Today, Monday, Israeli occupation forces demolished a car wash at the western intersection of Haris village, west of Salfit.

According to local sources, the laundry belongs to the citizen Baraa Jawdat Akl, and it was demolished and its floor completely bulldozed, under the pretext of being located in Area C.

The US State Department denied reports about stopping talks with the Saudi leadership regarding normalization with Israel.

The Office of Near Eastern Affairs at the US State Department said through its account on the “X” platform, “The United States remains committed to strengthening Israel regionally, including through active diplomacy aimed at Israeli-Saudi normalization.”

He added: "The talks are continuing, and we look forward to further talks with the two sides."

The Elaph magazine website, owned by Saudi figures, quoted Israeli sources as saying that the United States had informed Israel that Saudi Arabia had decided to halt normalization talks due to divisions within Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the continuation of Israeli provocations against the Palestinians.

On Monday, the Israeli occupation forces intensified their military presence north of Jericho.

According to local sources, the occupation forces intensified their military presence in the vicinity of the villages of Fasayel and Al-Auja in the Jordan Valley, especially at the entrance to Fasayel, and launched a combing and search campaign amid the presence of the occupation police, without any arrests being reported.

A number of citizens suffered from suffocation, today, Monday, during the Israeli occupation forces’ storming of the village of Jalboun, northeast of Jenin.

According to local sources, these forces stormed the village, drove their vehicles through its streets, and fired tear gas bombs at citizens and homes, causing many of them to suffer from suffocation.

The sources indicated that the occupation forces set up military points on the roofs of houses, raided commercial stores, seized recordings from “surveillance cameras,” and besieged a neighborhood in the town and prevented citizens from leaving or entering it.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces were notified of the demolition of 3 agricultural barracks and a residential tent in the airport area, east of the city of Jericho.

According to local sources, these forces distributed 4 demolition notices for three agricultural barracks, in addition to a residential tent, for the citizen Jamal Muhammad Jahalin and his sons, Daoud and Ahmed.

The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem said, "For years, Israel has been taking a series of measures to make the lives of dozens of Palestinian communities across the West Bank miserable and bitter, with the aim of forcing their residents to leave their places of residence, to achieve its ambition to seize land."

B'Tselem added in a report on Monday, "For this purpose, Israel prevents the residents of these communities from building homes, buildings for livestock, or public facilities, from connecting their residential sites to the water and electricity networks, and from paving roads, and is quick to threaten them with the demolition of their homes and buildings." In some cases, they demolish what they built despite everything.”

The report of the Israeli organization spoke about the acts of violence carried out by settlers, which the Israeli government uses as a tool to make the lives of the residents of the communities more miserable. These actions have greatly worsened since the current government came to power, and in some places these acts of violence have turned the lives of the residents of the communities into a nightmare. On a daily basis, to the point that they were deprived of any possibility to live in dignity, even at a minimum.

She confirmed that because of this violence, residents began to live in terror to the point that they felt fear for their lives. Then they realized that there was no one to protect them, and that they were left with no other option, so some of them were forced to leave their homes and places of residence and move to safer places, in the absence of any other alternative.

The report indicated that dozens of communities distributed throughout the West Bank live in a similar reality, and if Israel continues this policy, the residents of these communities will also be subject to deportation. In this way, Israel achieves its goal and seizes their lands.

Background of displacement

Dozens of herding communities live throughout the West Bank, all of which are considered in Israel’s eyes to be “unrecognized villages.” They are not connected to the electricity, water, and road infrastructure, and Israel prevents them from doing so.

The report indicates that Israel considers the homes of the residents of these communities, the public facilities, and the sheep pens they built “illegal” and is issuing demolition orders against them.

It indicated that a number of settlement outposts and farms were established around these gatherings with the help of the Israeli government, and acts of violence against the residents of the gatherings increased, until they reached their peak during the term of the current government, and turned into a frightening and daily routine that includes expelling shepherds from pastures and farmers from the fields they own, and including Physical assault on residents, breaking into their homes, setting fires, destroying crops, thefts and blocking roads.

Residents reported that the settlers were opening the valves of their water tanks and bringing their flocks of sheep to drink from the residents’ collection wells. The settlers began cultivating the agricultural lands that remained empty, while the soldiers protected them. In other places, settlers moved to graze their herds of livestock on pastures that were used by Palestinian shepherds.

B'Tselem confirmed that the current Israeli government has a hand in all of this happening, by imposing restrictions on construction, demolishing homes, and using settler violence in order to seize Palestinian lands, and gives full legitimacy to acts of violence against Palestinians, by encouraging and supporting them with public statements, and there are members The government themselves led the acts of violence. They are the ones who decide policy, they are the ones who allocate the budgets that finance the violence, and they are the ones responsible for enforcing the law on settlers who attack Palestinians.

Communities that were displaced

She indicated that during the past two years, residents of six communities in the West Bank were displaced from their homes, and in the area east and north-east of Ramallah, four herding communities were forcibly displaced, some of whom were living on lands belonging to Palestinians living in the area and with their consent, after being expelled from other places. Several settlement outposts and farms were established around them, with assistance from the government, the first of which was “Micah’s Farm” in 2018. Similar to other settlement outposts in the rest of the West Bank, these outposts are also connected to the water and electricity infrastructure and the road network, almost immediately. It enjoys immunity from demolitions and its residents work in full coordination and cooperation with the army, which provides them with protection.

She pointed out that some of these settlement outposts were established on lands that Israel defines as “firing zones,” which are areas where settlements are officially prohibited, but the government supported their establishment there nonetheless.

She explained that the four communities that were displaced were: Ras al-Tin last year, with a population of approximately 120 individuals - approximately half of whom are minors. The community was established in this place at the end of the sixties, and Israel had previously expelled them from the South Hebron Hills area. It was established on Private and regulated lands owned by residents of the villages of Kafr Malik and Al-Mughir.

The second community, Ain Samiya, is inhabited by 28 families, numbering about two hundred individuals. They had lived in it after renting its lands from residents of the village of Kafr Malek in 1980, after Israel expelled them from other places several times. The Al-Baqa community was demolished at the end of last July. 33 people were displaced, including 21 minors. The displacement was preceded by daily attacks by settlers who established a “farm” about fifty meters away from the community homes, installed solar panels, and connected them to the water infrastructure of the neighboring settlement outpost, “Neve Erez,” and took control of the road that connects Between the settlement and the main street.

The residents of the Qaboun community, which includes 12 families - 86 individuals, including 26 minors - were also displaced at the beginning of last August, and they have lived there since 1996 after Israel expelled them from the Negev in the early 1950s. In February of this year, settlers established a settlement outpost near the community. In an area that Israel defined as a “firing zone,” they abused the residents of the community, who reported that settlers were wandering around their homes, and even entering them, and that they would come on horses and tractors in the late hours of the night and intimidate them. Then they seized their agricultural lands and prevented them from grazing their sheep in the area. Pastures.

In the South Hebron Hills area, at least two communities were forcibly displaced: the first community was the Khirbet Simri community, inhabited by two brother families consisting of twenty people, eight of whom were minors. In 1998, the "Mitzpe Yair" settlement outpost was established on top of the hill on which they lived, and since then the violence against them has increased. The settlers abused the family members, threatened them, entered their homes, prevented them from grazing their sheep, and stormed their homes. In July last year, the residents decided to leave the place.

The second community is the Widadi al-Tahta community, which has a population of 20 people, including 12 minors, who have lived there for about fifty years. About two years ago, settlers established a settlement outpost approximately 500 meters away from the community homes. The settlers repeatedly tried to prevent residents from grazing their sheep in the pastures surrounding their homes. They used a quadcopter to terrorize and disperse the herd in the pasture. They entered at all hours of the day, armed. To the homes of residents - sometimes with a dog, and they would attack and beat the residents of the community and threaten them with weapons.

B'Tselem stressed that the decision of residents of the communities to leave their place of residence did not come out of nowhere, but rather is a direct result of Israeli policy, the goal of which has always been to achieve exactly this result: expelling Palestinians and reducing the areas on which they live, in order to transfer the land to Jewish hands. This policy is based There is a long series of restrictions, harassment, and abuse practices on the part of the state and its emissaries, with varying degrees of severity, some of which are official and some of which are unofficial.

She adds: Israel almost completely prohibits any construction or development work for Palestinians in Area C. This area constitutes about 60% of the area of the West Bank, and between 200 and 300 thousand Palestinians live there, thousands of whom are distributed among dozens of communities that earn their living from livestock grazing and agriculture. To prevent the Palestinians from building in this area, Israel has designated about 60% of Area C is considered to be areas in which Palestinians are prohibited from building, by establishing different legal definitions for large areas (sometimes overlapping with each other): “state lands” - about 35% of Area C, military training areas (firing zones). - About 30% of Area C, nature reserves and national parks - About 14% of Area C, or areas of influence belonging to settlements - About 16% of Area C. Israel is waging a continuous war against the Palestinians living in these areas. They are expelled from their lands under false pretexts, such as carrying out “military training,” and it also demolishes their homes and seizes their property.

As for the remaining 40% of the area of Area C, Israel - which exclusively controls planning systems in the West Bank - imposes severe restrictions on any construction or development therein, and the possibility of a Palestinian person obtaining a building permit - even when talking about building on land With its own ownership - the probability is zero, and between 2009 and 2018, only 98 building permits were approved for residential purposes, industrial purposes, agricultural purposes, and infrastructure services out of 4,422 applications that were submitted (i.e. 2%). According to data provided to the Bimkom organization, between 2016 and 2020, 2,550 applications were submitted and only 24 of them were approved (less than 1%). These data do not truly reflect the needs of Palestinians, as the majority of them do not find any benefit in the effort of submitting applications for building permits, because they know in advance that they will be rejected in any case.

Palestinians are forced to develop their towns and build their homes without building permits, and they do so not because they are violating the law, but because they do not have any ability to build legally. The Civil Administration issues demolition orders against them, and in some cases implements them. According to B'Tselem data, from 2006 until 7/31/23, Israel demolished 2,123 residential buildings throughout the West Bank. 8,580 people lost their homes, including 4,324 minors. Additionally, during the same period, Israel demolished 3,387 non-residential structures.

This is how the displacement began and this is how it continues

Israel works to make the lives of the residents of the communities living in the areas it covets miserable and bitter, until they say “enough” and leave their homes and lands, leaving everything behind. This policy is implemented in two parallel ways: In the first way - made by military orders, legal advisors and the Supreme Court - the state itself expels the Palestinians from their lands. The second method, parallel to the first, is that settlers commit violence against Palestinians, with state forces allowing, assisting, and even participating in this. This policy has led to the forced displacement of seven communities, but many other communities across the West Bank continue to live in this same violent reality and are currently at risk of immediate deportation.

This policy is illegal, and Israel is responsible for committing a war crime - forcible transfer. Under international law, which Israel must abide by and has pledged to abide by, it is prohibited - whatever the circumstances - from expelling residents of occupied territories from their homes. The fact that deportation is not carried out by soldiers coming to residents’ homes and expelling them from them themselves does not change the reality at all, as it is enough that Israel is creating an oppressive environment and leaving residents no other choice but to leave.

The deportation of the residents of the settlements is not a disaster brought upon them by nature, nor is it a fate they have no choice but to accept. Rather, it is a choice decided by the apartheid regime in order to achieve its ambition to maintain sovereignty over all the lands located between the river and the sea. Therefore, it is used to develop and expand existing settlements and to create new settlements for these areas. Population group only.

After surviving 5 assassination attempts, the special Israeli undercover units were able to reach the freed prisoner, Abdullah Hassan Sobh, and arrest him in a special operation in the Jenin camp on 9/4/2023, on charges of belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, and resisting the occupation, which continues to isolate him. He was detained in the interrogation basements of Al-Jalama Prison, amid his family’s anxiety and fears, as he was wounded and subjected to brutal beatings during his arrest, along with his two companions, Moatasem Ja’aysa and Ward Shreim, who was wounded by Musta’rab bullets during his arrest.

The sixty-year-old citizen, Hassan Subuh, told Al-Quds.com’s correspondent: “The greatest tragedy is that Abdullah is suffering from pain and the effects of an Israeli bullet lodged in his lung, causing him weak spirits and constant pain, and he needs constant medical follow-up.”

He added: "When he was subjected to an assassination attempt during the bombing of his vehicle, he suffered severe injuries throughout his body, and he is still undergoing long medical treatment. Therefore, we stress the necessity of presenting him to a specialist doctor or doctors regarding the health condition he suffers from as a result of his exposure to the assassination attempts, and this is his right."

He continues: "We hold the occupation fully responsible for his life. Everyone knows that it deliberately neglects the treatment of prisoners and exploits their injuries to put pressure on them during the investigation."

In the town of Burqin, Abdullah was born 22 years ago. He is considered the third in his family consisting of 7 members. He lived and grew up in his town, where he studied in its schools until he successfully completed high school. Then he studied advanced engineering in mechatronics at the industrial school in Jenin, after which he was arrested for the first time. On 7/12/2020.

His father stated that the occupation arrested him from the Tulkarm area, and he was transferred directly to investigation, and he was subjected to torture and isolation, and his trial continued for a long period until he was tried in actual imprisonment for two years and fined 2,000 shekels, explaining that during this period, he was transferred between several prisons, and suffered from the punishments. The strict conditions included isolation and a ban on visits, and his father and brother were only able to visit him once over the course of two years.

More than a year ago, the occupation forces included Abdullah’s name on the wanted list, and his father says: “The occupation threatened him with liquidation for his heroic role in the resistance, and accused him of membership in the leadership of the Qassam Brigades. He continued to be targeted, pursued, and ambushed, until he was hit by their bullets in the back, and the bullet is still there.” Stable in the lung.

He added: "The threats did not weaken his will and morale, and he completed his struggle and miraculously survived five assassination attempts. He is a free fighter and a Palestinian who loves his homeland and land. He performed his duty like every young man who is jealous of his homeland, and he always expressed his commitment to the struggle for the sake of all his people to live in... A free and independent homeland."

The father of the wounded prisoner, Sobh, narrates that the Musta’ribin units, on the morning of September 4, 2023, infiltrated, using vehicles bearing a Palestinian license plate, the “Al-Ghabs” neighborhood on the outskirts of the Jenin camp, and surrounded a local building in which Abdullah Ward and Moatasem were present, in an attempt to kidnap or liquidate them. However, the people and the resistance discovered the ambush, which led to the outbreak of violent armed confrontations between the resistance fighters from all military wings and the occupation forces, which stormed the area with more than 50 patrols, supported by drones, and the resistance was able to shoot down one of them.

According to witnesses, the occupation forces closed the area, occupied homes, and set up sniper teams to support the special units in light of the violent clashes and throwing explosive devices at military patrols. During the resistance attempt and to escape, he was exposed to gunfire, which led to his injury, while the special units attacked Moatasem and Abdullah, and assaulted them. They brutally attacked them until they were able to control and arrest them.

In the interrogation cells of “Al-Jalama” prison, the occupation forces are currently detaining the prisoner Abdullah under investigation, and his father, “Abu Mahmoud,” says: “The occupation, which always claims humanity, its soldiers and Arabists assaulted my son Abdullah with brutal beatings, as we saw this through the cameras that Posted on social media.

He added: "His fate is still unknown. The court extended his detention at the request of the intelligence services, which prevented lawyers from visiting him and attending his trial, which causes us anxiety because we fear the impact of his injury."

He continues: “His fifty-year-old mother, Hasanat, suffers from a disability and is paralyzed due to chronic diseases. She is the saddest and most affected by the situation and life of her son. She constantly talks about Abdullah and misses him, misses his presence and his beautiful and cheerful spirit, and his name is never far from her tongue. She shares our supplications to the Lord of the Worlds to protect him.” From the Israeli executioner and his return to her arms soon.”

The occupation forces accused the prisoners, Subh, Sharim, and Ja'aysa, of belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades, involvement in armed clashes, and resistance.

Today, Monday, a team from the Water Authority and the Ministry of Finance discussed, with a delegation from the European Investment Bank, the latest developments in the sewerage project that will be established northeast of the city of Ramallah.

The value of the project, funded by the European Union and the European Investment Bank, in the first phase is 40 million euros, as it includes establishing a wastewater collection and treatment system, while the second phase, worth 18 million euros, includes the reuse of treated water in agriculture.

The Director of Wastewater Plants at the Water Authority, Adel Yassin, updated the European team on the latest developments regarding the tenders for designing the sewage networks and the treatment plant, which are financed through the World Bank, and the technical, administrative and financial readiness of the Water Authority to complete all requirements for the implementation and operation of the project.

In turn, the project file official at the European Investment Bank, Michael Nosek, said that the project financing procedures are going according to plan, and there are no obstacles or challenges facing the project, indicating that a draft of the project financing agreement will be prepared during the next month, with all procedures for signing the financial agreement completed. Which will take place before the end of next November.

It is noteworthy that the project serves 80,000 citizens in 14 communities in the northeastern Ramallah area, and consists of sewage networks, conveyor lines, a solar energy system treatment plant in the first phase, and reuse of treated water in the second phase.

The launch of the work of the United Nations General Assembly amidst the increasing pace of polarization in international relations

Today, Monday, the work of the eighty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly began at the headquarters of the United Nations Assembly in New York City, from which a number of prominent world leaders will be absent this year, including the leaders of Russia, France, Britain, and China.

However, experts believe there are many interesting dynamics to watch between heads of state, diplomats, business leaders, NGOs, and even members of royal families, as attendees include US President Joe Biden, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The UN General Assembly podium offers US President Biden an ideal setting to show that, despite his efforts to shift US focus to China, he is not abandoning other key regions, such as the Middle East.

He received speeches from Brazil, the United States, Ukraine, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Iran on Tuesday, September 19, Palestine, Israel and China on Thursday, September 21, Russia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, September 23, and Syria on Tuesday, September 26. 2023.

The White House’s plan for President Biden’s agenda so far (which Al-Quds viewed, according to what the White House shared with journalists) does not include many bilateral meetings with Middle Eastern leaders, but - according to media sources - he may meet some of them, such as Turkish President Erdogan and Emir Qatar, Tamim, in less formal settings such as receptions.

According to what Al-Quds.com has learned, there is an issue of great importance, which is the normalization agreement that the Biden team has reached towards diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel, although the Saudi newspaper “Elaf” revealed on Sunday that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia informed the administration US President Joe Biden announced its decision to halt all talks on normalization of relations with Israel, attributing the news to an Israeli official in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, saying that the “extremist” nature of the right-wing government in Israel led by Prime Minister Netanyahu “undermines any possibility of rapprochement with the Palestinians, and thus with the Saudis.”

Biden is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, and this is actually a letdown for Netanyahu, who wants an invitation to the White House.

But Biden is concerned about the Netanyahu government's efforts to reform Israel's judiciary, which many Israelis protest as undemocratic. It seems that he is unwilling to ask the Israeli leader to visit Washington at the present time, according to all reports.

It is noteworthy that Biden shook hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit this month in New Delhi, in the latest indication that the Saudi Crown Prince was able to restore strong historical relations with the United States, despite pressure from neoliberals in Washington, who want Biden to He maintains his pledges to treat the Saudi Crown Prince as a “rogue person” over allegations of the human rights situation in the Kingdom.

Biden's current interest in the Middle East comes at a time when China is presenting itself as a potential peacemaker in the region. Beijing has already pushed for a diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and has indicated that it can work to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

It is not yet known whether Biden or his Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, will hold any meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller responded to the Jerusalem correspondent’s question in this regard by saying, “I do not know about the White House, but the schedule of meetings that may “It is being held by Secretary Blinken, and it has not yet been completed.”

An informed source told Al-Quds.com's correspondent in Washington that he believes there will be some meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly between an American official and a Palestinian official.

It is also noteworthy that US President Biden helped, at the G20 Summit, launch “a major infrastructure initiative linking India, the Middle East, and Europe,” which experts expect will be something that will be discussed in some way in New York on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Ukrainian President Zelensky plans to personally engage with world leaders at this year's meeting, as he seeks to hold as many personal meetings as possible with leaders of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, in an attempt to persuade these countries to stand with Ukraine against Russia.

How Russia responds may depend on which diplomats want to see with the Russian representative, which is (most likely) Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov will also likely try to hold several such meetings, at least to ensure that certain countries remain neutral.

It is noteworthy that last year, Lavrov did not hold many meetings due to American pressure on the participants, which seems to have changed this year, especially in the context of Zelensky’s presence, as the world leaders who will meet with the Ukrainian president this year may feel forced to see... Lavrov too, if they are determined to avoid taking sides.

It is expected that the frequency of verbal quarrels between America and its camp with African countries will increase this year due to the military coups that shook the continent, which took place in Niger and Gabon only the past few months.

The Prisoner's Club reported on Monday that detainees Kayed Al-Fafsous and Sultan Khalouf are continuing their hunger strike in rejection of their administrative detention for the 47th day in a row, amid difficult health conditions that worsen over time.

The Prisoner's Club confirmed, in a statement, that, until today, the occupation authorities refuse to respond to their demand, or transfer them to a civilian hospital, despite the passage of this period since the strike.

The occupation authorities also continue to detain detainee Fasfous in the cells of (Naqab Prison), accompanied by the implementation of systematic torture measures against him. Detainee Khalouf is still detained in (Ramla Prison Clinic), where he suffers from a significant deterioration in his health condition.

The Prisoner's Club stated that the detainees, Al-Fafsous and Khalouf, are among the detainees who previously went on long strikes in rejection of administrative detention. Al-Fafsous went on a hunger strike in 2021 and lasted for (131) days. The detainee Khalouf also went on a hunger strike in 2019 and lasted for (67) days, and faced... Health problems resulting from the long strike.

The Jordanian State Security Court will begin holding the first session of the trial of Jordanian MP Imad Al-Adwan next Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

According to the Jordanian Ammon Agency, Al-Adwan and 13 other defendants will be tried on four charges in court.

The charges against them are the crime of selling firearms with the intention of using them illegally, attempting to export firearms with the intention of using them illegally, and carrying out acts that would disrupt public order and endanger the security and safety of society.

The occupation authorities had arrested MP Al-Adwan last April, on charges of “smuggling weapons and gold,” before handing him over to his country’s authorities about a month after his arrest.

The Israeli army announced on Monday that its military patrol was attacked near the Merav Gilboa settlement near Jenin.

According to an Israeli military spokesman, some bullets hit a military vehicle, but no casualties were reported.

According to Israeli Army Radio, this is the fourth attack in the West Bank in less than 24 hours.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces set up military checkpoints at the entrances to the Bethlehem Governorate.

According to local sources, these forces set up military checkpoints amid intense security measures, stopped citizens’ vehicles and checked their identities, which led to a crisis in the area.

The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority said on Monday, “The Israeli occupation authorities will hold an appeal hearing for the hunger-striking prisoner, Kayed Al-Fafsous.”

The authority stated in a statement that the appeal hearing will be held next Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 9:30 am.

It is noteworthy that the prisoner is continuing his open hunger strike in rejection of the crime of administrative detention issued against him for the 48th day in a row.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested two young men from the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The Prisoners' Affairs Authority in Jerusalem reported that the occupation forces arrested Muhammad Munther Akkawi and Daniel Abu Nasra, after they raided their families' homes.

The head of the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions in the Gaza Strip, Sami Al-Amsi, said, “Closing the Erez crossing for 24 hours is a collective punishment for about 18,500 worker families that have nothing to do with the events and developments taking place.”

In a statement, the head of the Labor Syndicate expressed his rejection of this Israeli policy that aims to tamper with the permit file, saying: “The occupation, since last year, has been using the permit file as a political and economic card to pressure Gaza, with the aim of achieving political gains at the expense of the workers’ segment.”

The mediators called for pressure on the occupation to separate humanitarian and political issues, and to fulfill its obligations and pledges to raise the number of workers inside the occupied interior to 30,000 workers, in addition to lifting the siege.

He pointed out that on August 27, the occupation announced a freeze on increasing the quota for workers in the Gaza Strip to 20,000 workers, and linked the decision to the current events in the West Bank, considering this a lie, slander, and trading in the suffering of the people of the Strip, because since the arrival of the extreme right-wing government of (Benjamin) Netanyahu We only found an increase in the restrictions and suffering on the people of the Gaza Strip.”

He pointed out that the greatest loss for Gaza workers occurred in August 2022, after the checkpoint continued to be closed for a week during the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and the workers lost about 18 million shekels ($5 million).

The Prisoner's Club said today, Monday, "The number of female prisoners in the occupation prisons has reached (37) prisoners, after a four-year actual prison sentence was recently issued against the activist Aya Al-Khatib from the occupied territories, in addition to a fine of 25 thousand shekels." .

The club continued in a statement: “The prisoner Al-Khatib will move today from house arrest, which lasted for about two years, to actual prison, after the unjust decision issued against her, which comes within the framework of the retaliatory policy implemented by the occupation authorities, and in their continuous attempt to undermine any effective role of our people.” In the territories occupied in 1948.

It is noteworthy that Al-Khatib was arrested in February 2020, and spent about two years at that time, then she was transferred to home detention, which she remains under until today, and today the actual imprisonment will begin against her to complete the remainder of the sentence issued against her. It is noteworthy that Al-Khatib is married and is a mother. For two children.

Gilad Erdan, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, on Monday accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of being "extremely anti-Semitic" and that because of his repeated statements about the "Holocaust" his fate should be in the "dustbin of history."

This comes in the context of a recent Israeli campaign against President Abbas because of his statements before the Fatah Revolutionary Council about the Holocaust.

Erdan was responding to a question directed to him on the Hebrew Kan radio, as reported by the Arabic-language Makan radio, about Saudi Arabia linking achieving normalization with making concessions and achievements for the Palestinians.

Erdan said: “Yes, we all realize that the Saudis would like to make achievements for the Palestinians, and indeed this is not an easy matter, especially since the current Palestinian leader is extremely anti-Semitic and almost justifies the occurrence of the Nazi Holocaust and utters despicable hallucinatory statements, and it should have been because of this.” The omissions are in the dustbin of history. However, the Prime Minister must determine the list of priorities, what is most important now, and I believe that everyone is well aware of the nature of the agreement with the leader of the Sunni world, who at the same time runs the holy places, and how this will affect the rest of the Islamic countries in the world.” like he said.

Activist Aya Khatib from the village of Arara Al-Muthalath in the occupied interior, on Monday morning, surrendered herself to the Israeli occupation authorities, to serve her 4-year sentence in “Al-Jalama” prison.

Prisoner Khatib served one year and two months of the sentence issued against her, before the ruling was issued last August 15 by the District Court in Haifa, which convicted her of “recruiting funds to support terrorism and passing them to the Hamas movement.”

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation authorities closed the military checkpoints around the city of Nablus and tightened their procedures.

According to local sources, these forces closed the Deir Sharaf military checkpoint linking Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm, detained passing citizens’ vehicles, and searched them thoroughly, while closing the Sarra checkpoint in both directions, and preventing citizens from passing.

The occupation forces also completely closed Al-Murabbaa Road and the Hawara military checkpoint south of Nablus to the movement of citizens.

On Monday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the repercussions of the settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In a statement, the Ministry denounced the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by a group of extremists, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.

It stressed that these practices are a blatant violation of all international norms and conventions, and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed its call on the international community to assume its responsibilities to end the escalation of the Israeli occupation, provide the necessary protection for civilians, and make all efforts to end this conflict.

A Saudi-owned newspaper reported Sunday that the nation has told the Biden administration it is freezing US-brokered efforts to normalize relations with Israel because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government is unwilling to make any concessions to the Palestinians. An Israeli and an American officials both said the report was false.

According to the report in the Elaph newspaper, supposedly citing officials in Netanyahu’s office, the US has informed Israel of the Saudi stance. It said that Israel was “confused” by the move, believing that the Saudis were prepared to move ahead with normalizing ties without linking it to the progress on the Palestinian issue.

The report by the London-based paper’s Israel correspondent singled out the insistence by far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir that Israel not make any concessions to the Palestinians, adding that without progress with Ramallah, there could be no progress with Riyadh.

Last month, Netanyahu indicated that he was open to gestures to Palestinians if a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia depended on it, and hinted that he would not let coalition members block an agreement.

“Do I think it’s feasible to have that, and do I think that political questions will block it? I doubt it,” Netanyahu told Bloomberg News. “If there’s political will, there will be a political way to achieve normalization and a formal peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

  “I think there’s enough room to discuss possibilities,” he added.

Netanyahu’s comments were in line with what Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the day before in an interview with Elaph, which is often seen as a conduit for public messaging between Jerusalem and Riyadh.

“The Palestinian issue will not be an obstacle to peace,” Cohen said. “We also proved this in the Abraham Accords. We all have an interest in improving life in the areas of the Palestinian Authority.”

But Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have ruled out any compromise with the Palestinians. “We will not make any concessions to the Palestinians. It’s a fiction,” Smotrich, who heads the far-right Religious Zionism party, told Army Radio last month.

Smotrich said that while Israel is interested in the US-brokered deal with Riyadh, “it has nothing to do with Judea and Samaria,” referring to the West Bank by its biblical names.

However, in recent weeks the Saudis have stepped up their engagement with Palestinians. Saudi Arabia will be co-hosting an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week focused on revamping the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, three UN diplomats told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

The event, titled “Peace Day Effort for Middle East Peace,” will take place on Monday and is being put on by Saudi Arabia along with the Arab League and the European Union in cooperation with Egypt and Jordan, one of the diplomats said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be the keynote speaker.

Neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian missions were invited to the event, the UN diplomat said, explaining that it is focused on congregating important global stakeholders on the issue in order to “reinvigorate” the peace process.

The current Israeli government led by Netanyahu has refused to entertain the notion of peace talks with the Palestinian Authority, instead moving to radically expand Israel’s footprint in the West Bank. The PA supports a two-state solution, but its leadership is marred by charges of corruption and President Mahmoud Abbas was roundly criticized last week for a speech employing a range of anti-Semitic tropes.

Both Netanyahu and Abbas will be at the UN this week. Two weeks ago, Riyadh hosted a Palestinian Authority delegation to discuss how to leverage a normalization deal to advance the Palestinian cause.

Saudi leaders assured the visiting delegation that Riyadh “will not abandon” the Palestinian cause, even as it discusses normalizing ties with Israel, a US and an Arab official told The Times of Israel last week.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, left, meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, April 19, 2023. (Wafa)

The message was passed along in multiple meetings between the Palestinian Authority delegation and senior Saudi officials, including Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, the US and the Arab official said.

Last month, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Jordan began serving as Riyadh’s first-ever nonresident ambassador to the Palestinians as well as its first-ever nonresident consul general to Jerusalem.

The Arab official explained that Riyadh has made clear to Ramallah that it is prepared to depart from its long-held public stance against normalizing ties with Israel absent an actualized two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the PA has come to terms with this development and accordingly is asking for measures that fall short of immediate statehood

Today, Monday, dozens of settlers stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid heavy protection from the occupation police.

The settlers made provocative tours inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and performed Talmudic rituals.

Groups of settlers storm Al-Aqsa on a daily basis except Friday and Saturday.

What happened and is happening in the courtyards of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by herds of settlers and extremist and racist Jewish extremists is not an easy matter, especially in light of the current Israeli government, which is one of the most extremist, racist, and hostile successive Israeli governments to everything that is Palestinian and Arab.

What happened yesterday in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, from the actions of settlers and extremist Jews, with the support of the leaders of the extremist and racist government, and other incursions are merely “rehearsals” for what is to come, which portends work to divide it spatially after it was divided temporally, leading to attempts to demolish it and erect the alleged temple. The place of the honorable Dome of the Rock from which the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, ascended to the heavens, the Most High, and the mother of all the prophets and messengers.

The occupying state, the settler gangs, and the extremist Jewish extremists would not have done everything they did and will do later, had it not been for the laxity of the Arab and Islamic countries in protecting Al-Aqsa and putting an end to what happened and is happening inside it, including Talmudic prayers, almost daily raids, and blowing the trumpet at its doors as a prelude to blowing inside it. As well as the arrests carried out by the occupation forces of young men and men and women retreating there, assaulting them, deporting them from it and the Old City of Jerusalem, and many other practices, violations and assaults, including severe beatings and other assaults and attacks on personal and collective dignity.

It is true that the people of Jerusalem and the Palestinians of the interior defend Al-Aqsa daily from settler attacks and incursions, but that is not enough in the face of the arrests, deportations, and house arrests carried out by the occupation authorities for tens and hundreds of young men, whether in occupied Jerusalem or inside Palestine.

Protecting Al-Aqsa is the responsibility of all Arabs and Muslims because it represents a religious status that concerns everyone, as it is the first of the two qiblahs, the second of the two mosques, the third of the Two Holy Mosques, and the final resting place of the Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.

The question that arises is that as long as the Holy Mosque is important to all Muslims and Arabs in the world due to its importance and religious status, why is its sanctity not defended, which is violated daily by herds of Jewish settlers and extremists, represented by the Temple Mount Associations and others, whose most prominent goals are to build the alleged temple inside the Mosque? Al-Sharif, and believes that the Islamic and Arab silence regarding the preparations they are making for this day encourages them to persist in their Judaization steps and their attempts to demolish Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and to Judaize the second holiest shrine of Muslims after the Kaaba and the Prophet’s Mosque.

The defense of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by Arabs and Muslims is an obligation, and continuing to be negligent in defending it and merely issuing statements of denunciation and denunciation will only increase the vulgarity, tyranny, and Judaization of Al-Aqsa and all the sanctities in the Holy City.

It seems that what Golda Meir, Prime Minister of the occupying state, said when Al-Aqsa Mosque was burned, is that when the next morning came and the Muslims did nothing, she was convinced that this nation is a nation of sleep and a nation of words only, and unfortunately this nation is still a nation of words and sleep, which encourages the occupation to Continuing to Judaize the Holy Mosque.

Al-Aqsa is in danger, Jerusalem is in imminent danger, and the nation must wake up from its deep slumber.

After a sufficient period of time has passed for political projects, they must be subject to review and evaluation to draw lessons, correct mistakes, and adjust course if necessary. The Oslo Accords, 30 years after its signing, are no exception. On the contrary, time in the calculations of the Palestinian issue is more sensitive than any other issue, as the Zionist party continues to implement its project and works relentlessly to destroy the components of the Palestinian political identity and obstruct the Palestinians and their right to an independent state. So, with all objectivity, when we evaluate the Oslo Accords based on the actual events on the ground and the repercussions that affected the Palestinian issue, we conclude the following:

1. It was said in the past: “You can be defeated in one or more battles, but you cannot lose the war.”
We lost the battle in 1948, as well as in 1967, and in 1982. But we did not lose the war with the Zionist entity. At the national popular level, from the Buraq Revolution in 1929 until the last martyr in Jenin, Nablus, or Gaza, our people did not retreat for a moment from their insistence on fighting and resistance. And adherence to his full right to his homeland and its sanctities. In other words, our people did not surrender and did not accept defeat despite all the sacrifices, and despite all the conspiracies, whether those they knew about or those they did not know about. He is aware that this emerging Zionist entity does not have any legitimacy, whether historical or legal, to remain on our land.

But it was the Oslo Accords that achieved this strategic breakthrough for Israel and gave it a certificate of the legitimacy of its existence, at a time when it did not have any papers or documents proving its right to any inch of the land of Palestine. Even the partition resolution in 1947 - which gave the Palestinians about 45% of the land - was not a legal document, because it was rejected by the Palestinians and Arabs, and the United Nations - which adopted the resolution - does not own the land until it decides whether to grant it to any party.

Even the countries' recognition of the entity and acceptance of its membership in the United Nations did not grant the entity any legitimacy to control the land or political legitimacy. It was conditional on two conditions: the first was the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the second was the return of refugees to their homes from which they were forcefully displaced, and this has not been achieved to date. Therefore, the legitimacy of the entity is invalid according to international law.

Despite this, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s recognition of Resolutions 242 and 338 in Algeria in 1988, and their conversion into written documents in Oslo in 1993, is what established the legitimacy of the entity, dropped the Palestinians’ right to 78% of the land, and made all Palestinian rights negotiable. Whoever signed Oslo acted as a broker who granted all the properties and registered them in the “Taboo” to an accidental buyer without the consent of the original land owner.

The matter did not stop there. Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations in 2012 to request Palestine’s membership in the United Nations on the negotiated 1967 borders, bypassing the status of Jerusalem in international law, which considers it a disputed area (east and west), based on the partition decision. . Free concessions, of course, without any compensation or guarantees. Therefore, the defeat of 1948 and 1967 is not the Nakba, but the real Nakba and loss of the war is the signing of this fateful agreement.

2. “Oslo” established this hateful, destructive division that we live in today
It made a portion of the people first-class citizens (according to Zionist standards). For example, after Oslo, the prisoners were forced upon their release from the occupation prisons to sign a document renouncing terrorism and committing to peace. This document defines the ideal characteristics of a good Palestinian citizen, while the other part is considered “terrorists” wanted inside and outside the country (according to Zionist standards as well). Then we confirmed this in our national documents, and we abolished from the Charter the articles related to the liberation of historic Palestine and the armed struggle.

There is nothing wrong with our opinions differing about a project or agreement, but what is more important is how the differences are resolved. Everyone knows and has read how matters were decided to pass this agreement through pressure, intimidation and deception. The negotiating track was kept secret, even from the Palestinian delegation negotiating on our behalf in Washington, headed by Dr. Haider Abdel Shafi. The agreement was announced days before it was signed, shocking many leaders and followers. Whoever follows the history of that period or reads the memoirs of those who participated in it, such as Abu Alaa Qurei, Abu Mazen, Mamdouh Nofal, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, and others, will notice that - even if in retrospect - they admit that they underestimated the extremist Israeli position and the possibility of causing a displacement in it.

In such situations, if we were faced with a leadership that cared about its people and their opinion, and was concerned with strengthening the agreement nationally, the decision should have been taken through a comprehensive popular referendum at home and abroad, or through real representative institutions, and not through a theatrical claim to democracy, which in reality is farcical and absurd.

3. “Oslo” opened the door to all “political calamities” whether at the national, Arab or Islamic levels
It is true that there was the Egyptian Camp David Accords and secret Arab contacts with the entity, but all of these did not give the entity any legitimacy or rights, especially regarding the Palestinian file. The Camp David Agreement only solved the Egyptian problem and did not impose any conditions on us. Until this agreement, it remained confined within an elite political framework, and the relationship with the entity continued at the popular, partisan, academic, and elite levels as a crime and a political taboo.

Before Oslo, none of the Arabs dared to recognize the entity, and the number of countries around the world that recognized the PLO exceeded the number of countries that recognized the entity. We cannot resist normalization, condemn it, and warn of its dangers during the day, and then communicate with the Zionists at night and do things that are considered forbidden. We will not expect everyone to stop communicating with the entity and searching for ways of rapprochement with it. Simply put, “no one will be more royal than the king.”

4. Oslo, like all international agreements, will practically not be binding if it is not based on a force on the ground that guarantees its implementation. At the international level, our allies were unable to support us in the face of Zionist arrogance and American bias. More than one theoretical statement did not prevent practical steps on the ground that destroyed the Palestinian national project. As for our opponents or the enemy’s allies, they provided him with all political and material support to complete his political project and erase the Palestinian issue.

Is it possible that our naivety would lead us to hand over the solution papers to the Americans? While they are the exclusive sponsor and greatest protector of the entity, whoever reads the memoirs of the negotiations realizes that the American delegations - most of whom were Zionist Jews - were more extremist than some of the Zionists, and this is what many who lived through this period mentioned, even Yasser Arafat “Abu Ammar” - may God have mercy on him. He refused to meet the American envoy Dennis Ross, or was harsh on him when he met him, considering that his behavior was more Zionist than the Zionists.

International relations are the “management of power,” and there is no place in this jungle for values, morals, and even law, except for what serves their interests. Where were the values and laws when Iraq was invaded and destroyed? Or in Afghanistan? Or Somalia? Or Syria? Or conspiring against the Arab Spring revolutions, which were a cry from peoples demanding the freedom, dignity, and democracy that America promotes everywhere?

5. The occupation killed “Oslo” and the illusions and mirages that were built on it
The occupation killed the Oslo Accords before they could begin, using all available tools. It began when their extremists committed a massacre in the Tomb of the Patriarchs by Baruch Goldstein in February 1994, a few months after the signing of the agreement. The tragedy did not stop until the assassination of the agreement's signatory, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in November 1995. In addition, the occupation leadership established a legal and political situation that made it impossible for the Palestinians to build an independent political entity, or achieve any of the basic goals, such as the return of refugees. The leadership worked to ensure that this emerging entity would remain linked to the occupation, and could be eliminated if its harms exceeded its benefits.

Even the late Abu Ammar - may God have mercy on him - who signed the agreement with them faced a siege, and was eliminated when he became an obstacle to the project, and he began attempts to change its course. Hence, it was not surprising to see a scene in which armed young men from the Palestinian security services appeared surrounding occupation cars to ensure their safe exit from inside the cities in the occupied West Bank. Despite the shock caused by this scene, we may witness more dangerous and humiliating events in the coming days. In other words, "Israel" and its allies, especially the United States of America, will continue their efforts until a force similar to the "Lahad Army" is formed.

6. “Oslo” aborted the first Palestinian intifada and paved the way for the occupation.
In practice, before Oslo, our Palestinian people were leading a comprehensive intifada that confused the occupation’s calculations, shuffled its cards, and pushed it into a corner internally and externally, but today our people are divided; Not only between Gaza and the West Bank, but our people in the West Bank live in cantons isolated from each other.

Before Oslo, the number of settlers did not exceed 100 thousand settlers at the highest estimate, and now there are about 600 thousand settlers at the lowest estimate, and in the same proportion the areas controlled by the settlements have doubled.

East Jerusalem is being Judaized in full swing and its Palestinian residents are being expelled, and there are plans to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque temporally and spatially on the path to full control in preparation for building the Temple.

Wealth is stolen, capabilities are plundered, security is lost, homes are demolished, poverty is widespread, and unemployment is constantly rising. In short, the most extreme Zionist leadership is seriously implementing its plans to resolve the conflict in its favor.

7. “Oslo”: imaginary benefits granted in exchange for disastrous concessions
Some may talk about the benefits of Oslo, and what it achieved in terms of the return of some of our people to their homeland, or the presence of the leadership on solid ground inside the homeland from which they would set out to complete the march, especially in light of the international situation at the time, after the destruction of Iraq in the First Gulf War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the exclusivity of the United States. United to rule the world.

Even if what is said is partially true, without going into the details of the discussion at that stage, we say in brief: “Whoever cannot marry through legitimate means does not have the right to be considered fornication, regardless of its justifications.” Likewise, in our case, some benefits do not justify giving up the inherent rights of the Palestinian people, most notably their right to self-determination, their right to their land, their sanctities, and their right to return.

This is an urgent and brief assessment of this national disaster, and there is no room for more than that, but the most important question is: What next?

There is no solution from our point of view except to repudiate this disastrous agreement, return to the people and unite with them, and rebuild the inclusive national institutions so that they are representative of everyone without exception. It is also necessary to agree on a comprehensive national path that is agreed upon, approved by all sectors of our people at home and abroad, and at the same time, external interference must be neutralized as much as possible.

As an intermediate step, until the institutional reform project is completed, a temporary national leadership can be adopted that represents the national whole and will be the decision-maker. Perhaps the formula of general secretaries is an appropriate formula, if it is activated and institutionalized and not left to the rule of the individual or party that may control it.

This path, which can be called the “National Rescue Plan,” is the way to protect our national project, and no one on the face of the earth can go beyond this cohesive national situation based on legitimate rights.

On Monday morning, an Israeli security force wounded a young Palestinian man at the Al-Mazmoria checkpoint near occupied Jerusalem.

Israeli security sources claimed that the young man attempted to carry out a stabbing attack and was shot, without clarifying his health condition.

On Monday morning, Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished a house and facilities in the town of Furush Beit Dajan, east of Nablus.

According to local sources, these forces stormed the area and began demolishing the house of Samir Haj Muhammad, and also demolished facilities in the area under the pretext of building without a permit.

According to a new World Bank report, the Palestinian economy is expected to continue to operate well below its potential, and the growth rate is expected to reach about 3%. In light of population growth trends, the growth of per capita income is expected to stop, which will negatively affect Living standards. In addition, a range of financial obstacles and restrictions imposed by Israel impede access to healthcare services, negatively affecting the population, especially in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Economic Monitoring Report entitled “A Race Against Time” will be presented to the Special Liaison Committee, a policy meeting on the coordination of development assistance to the Palestinian people, in New York on 20 September 2023.

The report highlights the economic challenges facing the Palestinian territories, and also describes the obstacles affecting health services.

In this regard, Stefan Emblad, Director and Resident Representative of the World Bank in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, says, “The Palestinian economy has been suffering essentially from stagnation over the past five years, and it is not expected to improve unless policies on the ground change, and the Palestinian territories have participated in a union.” De facto customs duties with Israel have been in place for thirty years, but contrary to what was expected when the relevant agreements were signed, the disparity between economists has continued to widen, as the level of per capita income in Israel has become 14-15 times greater than the per capita income in the Palestinian territories. Poverty rates are very high, and approximately out of every 4 Palestinians, one Palestinian lives below the poverty line.”

“Our report reminds all parties of the urgent need to work to stimulate per capita growth and consolidate public finances,” Emblad added.

The Palestinian economy still faces high risks, in light of a complex system, due to Israeli restrictions on movement and trade in the West Bank, a quasi-siege of the Gaza Strip, an internal division between the West Bank and Gaza, severe restrictions on public finances, an incomplete reform program for the Palestinian Authority, and a decline in Foreign aid over many years.

During the year, public revenues increased significantly; However, expenses also continued to increase, mainly because of the rising wage bill for public sector workers.

Taking into account the partial implementation of recent agreements between the government and labor unions, and Israeli deductions from revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (known as “clearance revenues”) amounting to approximately $256 million, as well as donor contributions, the deficit is expected to reach $493 million. $ in 2023, or 2.5% of GDP. If agreements with practical unions are fully implemented, the deficit will increase, reaching 2.7% of GDP.

The main concern in this context is that financing options are becoming increasingly limited, and the deficit is expected to continue to be financed through arrears owed to private sector suppliers, the Public Pension Fund, and public employees (who already receive only 80-85% of their wages Since late 2021).

The continued accumulation of additional arrears - in the long term - affects market liquidity and can ultimately stifle economic activity, with devastating effects on poverty levels and social stability.

Reform efforts by the Palestinian Authority are necessary, but not sufficient, to achieve the much-needed growth and sustainability of public finances. It is also important to obtain more financial support from donors, in addition to the need for increased cooperation on the part of the Israeli government, and this cooperation includes transferring collected revenues. From Israeli companies operating in Area C to the Palestinian Authority, transferring the value-added tax on trade between Israel and Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, fully implementing the electronic clearing system for value-added tax by adopting legislation to implement this system, and increasing transparency in clearing revenue deductions.

Emblad added, “The constraints on public finances are weighing heavily on the Palestinian health system, especially on its ability to deal with the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, and many of the obstacles that prevent the provision of health care have made the system of external medical referrals for treatment in non-Palestinian hospitals practical.” complex, negatively affected by restrictions on the movement of Palestinian patients, and a time-consuming bureaucratic permit system, which often makes it very difficult to provide adequate or life-saving health care in a timely manner.”

Significant financial and administrative constraints restrict the system of timely external medical referrals for the treatment of cancers, heart diseases, and maternal and child health conditions, for which treatment is not available in public hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Israeli occupation, the fragmentation of the Palestinian territories, and the broader macroeconomic and fiscal context as defined above have had a significant impact on the ability of the Palestinian health care system to provide these services in public hospitals.

The situation is considered very critical in Gaza, which suffers from an increasingly limited capacity of the health system, especially the struggle of patients to obtain the necessary medical exit permits on time, and the procedures for external medical referrals pass through a complex system, in terms of the flow of patient numbers and financial flows.

About 42,000 applications for permits are submitted each year by patients alone (ie, excluding companions), and the vast majority of patients require permits from Israel to obtain an external medical referral service.

The approval rate for these authorizations varies from year to year, and the same patient may be refused, delayed or accepted at different stages of the continuum of care, demonstrating the somewhat arbitrary nature of the evaluation process.

Figures taken from research show that the quasi-siege imposed on Gaza had a negative impact on the mortality rate, as some patients died before completing the procedures for obtaining permits.

Due to the high prices charged by private hospitals and hospitals affiliated with civil society associations, the external medical referral system accounts for a large share of the expenses of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, resulting in increased spending rates that are not sustainable, and this has an additional impact on public finances that are already under pressure.

The cost of this system is unlikely to be reduced in the near future, given the difficulty the Palestinian Authority faces in increasing available fiscal space and investing in building the capacity of public hospitals.

In addition, for referrals to Israeli hospitals, the Ministry of Health does not control prices, and costs are deducted from clearing revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority, not to mention limited transparency and reporting at the case or patient level.

This report emphasizes the importance of strengthening coordination between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, with the aim of improving the management of these cases, especially facilitating and accelerating the pace of procedures for obtaining permits, to improve service for patients and companions in a timely manner, facilitating the entry of medical equipment, especially into the Gaza Strip, and increasing price transparency.

At dawn on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the demonstrators participating in protest demonstrations against his government’s steps regarding what is known as “judicial legislation” of “cooperating with Israel’s enemies, such as Iran and the Palestine Liberation Organization.”

Netanyahu's statements came as he left Lod Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, heading to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly meetings, where his visit will take place for several days amid heavy security due to demonstrations that will be organized by American Jews against him.

He considered that organizing demonstrations inside and outside Israel was aimed at destroying its reputation, considering that it was not a normal matter to organize such demonstrations in front of the United Nations headquarters, and that he did not do that when he was in the opposition. like he said.

He said: "All of this will not prevent me from representing Israel brilliantly and in the best way for all its citizens."

He indicated that during his stay in New York, he will meet with many world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, and will discuss with him issues related to expanding normalization and what he described as “Iranian aggression” in the region.

He will also meet in California with Elon Musk to discuss the issue of artificial intelligence with him and bring investments in it to Israel.

Netanyahu's statements about the demonstrators angered the Israeli opposition as well as those organizing the demonstrations, and they described him as a "dictator" and that his statements deserved all condemnation.

President Mahmoud Abbas met today, Monday, with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York.

President Abbas briefed President Tebboune on the latest political developments related to the Palestinian issue, and on the occupation’s practices and aggression against the Palestinian people, which undermine the chances of peace and the two-state solution.

The President discussed with his Algerian counterpart ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples, in addition to many international and regional issues of common interest, appreciating Algeria’s positions in support of the Palestinian cause in all international forums.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Abbas said: I was honored to meet my brother, His Excellency President Tebboune, and we have met more than once, and we talked about all the issues that concern the two countries and the two peoples, as well as the Palestinian issue, on which we know Algeria’s position historically, and I say frankly that Algeria, historically and from time immemorial, has stood for Side with the Palestinian people and support them, whether they are unjust or oppressed, and this slogan that was raised in Algeria one day is still applied to this day. Algeria supports the Palestinian people under any circumstances and supports them. We know this, and we confirm that we did not protest anything unless Algeria was the first to provide it. For the Palestinian people.

President Abbas thanked Algeria for its firm and supportive positions on the State of Palestine and its people, and for its blessed efforts in the issue of national reconciliation.

For his part, the Algerian President affirmed his country's position in support of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people until they achieve their legitimate rights to freedom and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.