

A dozen Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza from Egypt late on Monday night after the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing was marred by delays. Their arrival came hours after a small group of medical evacuees was ferried into E…

Read More Palestinians hope for more after limited Rafah crossing opening – video
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With just weeks left on her student visa, one Iranian woman fears she will be executed if she has to return
ByAdeshola Ore community affairs reporter February 3, 2026

‘There’s no way for me to go back right now. It’s too dangerous for me,’ student says, having protested against the regimeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWhen bullets fired by Iran’s paramilitary force were sprayed at her hom…

Read More With just weeks left on her student visa, one Iranian woman fears she will be executed if she has to return
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Now that Israel has admitted the Gaza death toll is accurate, don’t let apologists move the goalposts | Ben Reiff
ByBen Reiff February 3, 2026

Having rubbished the health ministry’s figures, they are now saying what matters is the civilian-to-militant ratio. See that for what it isIsrael’s official and unofficial spokespeople are in damage control mode after a senior military official admitte…

Read More Now that Israel has admitted the Gaza death toll is accurate, don’t let apologists move the goalposts | Ben Reiff
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War, a Trump-imposed deal or internal regime collapse: for Tehran, none of the options are good | Sanam Vakil
BySanam Vakil February 3, 2026

Iran’s leaders now face unprecedented peril. The regime has lost its footing, and the global mechanisms to avoid conflict no longer workDr Sanam Vakil is the director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa programmeForty-seven years on from th…

Read More War, a Trump-imposed deal or internal regime collapse: for Tehran, none of the options are good | Sanam Vakil