Middle East Monitor

Vermont State Labour Council has announced joining alliance of Labor for Palestine which stands against "Israeli apartheid," raising the number of American labour bodies which joined this alliance to 15. "Our affiliate Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO joins its counterpart at the Connecticut Labor Council in standing against Israeli apartheid," the council said in a statement posted on Facebook. "This should come as no surprise," it […]

Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) has suspended its participation in consultations with the government to implement the Riyadh Agreement, following the arrests of STC leaders southeast of the country. This came in a statement issued by Spokesperson for the UAE-backed STC Ali Al-Kathiri on Friday, published on the council's website. Two weeks ago, consultations were launched between the Yemeni government and the STC in the Saudi […]

Unidentified gunmen on Friday assassinated Iraqi captain Muhammad Al-Shamousi, who was in charge of fighting corruption in the Maysan governorate, south of the country. Anadolu Agency quoted a Maysan police officer stating: "The captain in charge of executing arrest warrants against those accused of corruption was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the city of Al-Amarah, the capital of the province." The source explained that Al-Shamousi was […]

The Algerian national company for electricity and gas, Sonelgaz, announced that it would start supplying Libya with its electricity needs through the Tunisian network. Sonelgaz affirmed Algeria's intention to back Libya in its new economic launch as a source of constructive support to the Libyans in the upcoming path of development. The company explained that the CEO of Sonelgaz, Chaher Boulakhras, visited the Libyan capital on Thursday, accompanied by […]

The Saudi minister confirmed that the world has become a mobile media outlet Saudi acting Media Minister Majid Bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi announced the formation of a working group to develop a unified media vision with Egypt, stressing that there is an urgent need to unify the two countries' media horizons. According to Al-Qasabi: "Lies, sedition, malicious people and those who target the Arabs, Egyptians and Saudis […]

Head of the General Federation of Trade Unions Sami Al-Amasi has confirmed that 20 factories were destroyed during the last offensive on Gaza, and 5,000 workers had lost their jobs. In a statement, Al-Amasi disclosed that the latest Israeli offensive inflicted a massive blow to the economic sector in the Gaza Strip. He noted that it aggravated the already weak economy, which has been suffering for […]

Lebanese authorities announced on Friday the thwarting of half a billion in counterfeit US dollars through Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, Arabi21 reported. In a statement, the internal security services confirmed that its customs staff at the airport had foiled the smuggling of $480 million in counterfeit US dollars. The money was hidden in the luggage of three Lebanese citizens who were heading for Turkey. According to the statement, the […]

Lebanon's Medical Equipment & Devices Importers Syndicate warned on Friday that stocks of medication for chronic diseases and infant formula will run out within weeks. This came in a statement issued by Head of the syndicate Karim Jbara during a press conference in the capital, Beirut. Jbara stated: "The stock of medications, medicines for incurable diseases and baby formula will run out after a few weeks. We will not […]

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi ruled out using force to stop Ethiopia's second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Sudanese media reported on Friday. "The first filling of the dam was a stab in the back," she conveyed in press remarks, noting that it caused a "massive shock" to confidence between the two countries. The minister accused Ethiopia of using the issue of […]

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday welcomed what he described as the end of verbal altercations between Paris and Ankara, and demanded in return real initiatives from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a series of contentious issues. Le Drian told BFM TV: "There is a truce in verbal attacks. It is a good thing, but it is not enough," considering that the bilateral ties […]

A bomb attack targeted a convoy of trucks carrying logistical equipment for the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, west of Iraq, a security source said. Anadolu reported Iraq Army Lieutenant Alaa Muhammad as saying: "An explosive device was planted near the highway within the administrative borders of Anbar Governorate, and exploded when a convoy of civilian trucks carrying logistical equipment belonging to the international coalition forces passed by." Muhammad […]

Israeli District Court of Jerusalem is to look into the forced displacement of four Palestinian families from Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah on 2 August, Arab48 reported yesterday. The court hearing comes following last week's High Court decision that a hearing on this issue should be held as soon as possible. Early this month, Israel's Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, informed the Israeli Supreme Court that he would not intervene in the legal […]

Algeria's Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) announced, following the announcement of the legislative election results on Tuesday night, that it would consider any proposal to join the next government, provided that it is a serious offer that would be compatible with the party vision and platform. On Tuesday, the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE) announced that the National Liberation Front (FLN) had won 105 seats in […]

Nine human rights organisations have signed a letter condemning the death sentences upheld by Egypt's Court of Cassation on Monday. The death sentences were against 12 men who took part in the anti-coup protests in 2013 and include several senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood. There are also four men who were arrested at a checkpoint as they left the Rabaa sit-in one month before the massacre. They were detained after soldiers discovered that […]

Sudan is disappointed with the results of normalising relations with Israel and complained about insufficient investments in the fields of agriculture and technology, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported. The channel quoted Sudanese officials as saying that the US has not yet fulfilled the promise to invest in Sudan, as it pledged during the announcement of normalising relations with Israel nine months ago. The officials noted that signing the agreement had disputes between government […]

Tunisia's Ministry of Justice yesterday announced that it was opening an investigation into the attempted assassination of President Kais Saied. "The Minister of Justice authorized the Public Prosecution, represented by the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Tunis, to conduct the necessary inquiries and investigations into the circulated news about an attempt to assassinate the President of the Republic," a ministry statement said. On […]

I was taking part in a recent protest in California, proudly waving my Palestinian flag, when a couple drove past in a white pick-up truck and shouted, "Go back to your country!" A light breeze grazed my arms, so I decided to retrieve my hoodie. I was offered an escort by another protester for safety. As I crossed the intersection and headed for my car, I […]

Prince Hamzah Bin Hussein is likely to be called as a witness in the case known in the media as the "Sedition Case" against former Chief of the Jordanian Royal Court, Bassem Awadallah. Awadallah's lawyer, Muhammad Afif, said in statements to CNN Arabic: "With the approaching date of the trial in the sedition case, there is a tendency to request Prince Hamzah as a witness, and any other […]

The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel (HFC) has condemned the arrest of the Imam of the Grand Omari Mosque in the city of Lod at dawn on Thursday. Sheikh Yousef Al-Baz's arrest, said the committee, is part of "an organised campaign targeting political and leadership figures." Approximately 1,800 activists have been arrested by the Israeli authorities over the past few weeks, the committee […]

Commander of the Sabha military region in southern Libya, Ahmad Al-Utaybi, revealed that armed troops affiliated with the militias of retired General Khalifa Haftar arrived in the city of Sabha from the east. Al-Utaybi said in a statement to Al-Quds Al-Arabi that they included hundreds of armed vehicles. He indicated that these factions are now stationed at Tamanhint Air Base, and forcibly evicted the inhabitants of the area, […]

The Joint List, an alliance of mainly Palestinian political parties in Israel, has called on several embassies to intervene and stop the highly provocative rallies held by far-right Israeli groups. Letters were sent to the US, UK, German and French consulates amongst others, today, the Jerusalem Post reported, warning of "bloodshed" if pressure was not applied on the Israeli government to stop the marches which over the past […]

Israel yesterday continued its aerial bombardment of the Gaza strip, breaking a fragile ceasefire for the second time since its 11-day assault last month. Israel carried out the first series of air raids on Wednesday, targeting what it said were Hamas facilities in Khan Younis. Palestinian sources said that the strikes caused property damage, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Palestinian sources on the ground said Israeli missiles hit […]

Israel is willing to work towards establishing ties with Southeast Asia's Muslim majority nations, its ambassador to Singapore said yesterday. The announcement comes despite their condemnation of Israel's air strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip last month. For 11 days, Israel launched attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip. Health officials in Gaza say 254 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, were killed and more than 1,900 wounded in the bombardments. Muslim-majority […]

Shortly before Israel's Naftali Bennett took over as prime minister, his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu ordered documents be shredded in his office, a report claimed yesterday. Sources who worked for Netanyahu said the former prime minister ordered them to discard the documents on Sunday, one day before the new government was due to take office. It was unclear which or how many documents were allegedly destroyed. According to both […]

Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, yesterday arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on an unannounced visit, according to official Libyan sources. Sources told Anadolu Agency that Kamel was due to meet his Libyan counterpart, Hussein Al-Ayeb, adding that the visit aimed "to boost mutual cooperation and support the political process and stability in Libya." The sources did not provide details about how long Kamel will […]

The next battle over Jerusalem will be a "regional war", a senior member of the Islamic Jihad Movement's political bureau warned yesterday. "It is enough to hear five prominent leaders in the region expressing their readiness to defend Jerusalem," Khaled Al-Batsh told reporters. He described those forces as "capable of waging war and leading a regional battle for Jerusalem." Last month Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, […]

The main medical problem in the Gaza Strip is the Israeli occupation, Norwegian doctor and humanitarian Mads Gilbert told viewers during a webinar organised by the Middle East Monitor yesterday in association with PalMed Europe, an organisation of Palestinian doctors based across the continent. Gilbert and the other members of a panel of experts addressed the toll of Israeli air strikes on Gaza's health sector and […]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reported to have made an offer to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to conduct joint drilling and exploration operations in Libya. The offer has apparently been accepted. Following his participation in the NATO summit in Brussels, Erdogan travelled to Azerbaijan where he met with President Aliyev. After visiting the Azeri-controlled region of Nagorno-Karabakh, captured by Azeri forces from Armenia last […]

A 15-year-old boy yesterday succumbed to his injuries after being shot with live ammunition by Israeli occupation forces in Beita, a village south of Nablus. Ahmad Zahi Ibrahim Bani Shamsa spent a day in intensive care before being pronounced dead by the Palestinian Health Ministry. The occupation forces claimed Bani Shamsa had approached the illegal Israeli outpost in Beita with a group of friends, one "hurled […]

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has today requested that the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights urgently intervene in the imminent execution of twelve men sentenced to death following the decision by Egypt's highest appeals court's to confirm the death sentences on 14 June 2021. The death penalties followed a mass trial of seven hundred and thirty nine people over their participation in pro-democracy […]

Israeli occupation forces today issued demolition orders against eight Palestinian structures in the village of Jawaya, based near Hebron, reported Wafa news agency. Coordinator of the National and Popular Committee in southern Hebron, Rateb Al-Jbour, said that Israeli forces barged their way into the village and handed six villagers demolition orders for their property. Among the properties slated for demolition are three houses, including a two-storey house, an […]

Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mariam Al-Mahdi, yesterday warned against what she described as the "danger of possible armed mercenaries returning from Libya to Sudan," adding that such a move would threaten the "entire region's security." Speaking in a meeting with her Libyan counterpart, Najla El Mangoush, the Sudanese official said that it was "important to consider the issue as a regional security matter." "The mechanisms to demobilise, […]

A study of the Israeli Medical Association's (IMA) complicity in the practice of torture in the occupation state has uncovered serious shortcomings within the World Medical Association (WMA). After over a decade of failing to hold the IMA to account over its alleged breach of medical ethics, Dr Derek Summerfield of King's College London has accused the WMA of "partisan violation of its mandate to be […]

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called on Turkey to negotiate on its gas exploration plans in a disputed area of the Mediterranean Sea also claimed by European Union members Greece and Cyprus, DW reports. After her meeting with her counterpart Hulusi Akar, Kramp-Karrenbauer said that as a NATO partner, Turkey had committed itself to resolving conflicts "on the basis of international law, through negotiations." "This also applies to contentious issues in the eastern Mediterranean," she added. […]

The new Israeli government said it would transfer over a million Pfizer coronavirus vaccines to Palestine on condition of having the same number returned later this year, local media reported. The deal would see the Palestinian Authorithy (PA) providing Israel with doses when it receives its share from the pharmaceutical company in September or October. Up to 1.4 million doses could be exchanged, the government said […]

US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed on Turkey's offer to take a leading role in the defence of Afghanistan's Kabul Airport, the US National Security Advisor has revealed. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Jake Sullivan said that the two leaders discussed the situation in Afghanistan during their meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Monday. According to Sullivan, Erdogan […]

Two Yemeni men held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba since 2004 have been cleared for transfer to another country, a US review board determined last week, Reuters reports. Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah and Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al-Hajj were both cleared for transfer as President Joe Biden's administration has revived a goal of closing the prison that came to symbolise the excesses of the US "war on terror". […]

US authorities pursuing a sweeping fraud investigation suspect some 4,000 Iraqis of filing fraudulent applications for resettlement in the United States as refugees, and they are re-examining cases involving more than 104,000 others, according to State Department reports reviewed by Reuters. More than 500 Iraqis already admitted as refugees have been implicated in the alleged fraud and could be deported or stripped of their US citizenship, according […]

The Hebrew-language Walla news website in Israel has quoted a US official as saying that the Biden administration intends to progress slowly with the new government led by Naftali Bennett. There is "no intention" of launching a new initiative on the Palestinian issue any time soon, it claimed. New Israeli Prime Minister Bennett had his first phone discussion with US President Joe Biden on Sunday evening. […]

Israel's Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked intends to submit a bill to extend the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law for an additional year. Shaked called on right-wing opposition parties to back the law, saying that "there is no opposition or coalitions when it comes to issues related to Israel's security." The minister said in a tweet yesterday that she cannot imagine that the opposition "will attempt […]

When Palestinians face the prospect of the colonisation of the last remaining shards of their land by Israel, the answer is surely not collaboration with the right-wing apartheid state. And yet this is what Mansour Abbas has done by joining Israel's new coalition government. A recent lengthy interview with Abbas published  in Time magazine is replete with contradictions and complicity. On the surface, he summarises his […]

Egyptian political prisoner Patrick George Zaki has spent this 30th birthday in prison, 16 months after he was detained. Zaki was studying for his master's at the University of Bologna in Italy and came back to Egypt to visit his family in February 2020. He was arrested at the airport, interrogated about his human rights work, beaten and tortured by electric shock. He has been accused of […]

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr Ahmed El-Tayeb called on the world to assume its responsibility, stressing on the importance of action and standing together by Egypt and Sudan in their endeavour to preserve their rights to Nile waters. In a strongly worded statement, El-Tayeb demanded the international community "confront the claims made by some parties of owning the Nile and monopolising the river's resources in […]

A member of the Supreme Political Council in the Houthi-led National Salvation Government has said the group is ready to take part in negotiations held by Qatar to help put an end to the six-year war against Yemen. According to a tweet on Tuesday, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi said: "If the aggressor countries responded positively to the message of Sultan of [Oman], I believe that there is […]

Ethiopia reiterated its intention to proceed with the second filling of its Grand Renaissance Dam, stressing that there will be no changes to the schedule. This came in a statement issued by Ethiopia's Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Seleshi Bekele, on Tuesday, in conjunction with a meeting held by the Council of Arab Ministers at the request of Egypt and Sudan. The Arab officials called on Ethiopia […]

Israel has reportedly closed nine out of ten investigations into anti-Arab religious hate crime cases between 2018 and 2020 on account of not being able to locate the perpetrators. The cases entailed the vandalising of at least ten mosques and churches in both the occupied West Bank and within Israel. A decision by the State Prosecutor's Office is yet to be made regarding the tenth case. […]

Turkey's strategic position on the Southern Gas Corridor could help it become an exporter of green hydrogen to Europe, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says, SP Global reports. Cristian Carraretto, associate director of Green Economy and Climate Action at EBRD said that Europe is the driving force in terms of demand growth for hydrogen and this creates the opportunity for Turkey to utilise existing […]

A Japanese national, identified by the initials D.M., is set to be deported after the police in Istanbul fined him for killing and eating kittens, Daily Sabah reports. The newspaper reported that D.M. has been a resident of the city's Kucukcekmece district for about three years. Adding that a local noticed him snatching kittens as they roamed the streets. The resident, who saw him carrying five kittens in […]

The Israeli military has said that it is planning to curb the number of highly controversial night raids on Palestinian homes which for decades have been the cause of fear, trauma and, occasionally, death for Palestinians living under the state's brutal military occupation. Such raids entail soldiers rousing families in the middle of the night to document the dimensions and inhabitants of homes in the occupied […]

Far-right opposition parties in Israel have claimed victory after embarrassing the new coalition government by ensuring that it failed to extend an apartheid law barring Palestinian family reunification. The law, which prevents Palestinians who marry Israeli citizens from receiving citizenship, failed to get its usual backing from the right-wing bloc. It is being viewed as an attempt to highlight the paralysis within the government of Neftali […]

Lebanon is grappling with a deep economic crisis after successive governments piled up debt following the 1975-1990 civil war with little to show for their spending binge. Banks, central to the service-oriented economy, are paralysed. Savers have been locked out of dollar accounts or told funds they can access are worth less. The currency has crashed, driving a swathe of the population into poverty. Lebanon's financial collapse since […]

Northern Irish police have been implicated in Oman's suppression of rare protests last month. The demonstrations erupted over rising unemployment and corruption and are said to be the largest of their kind in the sultanate since the 2011 Arab Spring. It has now been revealed that four Northern Irish police officers provided virtual public order training to the Royal Oman police forces some months before the protests, between […]

Israel's 11-day bombardment of Gaza in May 2021 has further devastated the besieged Strip's health infrastructure, already struggling amid a tight blockade and the coronavirus pandemic. Israeli airstrikes left Gaza's Palestinian Health Ministry and main Covid-19 lab out of service, 2 senior doctors dead and nearly 30 hospitals and health clinics either destroyed or damaged. Join our panel of distinguished experts on Thursday 17 June 2021 […]

At least $250 million in UN humanitarian aid intended for refugees and poor communities in Lebanon has been lost to banks selling the local currency at highly unfavourable rates, a Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation has found. The losses – described in an internal United Nations document as "staggering" and confirmed by multiple sources – come as Lebanon grapples with its worst ever economic crisis, with more than […]

People across Spain are calling for more to be done to address racism in the country after the brutal murder of a Moroccan immigrant in the southern region of Murcia, Anadolu Agency reports. Younes Bilal, 37, was shot point-blank range by a former military officer while spending time with friends at a cafe in the town of Mazarron on Sunday, according to local media reports. Witnesses […]

The US House of Representatives voted today to end the nearly two-decade-old war powers authorisation that was originally intended to launch the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Anadolu Agency reports. The 268-161 vote saw broad bipartisan support in the House, but the effort to repeal the authorisation faces an uncertain path in the Senate. Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has signalled his willingness to bring the resolution […]

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on Thursday launched an inquiry into alleged human rights violations in Ethiopia's northernmost region of Tigray, Anadolu Agency reports. Some international organizations alleged that rampant human rights violations were committed in the region, including soldiers raping women, while the Ethiopian government said it was doing its part and so far 25 soldiers suspected of involvement were detained. The […]

The Turkish foreign minister and EU foreign policy chief are scheduled to have a bilateral meeting in Antalya, southern Turkey tomorrow, Anadolu Agency reports. During the bilateral meeting, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Josep Borrell will review "all aspects of the relations" ahead of EU summit that will be held on June 24-25, said a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. "Steps that can be taken to enhance […]

An Israeli Border Police officer has been charged with reckless homicide following the murder of Eyad Al-Hallaq, an autistic Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem. The 20-year-year-old Border Police officer had charges filed by the police misconduct investigation unit today and faces up to 12 years in prison. Al-Hallaq was a 32-year-old resident of the neighbourhood Wadi Joz in occupied East Jerusalem. Diagnosed at a young age, he had […]

The Mediterranean Sea, which desperate refugees and migrants regularly attempt to cross in the hope of a better life, is the "largest cemetery in Europe", Pope Francis said yesterday. The Pope, who frequently draws attention to the plight of refugees, made his remarks at St Peter's Square in the city of Vatican. He also spoke about a new memorial erected in the Sicilian city of Syracuse, […]

Almost half of Israelis do not believe that the new coalition government sworn in yesterday will complete its term, a poll conducted by Israeli TV Channel 12 showed. On Sunday, Israeli Knesset voted on a new coalition government led by Yamina Party chairman Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. The Channel 12 poll showed that 43 per cent of Israelis do not believe this government will complete its term. Only 11 per […]

Hamas and other Palestinian factions have called for a day of rage tomorrow after Israel approved the settler Flag March through Jerusalem, local media reported yesterday. "Our people in Bayt Al-Maqdis who inspired all nations on earth and taught them how to stand up against the occupation, we call on you to undermine the Israeli plans aimed to Judaise Jerusalem and change its identity," Hamas Spokesman for Jerusalem […]

Changes in the makeup of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, hardly cause for Palestinian optimism, even at the best of times. All governments of Israel since 1948 have pushed the Palestinians and their legitimate aspirations to near oblivion. The ousting of now-former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday was received with little outward enthusiasm in occupied Palestine. As many people pointed out, it is the "same old […]

Saudi Arabia's Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) yesterday announced the arrest of 136 citizens and expatriates for their "alleged" involvement in corruption. Nazaha said in a statement that the detainees include employees in the ministries of defence, interior, National Guard, health, justice, municipal and rural affairs, and housing and education. The defendants face charges related to bribery, abuse of power, and forgery, it said. The statement […]

Iraq National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, yesterday said security forces will confront sectarian calls, threatening social peace with "firmness and force", Anadolu reported. Al-Araji made the remarks during a meeting with members of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee to discuss the latest calls by a radical Shia group to demolish the shrine of a revered Sunni cleric in Baghdad. "The safety valve in Najaf and the leaders of […]

Turkey has conducted airstrikes against Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria, in response to a deadly attack on a hospital in the region. The airstrikes targeted the positions of the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Syrian regime-held city of Tel Rifat yesterday. Ankara accused the groups of the attack on Al-Shifa Hospital in the opposition-held city of Afrin on […]

Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel Bin Abdulrahman Al-Assoumi, yesterday congratulated Algeria for holding the legislative election on Saturday. "Conducting these elections represents an important stage in the process of democratic development and strengthening political participation in the Republic of Algeria and represents a necessary step forward," Al-Assoumi said in a statement. He commended: "The Algerian people's ability to pass this important democratic process and overcome […]

Egypt is to launch two satellites next year, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar made the announcement during the Europe-Africa Space Earth Observation High-Level Forum in Lisbon, Portugal. The Nexast-1, weighing just 65kg, will be a lightweight satellite used for remote sensing and scientific research. The EgyptSat-2 will weigh 330kg and use sensor applications to provide clear photographs by […]

Turkey signed a new $3.6 billion swap agreement with China, increasing the limit on their existing currency arrangement to $6 billion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday according to Bloomberg. In a statement during a press conference held at Ataturk Airport State Guest House before he departed for Brussels to attend the NATO Leaders' Summit, Erdogan said: "The foreign exchange reserves of the Central Bank reached […]

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters gathered in London on Saturday calling on the Group of Seven (G7) leaders to support Palestinian rights. The protest formed part of the "Resist G7 Day of Action for International Justice" organised by a coalition of groups calling on the G7 nations to "end all military-security cooperation with Israel, and employ targeted sanctions until Israel complies with international law," the Palestine Solidarity […]

New details have emerged about the alleged plot to overthrow Jordan's King Abdullah, indicating that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a starring role along with senior officials within the Trump administration, prominent Jordanians, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Details of the role played by Netanyahu, who was ousted yesterday after the Israeli parliament voted in a new coalition government led by the far-right nationalist Naftali […]

The UAE has been elected to the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2022-2023 term by winning 179 votes out of the total 190 cast by the General Assembly members, UN news reports. According to the report, the Emirates will replace Tunisia in the Asia-Pacific slot when the mandate begins on 1 January 2022. UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al […]

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday condemned Israel's plan to build 534 new settlement units in the northern occupied West Bank, Anadolu reported. "The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemns in the strongest terms the expansionist colonial settlement project, which targets the entire area south of Nablus," the ministry said in a statement, adding that "the Israeli occupation authorities continue to steal Palestinian land, by planning to build 534 […]

Scores of Palestinian fishermen yesterday staged a protest against the continuous Israeli siege on Gaza, as well as the occupation's aggression on the fishing industry, Anadolu reported. Fishermen Syndicate in Gaza organised the protest, which took place in the port west of Gaza City. The fishermen held posters reading: "It is my right to move freely… Yes to the full lifting of the siege." They also raised the […]

The High Administrative Committee in Gaza told traders that they can import new and used cars through Egypt, making the Palestinian Authority (PA) angry, Sama News agency reported yesterday. This measure, which was approved by Egypt, increased the income of the Administrative Committee of the government in the Gaza Strip. Sama News reported that PA expressing its anger saying: "This is part of the plan to separate the Gaza Strip from […]

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz last month approved a new bank of targets which Israel could attack in any future offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli TV Channel 12 revealed yesterday. According to Arab48, Israeli TV said that the bank of targets was updated in preparation for a possible outbreak of tension between Israel and the Palestinian resistance in the wake of the planned Flag March which is due […]

The Lebanese army yesterday said it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle 11 irregular migrants out of the country by water from the northern city of Tripoli. "The Lebanese naval forces have managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle 10 Syrians and a Lebanese, aboard a boat off Tripoli's coast," the military said in a statement. Irregular migration attempts to Europe, especially Cyprus, from Lebanon have […]

Is the Israeli election circus finally coming to an end? I wouldn't bank on it quite yet, for two related reasons. Since 2019, there have been no less than four general elections in Israel, all inconclusive. This is partly due to Israel's electoral system, which uses proportional representation. A confusing array of different parties competes for influence, across the whole spectrum of Israeli political life: from […]

Violent protests erupted in the streets of Tunisia's capital again on Saturday night, adding to the pressure on Prime Minister's Hichem Mechichi's government to crack down on police abuses, reports Reuters. The clashes occurred in the Sejoumi neighbourhood of Tunis and followed protests earlier in the day in the center of the city during which protesters threw chairs and stones at the police who responded by […]

At least 13 people were killed and several wounded in two separate artillery attacks on the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Saturday, local medical sources and Turkey's government said, reports Reuters. The first attack struck a residential area, while the second hit a hospital shortly afterwards, civil defence sources said. Video footage on social media showed casualties amid the ruins of the Al Shifa hospital. […]

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has rejected statements by United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed linking the group to terrorism, reports Anadolu Agency. "Bin Zayed's call for the western countries to designate Hamas as a terrorist group runs counter to Arab values," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasim said on Twitter. These statements, the spokesman said, fall in line with "the failed Zionist propaganda and contradict […]

Israeli army soldiers on Sunday brutally assaulted three Palestinian workers in the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian medical source, reports Anadolu Agency. "The workers suffered bruises in the head and face," the source told Anadolu Agency. According to the official Wafa news agency, the soldiers assaulted the workers after they attempted to cross the Israel-built separation barrier near Barta'a village, north of Jenin city, […]

Only 30% of voters turned out in Algeria's parliamentary elections on Saturday, according to the country's election commission, reports Anadolu Agency. "Voter turnout in the polls reached 30.2%," Mohamed Chorfi, chairman of the National Independent Election Authority, told state television. More than 24 million voters were eligible to cast a ballot in Saturday's vote, the first since the departure of longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April […]

READ: Israel floods farmlands with rainwater in eastern Gaza Source link

A Palestinian government delegation is set to arrive in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian officials on the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, reports Anadolu Agency. The delegation will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr, according to the official Wafa news agency. "The delegation will continue meetings that started with the Egyptian delegation in Gaza on setting the mechanisms for the reconstruction […]

Bangladesh has sought the cooperation of Saudi Arabia for a sustainable repatriation of Rohingya Muslims to their home country, Myanmar, reports Anadolu Agency. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen made the appeal while speaking to his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud over the phone, said a statement by the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry on Saturday. Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya […]

At least 14 suspects were detained in Istanbul over their suspected links to the Daesh terror group and conflict zones, a security source said Sunday, reports Anadolu Agency. Provincial counter-terrorism units on June 11 simultaneously raided 20 addresses in 13 districts of Istanbul and made the arrests, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media. In 2013, Turkey became […]

Israeli soldiers arrested three children from the Aida refugee camp on Saturday, according to media reports, reports Anadolu Agency. The Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said Mahmoud Baraqaa,14, Amhad Zakaria Baraqaa, 15, and Abdullah Abu Srour, 14, were detained while playing football. Israeli police also arrested three others in occupied East Jerusalem. Witnesses said the detainees were in their 20s and were threatened with weapons by authorities. […]

Israeli forces on Sunday dismantled tents for Palestinian families in a nomadic Bedouin community near the village of Taibe, to the northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, reports Anadolu Agency. The Israeli soldiers raiding the village in the morning and destroyed 6 houses and animal shelters. The locals said the demolished tents demolished a shelter for two families with a total of 15 members. […]

Jordan's military court will start the trial next week of a former royal court chief and a minor royal on charges of agitating to destabilise the monarchy, state media said on Sunday, reports Reuters. Prosecutors last week referred to court the case of Bassem Awadallah, an ex-royal court chief and finance minister who played a big role in the drive to liberalise Jordan's economy, and Sherif […]

Israel's longest-serving leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been ousted from office by a loose coalition of rivals from across the political spectrum, united by their wish to end his 12-year run in power. Israel's parliament voted 60-59 in favour of a new government on Sunday, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year consecutive tenure as premier. Following the announcement, Benjamin Netanyahu stated to Reuters: "We'll be back, soon." Netanyahu said he […]

The Turkish president on Sunday stressed the importance of alliance ahead of Monday's NATO summit, reports Anadolu Agency. "We will participate in an important summit where decisions will be taken regarding the NATO 2030 process, which will determine the alliance's roadmap for the next ten years," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters before his departure for Brussels. "Turkey will once again underline the importance of alliances with […]

Turkey's national defense minister has reiterated his country's support for Libya during a high-level visit to the country ahead of Monday's NATO summit, reports Anadolu Agency. Hulusi Akar met with Libyan military officials on Saturday and visited Libya Task Group Command. Addressing the personnel at the command, Akar emphasized the long-standing friendly ties between Turkey and Libya. "Turkey is a homeland for Libyans and Libya is […]

Lebanon's currency crashed past a milestone on Sunday reaching a new low against the dollar, as the country's financial meltdown and political deadlock linger, reports Reuters. Market dealers said the Lebanese pound was trading at around 15,150 to the dollar, losing around 90% of what it was worth in late 2019 when Lebanon's economic and financial crisis erupted. Lebanon is in the throes of a deep […]

Somali national army on Sunday said it conducted military operations in three different regions in the Horn of Africa country, killing at least 50 al-Shabaab terrorists in the past 48 hours, reports Anadolu Agency. The operations took place in the central region of Hiiran, Middle Shabelle, and southwestern province of lower Shabelle separately, Somali state television quoted military commanders as saying. Many bases of the terror […]

Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of Libya's Presidential Council, emphasized early Sunday the importance of strengthening relations with Turkey, reports Anadolu Agency. Al-Menfi also underscored the importance of improving relations and cooperation with Ankara in a meeting with a Turkish delegation, according to a statement by his office. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu conveyed greetings of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said Ankara supports the unity […]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year hold on power was set to end on Sunday when parliament votes on a new government, ushering in an administration that has pledged to heal a nation bitterly divided over his departure, reports Reuters. Netanyahu, the most dominant Israeli politician of his generation, had failed to form a government after a March 23 election, the fourth in two years. […]

Turkey has lowered the vaccine eligibility age to 40, the Turkish health minister announced on Sunday, reports Anadolu Agency. "If you are 40 or older, you can make an appointment as of this morning. We expect 100% participation," Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter. Turkey administered over 33.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in mid-January, according to the Health Ministry […]