PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 2:27 pm - Jerusalem Time

Mass marches for the funeral of the martyrs in the Jenin camp and city

Thousands of citizens mourned this afternoon, Wednesday, the bodies of the four martyrs who were shot dead by the occupation forces last night, during the aggression against the Jenin camp, during which 30 citizens were injured.


The funeral procession for the martyrs, Mahmoud Ali Nafi’ al-Saadi,  Mahmoud Khaled Ararawi, Raafat Omar Khamaysa, and Atta Musa, began in the village of Marka, from Ibn Sina Hospital in the city of Jenin, led by dozens of armed fighters from the military wings of the factions who carried the bodies of the martyrs on their graves. 


In an interview with Al-Quds.com, the spokesman for the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Abu Ayham, said: “The occupation is delusional if it believes that assassinations, killings, and aggression against the leaders of the resistance and our people will stop the march of resistance.”


He added, the failure of the occupation to reach the Commander-in-Chief of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, Muhammad Abu Al-Baha, confirms that the resistance is ready and will remain in the field, confronting the occupation and all its tools of suppression.


He stressed that the Jenin camp will remain a symbol of unity, struggle and steadfastness in the face of the occupation and its aides, stressing that the Al-Aqsa Brigades and all the resistance wings will remain united in the Jenin camp in the face of the occupation.


The special units carried out an operation in the Jenin camp targeting the commander-in-chief of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs, “Abu Al-Baha,” who survived the ambush while the occupation forces threatened his family to liquidate him if he did not surrender himself. They arrested his father, but released him half an hour later and handed him over to the Al-Jalama checkpoint to the Palestinian Red Crescent after he suffered a seizure. Heartfelt, the Israeli aggression resulted in martyrs and wounded, while the occupation admitted that two patrols were damaged as a result of being targeted with locally manufactured resistance devices.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 20 Sep 2023 1:53 pm - Jerusalem Time

Google's Artificial Intelligence Tool is now Connected to Email, YouTube, and Maps

Google announced on Tuesday that its “Bard” program, based on artificial intelligence, can now connect to other services provided by the company, such as email, YouTube, and maps, in a new step within the technology companies’ race in this field.


A statement by the American group explained, “For example, if the user is planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, he can ask +Bard+ to collect dates that suit everyone in the Gmail email, search for flights and hotels, and check the distance between the destination and the airport in Google Maps.” And watching YouTube videos about the activities available there,” it added, adding that “all of this can happen in the same conversation.”


The giant Internet company has been working on creating artificial intelligence systems for years, but it was surprised by the success achieved by the “Chat GPT” program (created by Open AI) at the end of 2022 and the launch of the new “Bing” search engine from “Microsoft” in February.


At the same stage, Google launched “Bard,” which is a chat program capable of producing various types of texts (articles, advice, dialogues...) as soon as the user asks him to do so in a simple manner, similar to the way “ChatGPT” works.


The company indicated that the new tool, which was launched on Tuesday, called “Bard Extensions,” is also capable of extracting data from “Google Docs” and “Google Drive,” including documents in “PDF” format.


The new “Google It” click allows the user to compare the results provided by “Bard” with those found through the “Google” search engine for the same topic, and highlight any difference between the two results, if any.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 20 Sep 2023 1:52 pm - Jerusalem Time

Saudi and Houthi officials describe talks between them in Riyadh as “serious and positive”

Saudi and Houthi officials described the talks they held in Riyadh over a period of five days as “serious and positive,” expressing their optimism in the possibility of reaching a road map to put the Yemen war on the path to a solution, despite the failure to reach a clear agreement.


While the Houthi delegation was leaving Riyadh, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and the United States discussed the Yemeni conflict in New York on the sidelines of the work of the United Nations General Assembly, stressing the need for cooperation to support peace efforts in the poorest countries of the Arabian Peninsula, which has been witnessing a war since 2014 between the Houthi rebels supported by Iran and government forces supported by Riyadh.


The Houthi delegation returned on Tuesday evening to Sanaa, which has been under rebel control for nine years, after a public visit to Saudi Arabia, which since March 2015 has led a military coalition that also includes the UAE, fighting alongside the Yemeni government forces.


The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it welcomed "the positive results of serious discussions regarding reaching a road map to support the peace process in Yemen."


Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that he met with the Houthi delegation and stressed during the meeting “the Kingdom’s standing with Yemen and its brotherly people, and its keenness to encourage the Yemeni parties to sit at the dialogue table.”


He added, "We look forward to the serious discussions achieving their goals, and for the Yemeni parties to come together to speak out and be united."


The Houthis, for their part, said that the talks with Saudi officials, which took place under Omani mediation, were positive.


Member of the delegation and official spokesman for the Ansar Allah Movement, Muhammad Abdel Salam, said, “Our delegation, upon its arrival in Riyadh, held extensive meetings with the Saudi side.”


During these meetings, according to Abdel Salam, “some options and alternatives were discussed to overcome the issues of disagreement that occurred in the previous round,” referring to the visit of a Saudi delegation to Sana’a last April, adding, “We will submit them to the leadership for consultation.”


Ali Al-Qahum, a member of the movement's political bureau, said that a new round of talks would take place at a time he did not specify, after "the negotiations" in Saudi Arabia were "characterized by seriousness, positivity, and optimism in overcoming the stumbling blocks and complications in the humanitarian files and the disbursement of salaries and humanitarian treatments."


The US State Department also welcomed the talks in a statement, stressing that developing a road map to end the conflict “through a Yemeni-led political process under the auspices of the United Nations is of utmost importance to the United States.”

In New York, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed with his Saudi and Emirati counterparts “the urgent need for a permanent solution to the conflict in Yemen, and other priorities,” according to what the US Secretary wrote on the “X” platform.


He added, "Coordination with our partners regarding Yemen and regional challenges is crucial to achieving peace and stability."


The Emirates News Agency reported that the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the United States stressed “the importance of close cooperation between the three countries and the Presidential Command Council in Yemen to enhance UN-led peace efforts.”


A Yemeni government official familiar with the content of the talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia told Agence France-Presse that the talks focused on the issue of paying the salaries of employees of the Houthi government, which is not recognized by the authority, and inaugurating new destinations from Sanaa Airport, which remained closed for years before the coalition allowed it to be opened last year. Its airspace is for planes flying to Jordan and Egypt.


It was also expected that the Houthis would discuss with Saudi officials the “final formula” for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, after which the parties to the conflict would begin negotiations directly to reach a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations and with the support of Saudi Arabia and Oman.


The conflict in Yemen has caused the death and injury of hundreds of thousands and the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.


The intensity of the fighting decreased significantly after the UN-brokered ceasefire that entered into force in April 2022. This truce remains largely in effect even after it expired in October 2022.


But the humanitarian crisis in the poor country continues to worsen, with humanitarian aid declining due to lack of funding.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 1:28 pm - Jerusalem Time

Palestine Prisoner's Club reviews the condition of administrative detainee Ikrima Khammash

The Israeli forces arrested the young man, Ikrimah Jamal Khammash (25 years old), from Nablus, on August 24, 2023. This is his first arrest, as the occupation issued an administrative detention order against him for a period of six months. During his arrest, and according to testimony from his family, his arrest took place in a manner Brutality, as he was attacked by special units of the occupation army, which used police dogs.


The Prisoner's Club stated that the detainee, Khammash, was injured in the incidents in the Old City of Nablus, which led to the amputation of his right hand and left leg. He was in a critical health condition, as he stayed in the Arab Specialized Hospital in Nablus for seven months and underwent a series of surgical operations.


The Prisoner's Club added that, in addition to the amputation of his hand and leg, he lost all of his teeth, a large percentage of his hearing, and nerve problems. He needs intensive follow-up and health care, and he also needs special food, as he remains today in "Megiddo" prison. .


It is worth mentioning that the number of administrative detainees by the end of August 2023 reached (1264), including (20) children and (4) female prisoners.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 20 Sep 2023 12:47 pm - Jerusalem Time

A tense meeting between Biden and Netanyahu is expected today

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden will meet on Wednesday for the first time since the former returned to power at the end of 2022, in a meeting that is expected to be dominated by an atmosphere of tension.


Amid his concerns over Netanyahu's controversial judicial reform, Biden declined to invite the Israeli prime minister to the White House, and the two men will instead meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.


The meeting is expected to address the issue of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.


Saudi Arabia has been stressing for many years that the normalization of its relations with Israel and its recognition of it depend on implementing the two-state solution with the Palestinians. The Kingdom did not join the Abraham Accords concluded in 2020, which were brokered by the United States and under which Israel established relations with the Kingdom’s neighbors, the UAE and Bahrain. Sudan and Morocco joined them.


Last week, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said one focus of the talks would be “the democratic values shared by the United States and Israel.”


However, the United States and Israel seem far apart recently, especially after the Democratic US President described Netanyahu's right-wing government as one of the most "extremist" governments in Israel's history.


Netanyahu's policies have caused tension in relations with the United States, the country's strongest ally, since his return to power after winning the legislative elections with the support of extreme right-wing parties in December.


The US President strongly criticized the judicial reform plan, which Netanyahu's opponents consider a threat to democracy in Israel and a step towards an illiberal, even authoritarian, path.


In July, Biden received in the Oval Office moderate Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who called for a reconsideration of the judicial reform proposed by the government.


Earlier this year, a dispute arose after Netanyahu said he had received an invitation to visit the White House, but the White House only then said that the two men would meet “in the United States.”


Relations witnessed further tension due to the continuing settlement expansion despite repeated calls by the United Nations to stop it.


But despite the tensions between Biden and Netanyahu, there is no tangible indication that the United States will ease its long-term support for the Hebrew state, which is its main ally in the Middle East.


On Wednesday, the two men will address the Biden administration's push for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia has always refused to recognize Israel.


Sullivan noted that they will discuss "a vision for a more stable, prosperous and integrated region."


Biden is likely to offer Saudi Arabia an ambitious security deal like the one he recently offered to Japan and South Korea, according to the New York Times.


Biden and Netanyahu will also "compare notes on effectively confronting and deterring Iran," as the US administration is keen to confront Tehran's regional influence and its nuclear ambitions.


On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and billionaire Elon Musk discussed the risks associated with artificial intelligence, Israeli politics, and content control on the “X” platform, during a live conversation on the social networking site owned by the owner of Tesla and SpaceX.
“I hope you can find the ability to put an end to anti-Semitism (via X) or reduce it as much as possible,” Netanyahu told Musk.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 12:25 pm - Jerusalem Time

Israeli military apparatuses orders cessation of work and construction in 8 homes in Salfit

Today, Wednesday, the Israeli  military apparatuses notified the cessation of work and construction in eight homes in the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit.


According to local sources, the Israeli armed forces stormed the northern area of the town, and delivered notices to stop work and construction in eight houses, some of which were under construction and others inhabited, and whose owners were known as: Nizam Mahmoud Assi, Mahmoud Jamal Assi, Muhammad Fathi, and Wasati Mithqal.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 12:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

Israeli has arrested more than 5,200 citizens this year

The Prisoners' Club said that the total number of arrests documented since the beginning of this year amounted to more than (5,200) citizens, including more than (500) detainees in Jenin and its camp, which are subject to continuous aggression.


The Prisoner's Club stated, in a press statement today, Wednesday, that the highest rate of arrests was in the month of April 2023, when it amounted to more than (900) arrests, while the highest rate of arrests in Jenin was in the month of July. 2023, as the occupation forces carried out mass arrest campaigns during the aggression they carried out on Jenin and its camp, amounting to (151) cases.


He stressed that the occupation forces used all types of weapons and systematic policies to abuse detainees and their families, in addition to the field executions that we witness during arrest operations, and the increasing number of wounded detainees as a result of shooting operations during arrest campaigns.


The Prisoner's Club pointed out that the most targeted groups are the families of prisoners and martyrs, as the occupation continues to pursue the crime of collective punishment against them, which today constitutes the most prominent established crimes, and is used on a large scale, and may extend to the level of a town, a camp, or a city.


He pointed out that Israeli military apparatuses also significantly escalated the sabotage operations inside the homes of detainees and their families, and the sabotage operations extended to the camp level, as happened in the Jenin camp and Tulkarm. According to the families’ testimonies, the extent of the material losses in the homes is very large, as the occupation forces deliberately carry out Massive sabotage operations, with the aim of revenge, which also fall within the context of the crime of collective punishment.


The number of prisoners today in the Israeli prisons is about (5,200) prisoners, including (37) female prisoners, and about (170) children, while the number of administrative detainees is (1,264), including (20) children, and four female prisoners: (Raghad Al-Fanni, and Samah Awad, Hanan Al-Barghouti, and Fatima Abu Shalal).

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 11:25 am - Jerusalem Time

An Israeli tank in "scrap"!

On Wednesday morning, an Israeli tank stolen from a training base in the Eliakim area near Haifa was found in a scrapyard (damaged goods).


According to an Israeli police spokesman, the tank was stolen from the military base under unclear circumstances, which are being investigated, and was found in a “scrap” location.



PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 11:24 am - Jerusalem Time

A report documenting the testimony of two minor Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons

The Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs revealed in a report issued today, Wednesday, that the Israeli occupation forces continue to use various forms of physical torture against Palestinian prisoners during their arrest from their homes, through interrogation and until they remain in Israeli detention centers.


The Commission gave live arrest testimony for two young captives who were subjected to violations by the Israeli occupation soldiers during their arrest, through the Commission’s lawyer, Heba Agbaria. They are: Prisoner Osama Marmash (16 years old) from the city of Nablus. He was subjected to violations by the Israeli occupation soldiers, and was arrested at the Huwwara checkpoint in It was noon hours, and he was heading to a store nearby there to buy some items, when suddenly a military jeep stopped in the middle of the road near him, and a number of soldiers got out, attacked him, and kidnapped him, then brought him into the military jeep, handcuffed him, blindfolded him, and took him to a nearby army camp.


The authority said: “They put him inside a container, all iron and without a roof, and next to him were a number of soldiers who mocked him all the time, harassed him, and forced him to sleep on his back under the blazing sun. The prisoner asked them for a little water to drink, but after a long wait, they brought him boiling water to drink.” He remained inside the “container” for about 48 hours while lying on the ground, after which he was transferred to “Megiddo Detention Center,” the Cubs Section.


As for the prisoner, Ahmed Salaymeh (14.5 years old), from the town of Silwan in Jerusalem, who was arrested by the Israeli occupation soldiers in the afternoon hours. They assaulted and beat him, then tied his hands behind him and blindfolded him. They kept him standing with his face against the wall for two hours, and then brought him into the investigation room. He was interrogated for 3 hours, and during the interrogation the interrogator was yelling at him and screaming while stomping on his foot with all his might. The prisoner, Salaima, screamed in pain, but the interrogator did not care and continued to stamp on his foot with his shoe and iron sole. After two days of interrogation, the prisoner was brought before the court, and he was transferred. He remained in house detention for approximately two and a half months, after which he was transferred to the actual prison and was transferred to “Damoun” detention center, the Cubs section.


It is noteworthy that the number of detained children is 190, distributed among the prisons of “Ofer, Megiddo, and Damon.”

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 20 Sep 2023 11:08 am - Jerusalem Time

Leaders of Islamic countries attack the occident because of the desecration of the Qur’an

On Tuesday, the leaders of a number of Islamic countries launched an attack on European countries, led by Sweden, due to the desecration of the Qur’an that took place on their lands.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the first to denounce from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly in New York those attacks against Islam that had reached an “unbearable” level.


Erdogan said in his speech that “racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia” in European countries that he did not name “have reached an unbearable level.”


Erdogan accused "populist politicians in many countries of continuing to play with fire."


He added that "the vile attacks in Europe against the Qur'an (...) make the future dark" for the old continent.


The Iraqi refugee in Sweden, Silwan Mumika, angered the Islamic world in June when he burned the Qur’an in front of the largest mosque in Stockholm on the first day of Eid al-Adha.


The most violent protest movements against what he did were recorded in Baghdad, where protesters set fire to the Swedish embassy building. Several countries also summoned Sweden's envoys to inform them of official protests.


The Swedish government condemned the burning of the Qur’an on its territory, but stressed that the country’s laws guarantee freedom of expression and assembly and therefore cannot prohibit these movements.


Sweden decided in mid-August to raise the terrorist alert level, considering that the risk of attacks “will remain for a long time.”


For his part, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said from the same podium, holding up a copy of the Qur’an, that “the Qur’an’s teachings to human societies will never burn, and the fires of insult and distortion will not be a match for the truth,” according to what was stated on the website of the official news agency (IRNA).


He added, "Antagonism to Islam and cultural apartheid in its various forms, such as burning the Qur'an, banning the hijab in schools, and dozens of other shameful forms of discrimination, are not worthy of modern man."


He was referring to France, which banned the wearing of the abaya in public schools.


Raisi’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly comes a year after the Iranian authorities suppressed protests led by women that followed the death of the young woman, Missha Amini (22 years old), days after she was arrested by the police, who considered that she had violated the country’s strict dress code.


For his part, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said in his speech at the United Nations, “Intentional attack on the sanctities of others should not be an example of freedom of expression.”


He added, "I say to my Muslim brothers that it is not permissible for an imbecile or a biased person to occupy us whenever it occurs to him to provoke us by burning the Holy Qur’an or using other villainy. The Qur’an is too high for an imbecile to touch it."

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 10:46 am - Jerusalem Time

Jordan condemns Israeli escalation and calls for protection for the Palestinian people

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs condemned the Israeli escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories, the latest of which was the aggression last evening on the city of Jenin, warning of the continuation of the cycle of violence.


The official spokesman for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Sinan Majali, stressed the need to stop the incursions into all Palestinian cities, warning of the consequences of this escalation, which will only lead to further deterioration and violence, calling on the international community to move immediately and effectively to stop this escalation and provide protection for the Palestinian people in the territories. Occupied Palestinian Territory.


He stressed the need to protect Palestinian cities from repeated attacks on them, and to stop the escalation that represents a violation of international humanitarian law and Israel’s obligations as the occupying power, stressing the need to stop campaigns against the Palestinian people immediately.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 10:41 am - Jerusalem Time

A Hamas official told Haaretz: The Qatari funding cut withheld the salaries of nearly 50,000 employees.

A senior official in the Hamas political bureau said on Wednesday that one of the most prominent factors behind the renewal of the marches on the Gaza Strip border, and the anger among the Sultan, is the withholding of the salaries of nearly 50,000 government employees in Gaza, including senior employees, due to the reduction in Qatari funding for salaries By half, contrary to the agreements concluded with Qatar following the return marches in 2018.


This statement came in a report by Jackie Khoury, the Palestinian affairs correspondent for the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz.


According to the official, Qatar has not yet agreed to the request for increased funding to ensure the payment of salaries, which prompted the movement to pay the salaries of its employees by 55%, and this increases the pressure on the movement’s leadership.


The newspaper quoted Palestinian sources as saying that the leadership in Gaza is seeking to calm the situation on the border and prevent the escalation of protests that might lead to a direct confrontation with Israel.


These sources indicated that the aim of the border marches at the present time is to indicate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and to convey a message that ignoring the plight of the Palestinians will lead to a security escalation.




ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 20 Sep 2023 10:25 am - Jerusalem Time

Japanese Prime Minister "determined" to meet North Korean leader

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed from the United Nations podium on Tuesday his "determination" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whose recent rapprochement with Russia has raised fears of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.


In his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Kishida said, "Japan's policy toward North Korea has not changed. Japan wants to normalize its relations with North Korea."


He added, "With the aim of opening a new page together, I would like to express my determination to meet President Kim Jong-un face to face, at any time and without conditions."


The Japanese Prime Minister explained that he would seek to "organize high-level meetings" under his supervision in order for this summit to be held as quickly as possible.


A few days ago, a Japanese government spokesman announced that Kishida was ready to meet Kim “without preconditions.”


Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited North Korea twice, where he met the late leader Kim Jong-il, the father of the current leader.


His first visit to Pyongyang in 2002 led to the return of five Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea.
However, relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang soon deteriorated before worsening further after the nuclear test conducted by North Korea in 2006.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 10:04 am - Jerusalem Time

WFP: Norway's support will contribute to delivering aid to about 20,000 Palestinians

“The support provided by the Norwegian government amounting to $2.9 million will contribute to the continued provision of food aid to Palestinian families in need,” the World Food Program said.


The Director of the World Food Program in Palestine, Samer Abdel Jaber, explained in a press statement today, Wednesday, that this amount will include providing food aid to about 20,000 citizens in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, for a period of 12 months.


He added that Norway's contribution comes at an exceptional period when the program is suffering from a funding crisis that may force it to make difficult choices.


Abdul Jaber stressed that the severe funding shortfall that the World Food Program is suffering from will limit its ability to provide food assistance, and it may be forced to completely stop its operations by next November.


For his part, Norway's representative to the State of Palestine, Torun Vest, said that increasing poverty, stagnation, and limited access to job opportunities and basic food supplies are major challenges specific to Gaza.


He stressed that the partnership with the World Food Program is important in preserving the lifeline of some families, including those headed by women.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 9:35 am - Jerusalem Time

Fare right Israeli campaign to release the killer of Palestinian Dawabsha family

Since yesterday, Tuesday, far-right Knesset members have been leading an extensive Israeli campaign to release settler Amiram Ben-Uliel, who killed the Dawabsha family, by burning thim in the town of Duma near Nablus at the end of July 2015.


The campaign is led by Member of Knesset Son Har-Melech from the "Jewish Power" party led by extremist Itamar Ben Gvir.


Yesterday, Malikh participated in a conference called by extremists to launch the campaign aimed at his release.


Melech said at the conference that Ben-Uliel was innocent and a good man, as he described him, claiming that he was tortured by the Shin Bet to confess to being behind the crime.


In previous statements, the Shin Bet denied such information.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 9:35 am - Jerusalem Time

Extracting a decision to freeze demolition of homes in the Jordan Valley

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission and the Tubas Governorate issued a decision to freeze orders to demolish citizens’ homes in Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa in the northern Jordan Valley.


Moataz Bisharat, the official responsible for the Jordan Valley file in Tubas Governorate, said that the Authority and Tubas Governorate obtained a decision yesterday to freeze orders to demolish the facilities, after submitting an appeal to the “Israeli Supreme Court”, which had previously rejected the petition of the residents of Humsa and allowed the demolition of their tents that they had built on their lands three years ago. .


He added that the court issued its decision to accept the request to freeze demolition orders until further notice.


It is noteworthy that Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa was subjected three years ago to widespread demolition operations by the occupation forces, affecting all of its residential facilities, and its residents are facing forced displacement attempts from the area.



OPINIONS

Wed 20 Sep 2023 9:31 am - Jerusalem Time

Pioneering female prisoners

Al-Quds op-ed

Al-Quds op-ed

Opinion Writer

The number of Palestinian female prisoners in the occupation prisons increased to 37 after a four-year actual prison sentence was recently issued against activist Aya Al-Khatib from the 1948 territories and a fine of 25,000 shekels. She is married and a mother of two children. She was arrested in February 2020 and spent about two years thereafter. She was transferred from home detention to actual prison.


One of the most difficult cases among our female prisoners is the captive activist Israa Jaabis from Jerusalem, who suffers from severe deformities in her body as a result of her exposure to a serious fire after the occupation soldiers opened fire on her vehicle in 2015, which caused a gas cylinder to explode and she suffered burns to about 60% of her body.


The number of female prisoners who are mothers is 13, meaning that the suffering is double and more painful, which confirms the role of Palestinian women in defending the land, rights and future.


All respect, appreciation and love for these pioneering female prisoners and Palestinian women in general and their role in defending the homeland.


The United Nations is a voice without actions! The 87th session of the United Nations General Assembly began with the participation of a number of world leaders, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.


Tomorrow, Abu Mazen is scheduled to deliver a comprehensive speech on the Palestinian issue, the Israeli occupation, and the importance of the world moving seriously to stop Israeli practices and find a solution to the long-lasting Arab-Israeli conflict, during which Israel continues to control the Palestinian territories by all possible means and work as much as it can to displace the largest number of citizens. Palestinians.


As is known, this United Nations has held dozens of meetings and taken many decisions over the past many years, but all of these decisions remained a dead letter and none of them were implemented. Therefore, they have become a voice echoed by many world leaders without any field or practical results. .


However, the only role of this international institution, and the strong voice that echoes in its hall, is that each party can say what it wants and everyone will hear it, and the picture becomes clearer for those who do not know yet, of the occupation’s criminal practices against our land and our people and its devouring of the land over the years since 1948 through In the world from 1967 until today.


The United Nations is an institution of voice and words, not deeds. The voice of the strong will remain heard and the voice of the weak will remain virtually banned.

OPINIONS

Wed 20 Sep 2023 9:17 am - Jerusalem Time

Tomorrow... crying on the lover's chest

Nabil Amr

Nabil Amr

Opinion Writer

There is a political term that the oppressed often use as a refuge, even though they are certain of its futility. It is called “the international community.”


The highest platform for this term is the United Nations, and the tool for emptying and marginalizing its decisions is the Security Council, which stands as an impenetrable dam that is impossible to penetrate, if an issue pertaining to the Palestinians is presented to it, and criticizing or condemning Israel. It has even been said that the right of veto, which the great powers enjoy to object to any An international resolution, employed by the United States to prevent decisions in favor of the Palestinians. It was also said that the “invalid” General Assembly is the Palestinians’ share in the “international community” and the Security Council’s veto is Israel’s share, and there is a difference between the two shares in terms of influence and effectiveness.


Tomorrow... President Mahmoud Abbas will stand at the podium, and I do not know whether the number of attendees this time will be affected by the turmoil that arose around his last speech with what was described by Israel and the West as “Holocaust denial,” even though that is not the case at all...


Or will the traditional sympathizers with Palestinian rights get over the matter, fill the seats, and interact? This is something we will confirm when the session is broadcast on screens, including our official screen.


Returning to the title, and my choice of it was dictated by the many annual speeches that President Abbas delivered from that podium, all of which, in form and content, amounted to a repeated acknowledgment and complaint of the inability of the “international community” to provide the Palestinians with the support they need, giving them one centimeter, towards achieving their originally approved demands. From the United Nations. Who can forget the word “protect us” that was said in last year’s speech, and with different vocabulary that conveys the same meaning, it was said in all previous speeches. It will likely be repeated in subsequent speeches, as long as President Abbas will deliver the Palestine speech in the coming years.


Those sitting on the seats in the historic hall of the United Nations General Assembly are not affected by the sympathy, no matter how eloquent it may seem, and they do not determine their practical positions on the basis of the truth that Abbas pronounces, or the falsehood that Israel imposes. If that were the case, we would have ended the file well since the first speech he delivered. Arafat, who was famous for a phrase that is still in circulation... “I came to you with the rebel’s rifle in one hand, and an olive branch in the other, so do not drop the green branch from my hand.”


Arafat was applauded standing at that time, not only because of the distinctive eloquence with which he formulated the speech, in whose ideas and even in the choice of his sentences and vocabulary, the most important Palestinian and Arab intellectuals participated, but because he relied at that time on an Arab wall supporting every word in it, and a strong Palestinian wall militarily, politically, and culturally, embodied by an organization. Liberation. It was also very significant that the one who accompanied Arafat to the United Nations was Lebanese President Suleiman Franjieh.


Speech at all times, although linguistic eloquence is necessary to bring it into the hearts along with the minds, is the result of the power possessed by the one who delivers it. Sympathizers know everything about the Palestinian situation, and do not wait for someone to tell them that the Palestinian people need such-and-such and such-and-such... and that injustice Fall on it, so raise it. They know everything and know what it means for the Palestinian to be alone among all the peoples of the earth, without a state, without a political identity, without human dignity, and without a life that matches the lowest standards of life for people anywhere on the face of the earth.


They do not know this due to information that was hidden from them, and we have clarified it. In this era, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, which is witnessing the peak of progress in means of communication and obtaining information from its sources, we live in a world that weighs its positions on the scales of interests and not on the scales of controversy and legality, and according to these scales you must You expect what your weight gives you first, not what those who hear you compliment you on.


The United Nations, the General Assembly, and the institutions emanating from it, including the Criminal Court and others, are merely structures that do not issue their rulings and decisions based on the laws in their hands, but rather due to the influence capabilities of the oppressors and the oppressed.


We are in a time in which justice has no weight, but all weight is given to interests and the power that protects them, and the question that is always asked of the Palestinians is what they should do to help others support them.


The Palestinians have a lot if they use it well, and the matter is not counted in planes, tanks, and billions, but rather in the ability to employ latent energies, most of which, unfortunately, is idle and wasted.


We have millions of people on their land, and Israel does not have the ability to swallow and digest them, and we have deep and broad ties with the peoples, which have not been damaged, neither by the Abraham Accords, nor by any old or new normalization.


We have young men and women filling the country with secondary and university diplomas in their hands, with the highest percentage of learners and graduates in the world.


We have a cultural spread in every place where Palestinians were forced to take refuge... And read what the late Talal Salman wrote about them since the Nakba, and what geniuses their generation produced in all fields and fields.


The Palestinian situation is, in its essence, a rich state that deserves respect and admiration, if viewed from the perspective of civilizational qualifications. However, it raises black dust if viewed from the perspective of the political class, and that day must come when the dust settles and the positive civilizational scene stabilizes on its facts. The world has come to the realization that this people must obtain their rights.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 9:09 am - Jerusalem Time

Palestine Foreign Ministry: Israeli escalation is the official answer to calls to revive peace process

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said that the escalating Israeli occupation crimes, the latest of which was the martyrdom of 6 citizens and the wounding of dozens of people with varying injuries from yesterday evening until Wednesday morning, is an official Israeli response to calls to revive the peace process in the region.


In a press statement today, Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry condemned the crimes of the occupation in the Jenin camp, Gaza, and Aqabat Jabr in Jericho, stressing that the occupation deliberately turns the Palestinian land into something resembling a war zone, while holding the Palestinians responsible for the escalation to hide the extent of the violations committed daily against our people.


It added that Israel is trying to devote military solutions to dealing with the issue of our people, instead of political solutions that express our just and legitimate national rights, and to sabotage any international and regional efforts to achieve calm as a prelude to restoring the political horizon for resolving the conflict.


The Foreign Ministry indicated that the occupation’s incursions and attacks on our people are the broadest invitation to fuel the cycle of violence and explode the arena of conflict.


It called for an international stance to force the occupation to stop its escalation, noting that Israel's continued impunity encourages it to commit more crimes.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 9:04 am - Jerusalem Time

Israeli Settlers prevent shepherds from reaching their pastures in Khallet Makhul, Jordan Valley

Today, Wednesday, settlers prevented sheep herders from Khallet Makhoul in the northern Jordan Valley from reaching and approaching the pastures near their tents.


According to local sources, a group of “Hamdat” settlers prevented citizen Youssef Bisharat from approaching the pastures surrounding his tents, and verbal altercations took place between them.


The residents of the region constantly suffer from systematic restrictions imposed on them by settlers, which has caused them to lose large areas of their pastures.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:44 am - Jerusalem Time

Israel imposes military siege on Palestinian town Jalboun, east of Jenin

On Wednesday morning, the occupation forces imposed a siege on the Palestinian village of Jalboun, east of Jenin, closed all its entrances and prevented its residents from entering and leaving.


Town Council President Ibrahim Abu Al-Rub told Al-Quds.com that the occupation patrols raided the village early for the third time in the past two days since the Merav settlement came under fire from the resistance.


He stated that the occupation raided and searched homes located on the eastern side of the settlement, then closed the side entrances with dirt barriers, set up military barriers at the main entrances, and paralyzed the lives and movement of the citizens, preventing them from leaving the village.


The occupation forces deployed inside the village, which led to the closure of schools, which was denounced by Abu Al-Rub, who called on institutions and the international community to stop the attacks and assaults on the people of his targeted village, which has a population of 3,500 people.


Yesterday, the occupation established a fixed point on the roof of one of the houses and its third floor, and strengthened its measures with the resistance repeatedly targeting the settlements near Jalboun, especially Merav.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:41 am - Jerusalem Time

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Committee on Palestine reaffirms position on Palestinian issue

The Six-Party Committee on the Question of Palestine, emanating from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held an important meeting on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The meeting was chaired by Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, who stressed in his speech the historical responsibility of the organization and member states to preserve the Arab-Islamic character of the city of Jerusalem, defend the sanctity of Islamic and Christian sanctities therein, and make all possible efforts to confront the colonial policies of the occupation, and the necessity of finding a solution. Just and lasting for the Palestinian cause in accordance with international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

In turn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki gave the audience an overview of the situation in Palestine and what the Palestinian people are going through as a result of the escalating occupation crimes against them, especially the systematic attacks launched by the occupation authority and settlement organizations on the city of Jerusalem in general, and the Holy Mosque in particular, which constitute a provocation to the feelings of the Palestinians. It is a clear violation of international law, United Nations resolutions, and the existing historical situation, and an unacceptable embodiment of the plan to divide the Holy Mosque spatially and temporally.

Al-Maliki called on the committee to intensify its efforts with the international community to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes and colonial policies, and to provide full protection for the Palestinian people, Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque, as it is a fundamental right among their internationally recognized rights, including the right to self-determination.

He also called on the committee to support the State of Palestine in obtaining permanent membership in the United Nations and to push towards achieving this.

In his speech, he stressed that Israel, the occupying power, has no right or sovereignty over the occupied city of Jerusalem and its sanctities, expressing his full confidence in the committee’s ability to mobilize political and legal support for Palestine and the Palestinian people, based on its adherence to the values and principles contained in the resolutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its responsibility. history towards the issue.

The members of the Six-Party Committee expressed their support for the Palestinian cause in international forums, stressing the importance of taking serious steps to end the Israeli occupation and provide protection for the Palestinian people.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the report submitted to the annual coordination meeting of the foreign ministers of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was approved, which included a number of recommendations, procedures and important steps to support the Palestinian people’s acquisition of their inalienable rights, the most important of which are the right to self-determination, return and independence.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:30 am - Jerusalem Time

Israel intensify campaigns of arrests and raids in the West Bank and Jerusalem

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli occupation forces launched a campaign of arrests among Palestinian citizens in various areas of the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.


These forces arrested the two young men, Muhammad Hassan Hamdan and Yassin Marwan Hamdan, residents of Aqabat Jabr camp in Jericho.


Meanwhile, Mahmoud Al-Burji was arrested from Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah.


Ismail Sharaf was arrested from the town of Beita, south of Nablus.


In the village of Qatna, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, Muhammad Kamal Tabanga, his brother Muhannad, and the two young men, Alaa Fakih and Youssef Jabr, were arrested.


PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:13 am - Jerusalem Time

Jewish leaders in the US urge Biden to include steps toward 2 state solution in Saudi normalization efforts

Over 75 current and former American Jewish community leaders have signed onto an open letter to US President Joe Biden, urging him to only pursue a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia that includes “measures that tangibly advance prospects for a two-state solution” and reverses “the worrisome trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”


The letter was published Tuesday as Biden addressed the UN General Assembly, where he referred to his administration’s push for further Arab states — chiefly Saudi Arabia — to normalize relations with Israel and its “tireless” work toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians.


“In practical terms, this would entail halting Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and increasing territorial sovereignty for Palestinians, while simultaneously holding the Palestinian Authority accountable to reforms and strengthening its financial stability,” the letter stated. “These steps would arrest the current deterioration of the situation on the ground and advance American interests by improving regional stability and laying the groundwork for two states.

 

“This is necessary both for the sake of the viability of the agreement itself and as a bulwark against further escalation of the conflict, which is especially important at a time when Israel’s security and its Jewish and democratic character are being tested.”

Signatories included the heads of the Reform and Conservative religious denominations, former executives at AIPAC, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federations of North America, the ADL, the Conference of Presidents, and the Jewish Agency along with former US ambassadors to Israel.


“In your upcoming meeting with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, and in your administration’s discussions with Saudi and Palestinian leaders, we urge you to pursue an agreement that would, in addition to advancing American national security interests, enhance Israel’s long-term security, and expand regional peace, which necessarily requires reversing the worrisome trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the letter organized by the Israel Policy Forum said.


The US in recent months has been seeking to broker a normalization deal, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken considering a trip to Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia next month as part of that effort.


In exchange for normalizing ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia is asking for a major defense pact with the US, major arms deals and US cooperation in establishing a civilian nuclear program on Saudi soil. Washington, in turn, is looking for Riyadh to pare down its economic and military dealings with China and Russia.

 

 

 

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:11 am - Jerusalem Time

Netanyahu discusses potential Saudi deal with Erdogan

Last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings.


The meeting came a day after Erdogan told reporters he supported the Biden administration’s initiative to broker an Israeli-Saudi deal, saying it would lower tensions in the region.


According to the Hebrew website Ynet, this is the first ever meeting held between the two sides, as it lasted for an hour in the presence of personalities from both sides.


The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations in the fields of trade, economy, energy, and regional and international issues, including normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.


Netanyahu said at the beginning of the meeting that "relations are strengthening," and thanked Erdogan for "the fruitful cooperation between the security services, which thwarted the malicious intentions of terrorist groups and their attempts to harm Israeli tourists in Istanbul and saved their lives." like he said.


The two sides exchanged invitations to visit Ankara and Tel Aviv, and agreed to coordinate between them soon.


At the end of the meeting, Erdogan's office said that he discussed with Netanyahu "political, economic and regional issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian issue," which Netanyahu's office did not talk about.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:08 am - Jerusalem Time

Israel continues Closure of Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing for the 5th day

The Israeli occupation authorities continue to close the Beit Hanoun “Erez” checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip, designated for the movement of individuals.


The office of the so-called Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities announced the extension of the closure of the checkpoint for 24 hours, under the pretext of continuing demonstrations on the Gaza Strip borders.


The occupation authorities closed the crossing on Friday evening under the pretext of Jewish holidays, and it was scheduled to reopen on Monday morning.

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 7:35 am - Jerusalem Time

Ireland Foreign Minister: Government preparing to recognize Palestine as independent state

As reported by Irish Examiner website, Irish Government is preparing to recognize Palestine as an independent state, the Deputy Prime Minister has said. Michael Martin has suggested that Ireland will soon recognize Palestine in support of a two-state solution in the Middle East.


"Our view is as part of the Program for Government that in terms of the recognition of Palestine, the Palestinian state, our view is that we favor it."


However, speaking at the UN in New York, Mr. Martin added that the timing of this will be critical and the "impact of taking such a decision has to be weighed up".


He suggested that such a strong declaration from Ireland would have to be done in the context of making an impact and "adding value to getting a resolution to the crisis".


He added, right now, the Government is engaged with all parties to the conflict and to all of those who are committed to trying to resolve this. We don't want to preempt those engagements.


Asked directly if this will happen within the lifetime of this Government he said: "It well may very well, but that's a call we will make. We're doing some assessment in relation to that internally within the Government".

PALESTINE

Wed 20 Sep 2023 7:08 am - Jerusalem Time

Two young Palestinians were killed in Jenin and Jericho by Israeli occupation forces

Two young men were martyred, on Wednesday, after they were shot by Israeli occupation forces, during the aggression against Jenin Camp and Aqabat Jabr Camp in Jericho.


According to what Al-Quds.com correspondent in Jenin reported, the young man, Atta Yasser Musa (30 years old), died as a result of the serious wounds he sustained yesterday evening as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Jenin camp, which brings the number of martyrs to 4.


Our correspondent indicated that the young man, Musa, was hit by 5 bullets, including two in the abdomen and one in the shoulder.


Meanwhile, the young man, Dhargham Al-Akhras (19 years old), was martyred this morning, as a result of his critical wounds sustained by bullets from the occupation forces after they stormed the Aqabat Jabr camp in Jericho.


The mute young man was hit by a bullet to the head, which led to his death.


Another young man was moderately injured as a result of the attack on the camp, while two young men were arrested from inside one of the homes that was raided.



PALESTINE

Tue 19 Sep 2023 10:33 pm - Jerusalem Time

Palestinian President Abbas meets Erdogan and discuss bilateral relations

President Mahmoud Abbas met on Tuesday evening with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.


President Abbas briefed his Turkish counterpart on the latest developments in the Palestinian issue. They also discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them at all levels.


President Abbas thanked President Erdogan for Turkey’s steadfast positions in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, and for his tireless pursuit of their freedom and independence.

UNCATEGORIZED

Tue 19 Sep 2023 10:23 pm - Jerusalem Time

U.S. officials discuss defense pact with Saudi for Israeli normalization

Saudi, U.S. officials reportedly discussing a mutual defense treaty that would resemble the robust military pacts that Washington has with Japan and South Korea


According to The New York Times, Saudi and U.S. dignitaries are discussing terms of a mutual defense treaty that would resemble the robust military pacts that Washington has with its close allies Japan and South Korea – a central component in U.S. President Joe Biden’s high-stakes diplomacy to get Riyadh to normalize relations with Israel.