A young Palestinian was injured, at dawn on Friday, after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a vehicle near the "Beit El" settlement, north of Ramallah.

According to local sources, the young man suffered moderate injuries, and was transferred for treatment to a hospital in Ramallah.

On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency raised the status of Palestine in the agency, approved its designation, and granted it more privileges and rights.

This came at the 67th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The resolution received a majority vote of (92) countries, with (21) countries abstaining from voting and only (5) countries opposed.

The majority of the Arab countries, the Group of 77, China and Turkey sponsored the resolution, and the Arab Republic of Egypt submitted the draft resolution on behalf of the sponsoring countries.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the decision, stressing that it is continuing to work to confirm not only the name of the State of Palestine, but also all the privileges due to reach full membership in the aforementioned agency.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Thursday that China seeks to become the "dominant power" in the world at the expense of the United States, repeating Beijing's warning against creating tension over Taiwan.

While a number of American presidents have previously considered China to be the most prominent strategic challenge to the United States in the long term, American analysts believe that Beijing seeks to limit Washington's influence in Asia more than it seeks solutions in its place on the international scene.

In response to a question about China's intentions during a forum held by The Atlantic magazine, Blinken said, "I think what it wants is to become the dominant power in the world, militarily, economically, and diplomatically."

He added, "This is what (Chinese President) Xi Jinping seeks," who has been leading the country for more than ten years.

He continued, "This is not surprising. China has an amazing history... I believe that if you see and listen to Chinese leaders, they are seeking to regain what they believe is their rightful place in the world."
Blinken previously spoke of a Chinese desire to “rewrite the global order.”

The administration of President Joe Biden has adopted a two-faced approach towards China, stressing that it represents a strategic challenge to it and carefully monitoring its actions, but it has strengthened dialogue with it on several issues with the aim of better managing the tension between them. Officials from the two countries held high-level meetings with a third party during the past months, while Blinken made a rare visit to Beijing in June.

The contentious issues vary between the two countries, the most prominent of which is Taiwan, the autonomous island that China considers an integral part of its territory and pledges to return by force if necessary. Beijing has increased its pressure on the island in recent months, especially by intensifying military maneuvers in its vicinity.

Blinken said concerns about Taiwan were "exceptionally high" because of its contribution to the global economy, including semiconductor production.

He continued, "If there is a crisis regarding Taiwan as a result of Chinese steps, we will be facing a global economic crisis... I think that the message that China is increasingly hearing from different countries around the world is do not cause problems."

He stressed, "We want, everyone wants, peace and stability, and everyone wants to maintain the status quo."

On the other hand, the US State Department said in a report Thursday that China is spending billions of dollars for the purpose of “media disinformation” internationally, warning that this may lead to restrictions on freedom of expression in various places around the world.

The report considered that "China's global manipulation of information is not only a matter of public diplomacy (pursued by Beijing), but rather a challenge to the credibility of the information field."

She warned that if this matter was not confronted, “Beijing’s efforts could produce a future in which technology exported by the People’s Republic of China, entrenched local governments, and fear of a direct response from Beijing cause a sharp curtailment of global freedom of expression.”

The report accused Beijing of spending billions annually to "manipulate information" through propaganda, media disinformation, and censorship, in exchange for promoting positive news about China and the ruling Communist Party.

He pointed out that China, in return, is suppressing information that contradicts its view on thorny issues such as Taiwan, human rights, and its slowing domestic economy.

He believed that China's approach to misinformation includes promoting "digital tyranny," exploiting international organizations, and imposing control over Chinese-speaking media.

The final statement of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee to Coordinate International Aid to the Palestinian People (AHLC Donors’ Meeting) said that “prospects for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain far-fetched, and the building of the Palestinian state cannot be completed until a political solution to the conflict is reached and an end to the occupation.”

The statement issued today, Thursday, by the chair of the donor meeting, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anneken Hottfeld, which was held last week in New York with the participation of Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh, and in the presence of 40 representatives of countries and international institutions, added that “30 years have passed since the signing of the Oslo Accord Declaration.” “The Palestinians have made great achievements in building public institutions, with significant political and financial support from donors, in line with the common goal of achieving an independent Palestinian state, in the context of the two-state solution.”

The statement added: However, the issues of “permanent status in the Oslo Accords remain unresolved,” calling on Israel to lift the restrictions imposed on the movement of Palestinians, especially in Gaza and Area C. Stopping settlement construction in the West Bank; And stop arbitrary measures against the Palestinian Authority.

The statement also called on Israel to increase transparency regarding deductions from clearance revenues, transfer the value-added tax imposed on trade between Israel and Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, and exempt fuel imports from taxes.

The statement also called on Israel to approve water and sanitation projects, strengthen infrastructure and deliver the necessary materials for the central water desalination plant in Gaza, in addition to strengthening the implementation of the Principles Agreement for 4th and 5th generation networks.

On the other hand, the statement welcomed the comprehensive reform efforts led by the government, calling for the continuation of these efforts with the support of donors in various sectors, especially with regard to the wage bill, the health sector, and net lending, as well as the adoption of the hydrocarbon law, the establishment of the natural gas company, and others.

The statement also called on the international community to increase financial and other types of assistance to the Palestinians, including budget support to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and its reform efforts, as well as for UNRWA and urgent needs on the ground.

The statement stressed that "all actors must renew their efforts to build the Palestinian state and chart the path towards ending the conflict."

On Thursday evening, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Al-Auja, north of Jericho, leading to confrontations with citizens.

According to local sources, the occupation forces fired stun grenades and toxic tear gas towards citizens, but no injuries were reported.

Two young Palestinians were injured by live bullets, Thursday evening, during confrontations that broke out with the Israeli occupation forces, in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.

Media activist in the town, Muhammad Awad, told WAFA that the occupation forces stormed the Al-Dhahr area near the “Kermei Tzur” settlement, which was built on citizens’ lands, and as a result, violent confrontations broke out during which the soldiers fired live bullets and poison gas bombs.

He added that two young men were injured by live bullets in the thigh and knee, and they were transferred to one of the medical centers in the town to receive treatment, and their injuries were described as moderate.

The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces announced on Thursday that the person arrested in the shooting incident at the US Embassy near Beirut was a delivery service worker, and he wanted “revenge” after being subjected to an “insult” by one of the embassy’s security personnel about two months ago.

On the night of September 20, the detainee (26 years old) fired several bullets at the wall of the embassy building in Awkar, north of Beirut, without causing any injuries. He then managed to escape, before being arrested five days later in the southern suburb of Beirut.

The Internal Security Forces said in their statement that he confessed during his interrogation to firing shots at the embassy. He justified this by his desire for “revenge” after he was “insulted” by a security officer at the embassy, while delivering a food order about two months ago.

According to the statement, the detainee took an internal road that enabled him to reach the main entrance of the embassy, without passing through a nearby Lebanese army checkpoint. He fired several shots at the embassy wall from a Kalashnikov rifle that he had brought from his home and hidden inside a food delivery bag.

The military judiciary is investigating the incident. Preliminary investigations showed, according to what a security source reported to Agence France-Presse last week, that the shooter fired 15 bullets towards the embassy, a number of which hit its iron gate.

The area surrounding the US Embassy complex is witnessing strict security measures, mainly undertaken by the Lebanese Army. Washington is currently building a huge complex in the same area to move the embassy there.

The shooting coincided with the thirty-ninth anniversary of a car bombing that targeted an embassy building in Awkar in 1984, killing 11 people and wounding dozens. Washington held the Lebanese Hezbollah, supported by Tehran, responsible for it.

The embassy moved to this town in 1984 after its previous building in the Ain al-Marisseh area in western Beirut was exposed to a massive suicide truck bombing on April 18, 1983, which killed 63 people. The attack was claimed by an organization calling itself "Islamic Jihad", which Washington confirmed was linked to Hezbollah.

The Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority reported that the Israeli Occupation Prisons Administration transferred, this evening, Thursday evening, the administrative prisoner on hunger strike, Kayed Al-Fasfus, from Ashkelon isolation to the so-called “Ramla Prison” clinic.

It is noteworthy that the prisoner Fasfous (34 years old), from the town of Dura, south of Hebron, continues his open hunger strike for the 57th day in a row, against the administrative detention decision.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden will deliver an important speech in Arizona regarding protecting democratic institutions, in a new attack on former President Donald Trump as the competitors intensify their 2024 election battle.

The White House indicated that Biden's speech "will also honor the legacy" of the late Republican US Senator John McCain, who shared the Democratic president's distaste for Trump.

With opinion polls showing close results for them, Biden (80 years old) intensified his attacks on the most likely Republican candidate, Donald Trump, for trying to “destroy” democracy.

Populist business tycoon Trump faces criminal charges for trying to reverse the result of the 2020 election, which his supporters tried to overturn by attacking the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
A White House official said that Biden's speech in Tempe, Arizona, "will focus on the importance of American institutions in preserving our democracy and the need for continued loyalty to the American Constitution."
He added, "The president will honor his friend and war hero, the late Senator John McCain, whose refusal to abuse power and belief in America set a strong example that can be followed."

Invoking the memory of McCain, a hero of the Vietnam War and a respected American political figure, is a clear attempt by Biden to draw comparisons with the far-right Trump.

McCain greatly disliked Trump, withdrew his support for him in the 2016 elections, and said before his death from brain cancer in 2018 that he did not want him to attend his funeral.

The feeling was mutual, with Trump in 2015 mocking his war hero status.
As for Biden, he gave a speech at McCain's funeral, saying that he "loved him" and that their friendship transcended political differences.

This week, Biden and Trump made separate visits to striking auto workers in Michigan, with the former going to the state on Tuesday to provide support for the strike and the latter speaking the next day in front of a spare parts manufacturing plant in the town of Clinton, a little more than 60 kilometers away. Which Biden visited.

Biden then embarked on a series of campaign events that he used to direct his fire at Trump on the issue of democracy.

Biden said in California on Wednesday evening, “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans (the “Make America Great Again” movement launched by Trump) are determined to destroy American democracy because they want to destroy institutional structures.”

The speech that Biden will deliver on Thursday comes the day after Trump was absent from the second debate preceding the Republican Party primary elections.

The official spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, acknowledged on Wednesday that the visa exemption program, which his government had announced Israel’s inclusion in early the same day, and which requires that all Americans be treated equally regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, gives Israel an exception because of its special security needs.

Miller said in his response to the questions of Al-Quds correspondent Shukran regarding the Ministry and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s complete conviction that Israel has fully fulfilled all its obligations to join the visa program, “We are convinced that it (Israel has fulfilled the requirements for joining the Visa Waiver Program, and this is the recommendation) Which Secretary Blinken submitted to the Department of Homeland Security, and which was ultimately decided by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.”

Miller added: “Over the past few months, as we have been piloting this program with the government of Israel, we have seen more than a hundred thousand American citizens enter Israel without a visa. This includes tens of thousands of Americans on the Palestinian registry who have traveled to Israel without a visa. However, “We have ongoing monitoring programs that will be implemented for Israel, and as with every other member of the Visa Waiver Program, we will monitor their compliance closely as we move forward.”

When the Al-Quds.com correspondent followed up on the US government’s confirmation that Israel’s behavior towards Palestinian-Americans depends on the standards of conformity with which it deals with Americans of non-Palestinian origins, Miller said: “I said that they met the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program. And as we have discussed many times on this "There are differences, especially with regard to Gaza. We must remember that Gaza is under the control of a foreign terrorist organization. We expect that there will be different procedures," he said, explaining, "We understand that there are different procedures (because of its own security needs), but we looked at the plans and policies that “Israel has put it in place and we have determined that it meets the Visa Waiver Program, but we will continue to monitor their compliance moving forward.”

He did not comment on a question regarding the possibility of Israel abusing the “privacy of its security needs” to impose additional restrictions on Palestinian-American travelers, or whether in this case Washington would remove Israel from the program if these incidents were repeated, saying only, “I do not want to enter into any assumptions.” “Other than saying we monitor ongoing compliance with the program and we have the ability to take steps up to and including excluding people from countries from the program going forward if they fail to remain in compliance.”

In what was considered a major political victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the most right-wing and extremist government in the history of Israel, the administration of US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that Israel had been accepted into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), after years of efforts to... This was made by the two governments, “which provides a significant boost to bilateral relations,” according to a joint statement by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Security.

Instead of waiting several months to apply for and secure a visa, in the future, Israelis will only be required to fill out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form several days before embarking on a tourist or business trip to the United States for a period of up to 90 days. .

The United States still needs time to prepare its electronic systems for Israel to join the Visa Waiver Program, but Biden administration officials who briefed reporters on Tuesday before the official announcement said they expect those systems to be ready by November 30, 2023.

Multiple Arab-American groups, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), condemned in the strongest terms Wednesday Israel's admission into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This decision, taken by the Departments of Homeland Security and State, does not undermine the rights of Americans of Palestinian and Arab descent. Not only does it make Israel's discriminatory practices part of the American program.

According to the first Arab American human rights organization, “Israel has not shown equal treatment towards American citizens, and the two-month assessment conducted by the United States government is completely inadequate.”

The US administration's decision came in the wake of a lawsuit filed by ADC on Tuesday evening, which states that "DHS is not following the law by redefining the meaning of reciprocity, a basic principle of the Visa Waiver Program that requires participating countries to treat all American citizens equally." ".

Israel announced today (Thursday) the signing of an agreement with Germany under which it sold the Arrow-3 missile defense system for 14 billion shekels (about 3.5 billion US dollars), in the largest military deal in the country’s history.

The agreement was signed by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in Berlin today, according to a statement by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

In addition, the two ministers signed a joint statement in which they pledged to strengthen bilateral security relations between their countries.

As part of the deal, Germany agreed to an immediate payment of $600 million that Israel will use to start producing Arrow-3 batteries for Germany, according to the statement.

“Our country has developed a relationship that includes the exchange of sensitive intelligence information, knowledge and military capabilities,” Gallant said in the statement.

He added, "Germany has contributed greatly to Israel's security, and today we are proud to contribute to Germany's security as a leading country in Europe and a strategic ally."

The Arrow missile system is a long-range ballistic missile interceptor system that can confront missiles launched towards Israel from anywhere.

Israeli military industries began developing this missile system since the mid-nineties of the last century, with American funding and support, after missiles were launched for the first time towards Israeli territory during the First Gulf War in 1991, when Iraq launched missiles towards Israel that hit some sites there after the American Patriot system failed to intercept them.

Arrow-3 missiles are considered one of Israel's military interception systems, which include Iron Dome, designed to intercept short-range missiles from Gaza, and David's Sling, which is capable of intercepting medium-range missiles.

Tehran has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of threatening to use nuclear weapons against Iran following a speech the he made at the UN General Assembly last week

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"Eight years ago, the Western powers promised that if Iran violated the nuclear deal, the sanctions would be snapped back. Well, Iran is violating the deal, but the sanctions have not been snapped back. To stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, this policy must change. Sanctions must be snapped back," Netanyahu said during his speech.

He warned of acting against Iran if it pursues its nuclear program, which is what prompted Tehran to submit a formal complaint to the UN.

Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, but has never confirmed their existence.

"Above all, Iran must face a credible nuclear threat," Netanyahu continued, adding: "As long as I’m prime minister of Israel, I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons."

The Israeli prime minister’s office responded to Iran’s accusations, saying Netanyahu had "misread" the line and should have said a "credible military threat" instead of a "credible nuclear threat."

His office added that the speech was available in a PDF form on the UN General Assembly’s website.

Iran ignored the clarification and strongly condemned Netanyahu’s speech, warning Israel against any military action.

Israel usually keeps silent about its nuclear capabilities but is believed to possess between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads. 

"Considering that nuclear weapons are a threat to the existence of humanity and the planet, the severity of such a threat is incomparable and will cause a great shock to the international community, especially when such a threat comes from a credible forum," said Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani.

"The use or even the mere threat of using nuclear weapons, regardless of the circumstances, by anyone, at any time and in any place, is a clear violation of international laws," he added.

The envoy called on the international community to respond to and deter Israel’s threats against his country, stressing Iran’s right for a "decisive response to any threats and illegal actions caused" by what he called the Israeli regime.

I

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Thursday that Kiev is “closer than ever to NATO,” during a surprise visit to Ukraine, which has been confronting the Russian invasion since February 2022.

"Ukraine is currently closer to NATO than ever before," Stoltenberg said during a press conference in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

For his part, Zelensky stressed that Kiev's accession to the alliance is "a matter of time."

“It is a matter of time before Ukraine becomes a legal member of the alliance,” Zelensky said in a joint press conference with Stoltenberg. “We are doing our best to bring this moment closer.”

Zelensky also asked the alliance for more air defense systems to confront "Russian attacks on energy infrastructure" expected this winter.

On the other hand, Stoltenberg announced that the Ukrainian counterattack on the Russian army was “making gradual progress,” denouncing Moscow’s “imperialist delusions.”

Stoltenberg said, "Today your forces are advancing. They are facing fierce fighting, but they are advancing on the ground gradually."

He added, "Ukrainians are fighting for their families" and "their freedom," and "Moscow is fighting for its imperialist illusions."

On the other hand, the British and French Defense Ministers will visit Kiev on Thursday to discuss providing more military aid to Ukraine, which is seeking to obtain more weapons to enhance its counterattack against Russian forces.

This visit comes ahead of the first Defense Industries Forum in Kiev, where Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet with representatives of more than 160 defense companies and 26 countries.

Israeli forces arrested a young Palestinian this evening, Thursday, during their storming of the town of Ya`bad, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources said: “The occupation forces stormed the town of Ya`bad in Jenin, while confrontations broke out between young Palestinians and the occupation army in the area.

The sources added: "Israeli occupation army vehicle was damaged by a hand-made bomb, and a young man was arrested during the storming of the town of Ya'bad".

The same sources explained that the detained young Palestinian from  Ya'bad is Muhammad Amin Abu Bakr.

The self-declared republic of Nagorno-Karabakh announced Thursday that it will "cease to exist" at the end of the year after it suffered a military defeat from Azerbaijan that forced more than half of its population to flee, thus ending the dream of independence.

The region's separatist leader, Samvel Shahramanyan, issued a decree that he hopes will dissolve all state institutions by the end of the year, saying that Nagorno-Karabakh "will cease to exist" as of January 1, 2024.

The decree was issued minutes after Yerevan announced that more than 65,000 people had fled from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

The curtain appears to have come down on one of the world's longest-running "frozen conflicts", which seemed so intractable that successive US administrations, like European officials, failed to resolve it in continuous rounds of talks.

However, the announcement exacerbated anger in Yerevan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday accused Azerbaijan of carrying out a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" in Nagorno-Karabakh, stressing that no Armenians would remain in the region "in the coming days."

He said, "This constitutes ethnic cleansing that the international community has warned us about for a long time."

The Azerbaijani lightning attack ended with a truce on September 20 in which the Armenian separatists pledged to surrender their weapons and enter into talks with the aim of “reintegrating” Nagorno-Karabakh.

Two rounds of talks were held as Azerbaijani forces worked methodically with Russian peacekeepers to collect separatist weapons and enter towns that had remained outside Baku's control since the first fighting between the two sides in the region in the 1990s.

Azerbaijani forces began approaching the outskirts of Stepanakert, which the Armenian separatists considered the "capital" of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The decree issued by Shahramanyan of Stepanakert said residents should “familiarize themselves with the reintegration conditions” put forward by Azerbaijan and make an “individual and independent decision” on whether to stay.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Thursday that he "took note" of the dissolution of the separatist authorities themselves in Nagorno-Karabakh.

On Sunday, Azerbaijan reopened the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, the Lachin Corridor, which is guarded by Russian peacekeeping forces, four days after Armenian separatist forces agreed to lay down their arms and dismantle their army.

Since then, tens of thousands have flocked to Armenia with their belongings and cars.

On Thursday, Pashinyan told members of his government that “the displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh continues.”

He added, "Our analysis shows that there will be no Armenians left in Nagorno-Karabakh. This constitutes ethnic cleansing that the international community has warned us about for a long time."

Armenian government spokeswoman Nazli Bagdasaryan said in a statement that by Thursday morning, “65,036 forcibly displaced people had crossed the border into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh.”

It is estimated that about 120,000 Armenians lived in the region before the Baku attack.

The Kremlin indicated Thursday that it "sees no reason" for Armenians to flee the region.

On the Armenian side of the border, a refugee group discusses the basic problem faced by people who would accept to live under Azerbaijani control in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“If you have a son, he will have to serve in the Azerbaijani army against Armenia,” says one of them, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

"Only a crazy man would accept that," he added.

This Armenian-majority enclave, which the Soviet authorities annexed to Azerbaijan in 1921, declared its independence unilaterally in 1991.

The region witnessed two wars between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the first from 1988 to 1994 (30,000 dead) and the other in the fall of 2020 (6,500 dead).

Azerbaijan had agreed to allow the separatists who lay down their weapons to leave for Armenia under a ceasefire agreement reached last Wednesday.

However, an Azerbaijani government source told AFP that border guards are also searching for people accused of “war crimes” who must stand trial.

On Thursday, an Azerbaijani court ordered former separatist leader Ruben Vardanyan to be placed in pretrial detention after he was accused of financing terrorism and committing other crimes.

A court in Baku ruled to arrest Vardanyan, the businessman who led the separatist government in the region from November 2022 until February this year, and place him in pretrial detention for four months, according to the State Security Service in Azerbaijan.

The charges carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years against Vardanyan, who was born in 1986.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Thursday for Vardanyan's rights to be respected after Azerbaijan placed him in pretrial detention.

On Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijani border guards of “carrying out illegal arrests” against Armenians trying to flee Nagorno-Karabakh.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed shtayeh speaks during a reception to mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Sept. 26, 2023. 

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed shtayeh on Tuesday praised China for its support of the Palestinian issue based on both international laws and humanitarian principles.

shtayeh made the remarks at a reception held in Ramallah on Tuesday evening by the Office of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the State of Palestine to mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

"China has adopted a balanced and equal policy towards Palestine ... We really appreciate the endless support," he said.

Zeng Jixin, head of the Office of the PRC to the State of Palestine, said during the reception that "China and Palestine are good friends and partners who always trust and support each other."

He added that the two sides would continue to promote cooperation in building the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in all fields.

"China will continue to provide Palestine with humanitarian aid, personnel training programs and scholarships, and achieve more tangible outcomes that benefit the two peoples," he said.

Today, Thursday, the Haifa District Court sentenced the young man, Sabri Salem Amar (23 years old), to 12 years and 8 months in prison, in connection with the “Gift of Dignity” events.

The occupation authorities had arrested the young man, Omar, from his town in Kafr Qara in the occupied interior, on June 6, 2021.

The Israeli court accuses the young man, Omar, of “carrying out an intentional terrorist act and riot, and participating in an attack on a Jewish female driver.”

The Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority reported today, Thursday, that a hearing has been set in the Israeli Supreme Court to consider the petition submitted by the lawyer of the prisoner Kayed Al-Fasfous to consider the appeal submitted against the administrative detention decision against hunger-striking prisoner Kayed Al-Fasfous

The session will be held on 10/2/2023, at the request of the Commission’s lawyer to appeal the administrative detention decision against the prisoner Al-Fasfous.

Prisoner Kayed Al-Fasfous continues his hunger strike for the 57th day in a row, in rejection of the decision to detain him administratively.

1. The US warned Israel that a “significant Palestinian component” would be part of any normalization deal with Saudi Arabia as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the pending agreement as proof his country could make peace with the Arab world prior to resolving that conflict.
2. 
   
3. “One of the things... we have communicated... to our Israeli counterparts is that there will have to be a significant Palestinian component of any final agreement,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington
4. 
   
5. “We have been flying over Saudi Arabia for several years now, and we are talking about linking infrastructure. All of this sounds imaginary; it is not happening by itself. " Benjamin Netanyahu.
6. 
   
7. “The Saudi Arabian government has made that clear publicly, they’ve made it clear to us privately,” he stated.

A Russian Finance Ministry document published Thursday said that Moscow will increase the defense budget by about 70% in 2024 while pumping resources into its large-scale offensive in Ukraine.

As a result, the Kremlin considered increasing defense spending “necessary” because of the “hybrid war against Russia.”

Since the start of the war last year, Russia has increased its arms industry and pumped huge amounts of money into its military machinery, despite high inflation and the weak value of the ruble.

The document stated that defense expenditures are expected to rise by more than 68% on an annual basis, to reach 10.8 trillion rubles ($111.15 billion), which constitutes about 6% of the gross domestic product, i.e. more than the spending allocated to social policy.

Defense expenditures are expected to be three times higher than education, environmental protection and healthcare expenditures combined in 2024, figures calculated by Agence France-Presse show.

“The focus of economic policy is shifting from the anti-crisis agenda to promoting national development goals,” the Finance Ministry said in the document.

It added that this includes "strengthening the country's defense capacity" and "integrating" the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow announced its annexation last year - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhya.

The increase in defense expenditures comes as the Central Bank warned that economic growth is expected to slow in the second half of 2023, with the inflation rate rising above the bank’s target of four percent.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that Beijing and Riyadh will hold their second-ever joint naval exercises next month, as part of China strengthening its relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Beijing indicated that the exercises known as "Blue Sword 2023" ("Blue Sword 2023") will take place in Guangdong Province in southern China in October.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a press briefing, “This joint training focuses on naval operations to combat terrorism abroad, conducting training on sniper tactics, boat driving, helicopter landing, and joint rescue operations.”

The two countries conducted joint naval exercises for the first time in 2019, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Wu explained that the two countries "seek to deepen practical and friendly cooperation between the two armies and improve the level of practical training of the forces."

The exercises come at a time when Beijing seeks to deepen its relations with Riyadh and play the role of a peacemaker in the Middle East.

This year, China sponsored an agreement between rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said on Thursday, “Government funding for the agriculture sector has increased by 100%, while the sector’s share in the gross domestic product has tripled since his government took office.”

This came during the laying of the foundation stone for the wheat silos project in the village of Burham, north of Ramallah, in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Economy, Khaled Al-Asili, the Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Laila Ghannam, representatives of the implementing companies, and a number of officials and businessmen.

Shtayyeh added, “The project is at the core of the government’s strategy to achieve food security,” expressing his hope that the project will be completed “in the shortest possible time.”

He considered that the wheat silos project “reflects the spirit of partnership between the government and the private sector, and is at the core of the government’s work and vision, not only to provide a strategic stock of wheat, but to encourage farmers to return to wheat cultivation.”

Shtayyeh said: “We hope that the financing and implementing companies will complete the project in the shortest possible time,” pledging that the government will provide “everything necessary” to complete the project.”

He added: “The economy is a lever for politics, and it is part of the struggle scene of our people,” stressing that President Mahmoud Abbas attaches great importance to the wheat silo project, and other strategic projects.

For his part, Al-Osaili said, “The wheat silos project is part of a series of strategic projects that the government is working to implement, such as water dams and the rehabilitation of the Wadi Al-Nar road.”

He added: "The government is keen, in this difficult period in which we are living, of siege and weak capabilities, to partner with the private sector, which is a real partnership."

He continued: "In light of the sharp rise in commodity prices, especially in light of the Corona pandemic, the government has taken several measures to alleviate the burden on citizens, such as exempting bakeries and mills from value-added tax for a period of six months, in addition to its contribution to supporting many goods and services such as fuel, water and electricity."

At the beginning of last August, the government signed a contract to establish silos in the “Palestine Silos” Company, which is a coalition of three companies, one of which is a contracting company, the second with experience in the field of wheat, and the third specialized in designing and managing silos and is owned by a Palestinian businessman and headquartered in Dubai, while It will be implemented by a Canadian-based company, also owned by a Palestinian businessman.

The cost of the project amounts to 45-50 million dollars, fully funded by the private sector, and includes facilities in both Ramallah and Hebron, with a storage capacity, divided equally, of 80 thousand tons of wheat, sufficient for the local market for 3 months, rising to 6 months with the stock of merchants taken into account. .

The project will be implemented within 24 months, and the General Manager of the Palestine Silos Company, Ziad Nafi, said that the company will work to complete it in less than two years.

The Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority revealed today, Thursday, that the total number of administrative detention decisions issued by the occupation authorities, from the beginning of this year 2023, until the end of last September, amounted to (2618) new decisions or renewal decisions.

The Commission explained that last September, the Israeli military courts issued 296 administrative detention orders, including (176) new detention orders and (120) renewal orders.

The Commission indicated that the number of appeal files submitted by the Commission against administrative detention decisions, which were considered, amounted to (42) appeal files, which the occupation courts rejected without any legal reasons.

It is noteworthy that administrative detention is detention without charge or trial, and without allowing the detainee or his lawyer to inspect the evidentiary materials, as the occupation authorities use the excuse that administrative detainees have secret files that can never be revealed.

Today, Thursday, the “Rebel Youth” announced the cessation of marches on the Gaza Strip borders, for a period of 24 hours.

The halting of the marches comes pending the outcome of the efforts of the mediators after the announcement tonight of the opening of the Erez crossing.

It is expected that future steps will be taken to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces removed the main water network of the village of Susya, east of Yatta, south of Hebron.

According to local sources, these forces removed the water network lines connecting to the village of Susiya, which delivers water to the village from the town of Al-Samou, south of Hebron, and confiscated all the pipes.

On the other hand, sheep shepherds in the Al-Fakhit area in Musafer Yatta found occupation remnants and bombs.

Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a citizen on the road linking the Nablus and Jenin governorates.

According to local sources, the citizen, whose identity is still unknown, was driving his vehicle on a road leading to the town of Deir Sharaf, northwest of Nablus, before an Israeli military force intercepted and stopped him.

The sources indicated that the citizen was tied up and forced to enter a nearby military barracks.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz said on Thursday that estimates in Israel regarding the Hamas movement, that economic facilitation would lead to long-term calm, were wrong, after renewed marches on the Gaza Strip border.

According to the newspaper, Hamas is the one controlling matters in Gaza, although it was careful not to appear publicly behind the marches that took place on the border.

 pointed out that these marches were not just a popular protest, but witnessed armed operations with shooting from several tens of meters from the border towards the soldiers, and explosive devices were used, one of which caused the death of 5 Palestinians. If they had been used against Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles, it would have caused injuries even if they were protected. .

It  indicated that the marches on the border aim to strengthen Hamas’ position on the Palestinian arena, and to achieve its demands from Qatar and Israel to transfer all Qatari funds and increase the number of workers. The movement is also exploiting the political situation in Israel and therefore believes that it can attempt to maneuver in a limited manner, especially since the government is in Tel Aviv. It will find it difficult to mobilize support to carry out a military operation in Gaza, but Hamas may be wrong when it discovers that military friction will serve Benjamin Netanyahu's government in light of internal crises.

It pointed out that all of this comes as Hamas continues to incite attacks from the West Bank, transfer money and issue instructions to its cells there, and has not stopped accumulating its military power in Gaza.

Haaretz pointed out that this coincides with attempts by other parties, including Iran and Hezbollah, to ignite the situation, in addition to the expected unrest with the settlers’ intentions to storm Al-Aqsa during Jewish "Sukkot" holiday in the coming days, noting that in recent days there have been major talks between Hamas and Israel under the auspices of mediators. Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations to calm the escalation in Gaza, as well as to prevent renewed tension in Jerusalem.

It indicated that Israel is in the process of adopting new facilities, by increasing the number of workers allowed to enter from Gaza to the Green Line, by about 20,000 workers, according to a plan prepared by the security establishment a few months ago.

The newspaper says: What the government and the security apparatus are avoiding doing, is reconsidering the policy towards Gaza, and it can be said, with a great deal of justice, that in light of the dangers present in other arenas (the internal crisis, the Lebanese border, the West Bank), the goal is to calm the situation in Gaza strip.

The scene of Palestinian workers at the entrance to the Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing, waiting to be allowed to enter to work after 14 consecutive days of demonstrations on the border and fires that broke out due to incendiary balloons.

The Israeli army bombed resistance sites on the border and killed 7 Palestinians, to pressure the occupying state to lift the stifling siege and collective punishment that the occupying state has been practicing for many years and has affected all aspects of Palestinian life.

The policy of the occupying state towards the Gaza Strip and the pressure on the Palestinians and the Hamas movement, the ruling authority in the Strip, is the same policy that it uses against the authority in the West Bank by various means by stealing the clearance funds, weakening the authority and pressuring it to act as a security agent to maintain the security of the occupation and the settlers, and following a facilitation policy to facilitate... The lives of Palestinians are based on a trickle-down method, which is a criminal policy of collective punishment while continuing to deny the rights of Palestinians.

This Thursday morning, the occupying state announced the opening of the Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing to workers after it had been closed since the Jewish New Year.

During the past two weeks, mediations to stop resistance activities on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip did not stop, and Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations intervened and contacts were made with Hamas and the occupying state to end the current escalation and return to the situation that preceded the demonstrations on the border.

After the reopening of the Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing, the continuing fact confirms that the occupying state is practicing a policy of siege and collective punishment, which are war crimes committed for decades against the Palestinians. Despite this policy and preventing workers from working inside Palestine, which the occupying state is following, it will affect the economy of the sector. Gaza. It is a policy that has not succeeded, and the claims that 18,500 workers or even 50,000 will work to improve people’s lives is not true. It may affect partial improvement because the conditions in the Gaza Strip are disastrous and people’s lives are unbearable. This policy is like one who gives painkillers and ointments to a person sick with a disease. It is dangerous and there is no cure. The imposed Israeli siege is not only related to increasing the number of workers, but rather it has affected the lifeblood and economic and social conditions of the besieged Palestinians, who are deprived of freedom of movement and travel, the right to work, and the search for new opportunities outside the walls of the besieged Strip.

Following the reopening of the Beit Hanoun crossing, the Israeli media and journalists continued to incite against the Palestinians and criticize the Israeli government and army for not directing strong strikes against the resistance. The news of indirect contacts between Israel and Hamas to calm the situation is discussed, and that if calm returns to the Gaza borders, Israel has expressed its willingness to provide additional facilities to the Gaza Strip, such as increasing the number of permits for Palestinian workers who will be able to work in Israel to twenty thousand instead of the current number. 18500.

During the past two weeks, Hamas movement was strongly criticized regarding the demonstrations and popular resistance actions that took place, as a result of the experience of the March of Return, which some Palestinians consider to have achieved nothing but a significant increase in the number of martyrs, wounded, and people with disabilities as a result of crimes committed by the Israeli army forces. However, during the past few days, the Hamas movement has continued to support the youth to fight the occupation in order to pressure the occupying state to ease the siege and increase the number of workers. Hamas realizes that by exerting pressure it will exact a price from the occupation for adhering to what it pledged during the past years to ease the siege and increase the number of workers.

As a result, the occupying state responded under pressure. It is true that the price paid by the Palestinians is great, and this requires new Palestinian thinking about dealing with the crises in Gaza, which will not end as long as the occupation, siege, and division remain.

The announcement of the opening of the Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing at midnight last night, according to Israeli analysts, is due to fear of public criticism in the occupying state, and talk that the army and security services prefer to focus on the West Bank, which has become a major challenge facing the occupation.

The occupying state's response and lifting of the closure may be for various reasons. Among them is what is happening in the occupied West Bank, and the successive and rapid events of the American-Saudi-Israeli movement, which is in the interest of Israel and has become a priority for it, and it wants to focus on the issue of normalization with Saudi Arabia, which is progressing rapidly and rapidly, as well as improving relations with the American administration, and there are positive steps towards Netanyahu, and this affects The protests of the Israeli opposition, which felt disappointed, after the Biden-Netanyahu meeting, which is also under pressure from what is happening in the West Bank and the intense pressure on it from the settlers and the opening of more than one front will affect Netanyahu and his government from the extreme right-wing crowd.

What Israeli analysts are reporting is that the West Bank is exhausting the Israeli army, and that any escalation or military operation against Gaza will not end the resistance. This does not mean that Gaza has emerged from the circle of targeting and pressure.

Despite promises to provide new facilities within the policy that has been in place for a decade and a half, this needs serious thinking, and the occupying state is continuing aggressively in its aggression and policy against the Palestinians, and is trying to populate an area and cool it down in order to pay attention to another area within the Israeli dismantling policy, and to complete the project to annex the West Bank. The Palestinians are immersed in researching the details of their daily lives and living, and all that is provided by economic facilities has become a humanitarian situation just as the world deals with the Palestinian issue.

Hamas may be able to exert pressure through demonstrations on the border, and to disturb and confuse the occupying state as well, but these are temporary solutions and painkillers, for a period of time, and Gaza will not get rid of its crises with these solutions, and this is linked to the state of disintegration that the Palestinians practice against themselves and their party, and the search for immediate individual solutions. Without realizing what is going on and confronting it without evasion and fear, especially in the Saudi-Israeli normalization file.

The Israeli occupation forces bulldozed 40 dunums of land in the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, and uprooted about 300 olive, grape, and fig trees belonging to the heirs of the sons of Hajj Izzat Nimr Saeed.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the western area of the town called Khallet al-Thieves, uprooted and destroyed more than 300 olive trees and other perennial trees, such as grapes and figs, removed stone chains and destroyed an internal road.

Today, Thursday, settlers uprooted and destroyed approximately 35 olive trees owned by citizen Khaled Akl from the town of Haris, west of Salfit.

According to local sources, the settlers of the “Netafim” settlement, which was established on the lands of citizens of the towns of Derastiya, Qarawat Bani Hassan, and Hares, uprooted a number of olive trees and stole them.

They also broke down another number of trees that were more than 10 years old in the area called “Airplanes” west of Haris.