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.

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

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

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

On Sunday evening, the revolutionary artist Hussein Al-Mundhir died inside Hisham Sinan Hospital in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Hussein Al-Mundhir was born in Baalbek. He is a Lebanese artist and leader of the Palestinian Lovers Songs band, which is famous for its Palestinian national and traditional songs.

He sang for Palestine, putting his vocal imprint on more than 300 patriotic songs, and among his most famous songs are: From Akka Prison, A Funeral Talaat, and Ya Rising on the Mountains of Fire.

The young man, Majdi Ghabayen, was martyred this Sunday evening, as a result of his injury in the explosion that occurred on the eastern border of Gaza City a few days ago.

Ghabayen was critically injured as a result of the explosion, as a result of which 5 young men were killed, and a number of others were injured to varying degrees.

Thousands of Israelis participated, on Sunday evening, in the weekly demonstration against the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, due to its continuation and push through what is known as “judicial legislation,” which aims to weaken the judicial system.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the demonstrators marched in several streets in the city of Tel Aviv, which witnessed the central march, towards Kaplan Street.

The protesters decided to organize demonstrations to obstruct Netanyahu's trip to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday and Sunday in Malta, in light of a tense atmosphere between the two major powers.

"The two sides held frank, substantive, and constructive discussions," the White House said in a statement. The Maltese authorities confirmed that the meeting took place.

A senior US administration official, who did not want to reveal her identity, explained that the meeting lasted 12 hours over two days, noting that the last similar meeting at this level took place last May.

US President Joe Biden at the time expected a "movement" in the bilateral relationship after it deteriorated in February following the flight of a Chinese balloon in the airspace of the United States.

The official added to reporters that during his meeting with the Chinese minister, Jake Sullivan stressed that "the United States and China are engaged in a competition, but the United States does not seek conflict or confrontation."

For its part, Beijing reported that "Wang Yi stressed that the Taiwan issue is the first red line that should not be crossed in Sino-American relations."

According to the American official, Sullivan reiterated that the United States “does not support” the independence of the island, which China considers an integral part of its territory, but at the same time it does not want “a unilateral change to the status quo” either by the Taiwanese or the Chinese.

This White House source added that China and the United States “also committed to holding consultations” in some areas, especially regarding “developments at the political and security levels in Asia-Pacific.”

Communication between military officials in the two countries did not resume after Beijing cut it off in August 2022 following a visit by former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

But the American official stated that the Americans have “weak and limited indicators” that show that the Chinese “may be interested” in a possible resumption of this type of communication.

However, it did not comment on speculation about a separate meeting between Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during the upcoming APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in mid-November in San Francisco, California.

Tensions escalated between Beijing and Washington in February due to the flying of Chinese balloons in American airspace, which the United States considered an espionage attempt.

Trade disputes, Chinese expansion in the South China Sea, and the issue of the island of Taiwan remain the most prominent controversial items between the two parties.

Beijing does not look with satisfaction at the active American diplomacy in Asia, which has recently emerged by strengthening the relationship between the United States and Vietnam, for example, nor at Joe Biden's repeated comments about the economic and demographic weaknesses of the Asian giant.

The Free Movement, an alliance of liberal opposition parties in Egypt, announced on Sunday that it would not nominate a candidate for the presidential elections scheduled for next spring, after its Secretary-General, Hisham Qassem, was sentenced to six months in prison.

On Saturday, the Egyptian Economic Court issued a six-month prison sentence against publisher Hisham Qassem, Secretary-General of the opposition Free Movement, which effectively prevents him from participating in the electoral campaign for the upcoming presidential elections.

His lawyer, Nasser Amin, said that the rulings have been appealed and a hearing has been set for October 7.

The Free Movement said in a statement on Sunday that Qasim (64 years old) “was a potential presidential candidate if basic electoral guarantees were available.”

He announced, "temporarily suspending all his political participation, and not running a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections," pointing out that "the political atmosphere will not allow for freedom, integrity, and fairness of elections, without which the current regime becomes the competitor and arbiter, and the results become decided in advance."

On the eve of Qasim’s sentencing, the only opposition figure who announced his intention to run in the presidential elections, Ahmed Al-Tantawi, revealed that his phone had been under surveillance since September 2021, after the Citizen Lab Center at the University of Toronto revealed that an electronic spying system had been designated to monitor his phone.

Al-Tantawi affirmed his "determination" to continue his campaign despite the doubling of "the rate and seriousness of the illegal and immoral actions carried out by the security services against his campaign."

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi intends to nominate himself again, although he has not officially announced this yet.

Al-Sisi has been in power for about ten years after the army ousted the late Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt includes thousands of political prisoners and ranks 134 out of 140 on a list drawn up by the World Justice Project Center to classify countries according to their respect for the rules of the rule of law.

This evening, Sunday, dozens of settlers attempted to seize a large area of citizens’ lands in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, under the protection of the occupation forces.

According to local sources, the settlers placed barbed wire around approximately 50 dunams, belonging to the Hathlin and Zein families, adjacent to the “Karmiel” settlement, in an attempt to seize it with the aim of expanding the settlement.

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On Sunday, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the deliberate targeting by occupation soldiers of fellow Palestinian journalists during their coverage of marches in the eastern Gaza Strip.

The union expressed its condemnation of the direct targeting of fellow journalists for the second time while they were performing their professional duty to cover the marches on the border. The deliberate targeting led to the injury of three journalists, namely fellow photographer Fadi Al-Danaf, photographer Bilal Al-Sabbaa, and colleague Mustafa Hassouna.

The union stressed the need to stop all these attacks and persecutions launched by the occupation forces against journalists. To try to prevent media coverage of the occupation’s crimes, and the direct targeting of civilians and youth on the border.

The Journalists Syndicate called on the International Federation of Journalists and all international institutions concerned with freedom of journalistic work to clearly reject and condemn the occupation practices.

A fisherman and his son were injured, Sunday evening, by Israeli occupation forces’ bullets in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the Union of Fishermen's Committees, fisherman Mazen Harb and his son were injured while working in the Rafah Sea.

A U.N. conference voted Sunday to list prehistoric ruins near the ancient West Bank city of Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine, a decision likely to anger Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state.

The French Channel24 reported that, Jericho is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on earth, and is in a part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank that is administered by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. The listing refers to the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site nearby, which contains prehistoric ruins dating back to the ninth millennium B.C. and is outside the ancient city itself.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the U.N. World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.

Israel quit UNESCO in 2019, accusing it of being biased against it and of diminishing its connection to the Holy Land. Israel also objected to UNESCO's acceptance of Palestine as a member state in 2011. But Israel remains a party to the World Heritage Convention, and it sent a delegation to the meeting in Riyadh.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. Israel views the West Bank as the biblical and cultural heartland of the Jewish people.

There have been no serious or substantive peace negotiations in over a decade, and Israel is currently led by the most nationalist and religious government in its history, making any move toward Palestinian statehood nearly unimaginable.

The modern city of Jericho is a major draw for tourism to the Palestinian territories, both because of its historical sites and proximity to the Dead Sea. In 2021, the Palestinian Authority unveiled major renovations to one of the largest mosaics in the Middle East, in a Jericho palace dating back to the 8th century.

Tell es-Sultan, an oval-shaped mound, contains evidence of one of humanity's first-known villages and an important Bronze-Age town dating back to 2600 B.C. It is around 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the remains of the first city of Jericho, which contains ruins of importance to Jewish history, including a synagogue dating back to the first century B.C.

UNESCO, which refers to the site as Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan, took pains to clarify that the two are distinct.

“The property proposed for nomination is the prehistoric archaeological site of Tell es-Sultan located outside the antique site of Jericho,” Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO's assistant director general, said during the meeting to discuss the site.

“Later historical developments, which span over millennia and are demonstrated by material remains beyond the boundaries of Tell as-Sultan, constitute a rich cultural context, worth of historical interest and preservation, covering among others, Jewish and Christian heritage. However, this is not the focus of the proposed nomination.”

Historical heritage has long been among the many flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides using archaeology and conservation to demonstrate what they say is their own unique connection to the Holy Land.

The Palestinian Authority, recognized a decade ago by the United Nations as a nonmember observer state, welcomed the designation of Tell es-Sultan.

President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that it “testifies to the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people," adding that “the state of Palestine is committed to preserving this unique site for the benefit of mankind.”

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Paris-based UNESCO began the World Heritage List in 1978. It includes a broad array of over 1,000 sites — from the Acropolis in Athens to the Great Wall of China — nominated by their respective nations.

On Sunday evening, dozens of settlers attacked the town of Qasra, south of Nablus.

According to local sources, settlers from the “Yesh Kodesh” outpost, established on citizens’ lands, attacked the southern-eastern side of the town, and the residents confronted them amid the outbreak of confrontations.

On Sunday, Jordan called on Israel to stop all practices and “violations” against Al-Aqsa Mosque, hours after it was “stormed” by numbers of Israeli settlers.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in a statement “the extremists’ storming today of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/the Holy Mosque and their provocative practices under the protection of the Israeli police, which represents a violation of the historical and legal status quo in the mosque and a violation of the sanctity of the holy places.”

The Ministry's official spokesman, Ambassador Sinan Al-Majali, called on "Israel, as the occupying power, to stop all practices and violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque and respect its sanctity."

Al-Majali warned against the continuation of these "violations" and stressed the need to respect the authority of the Jerusalem Endowments Administration and the affairs of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, as it has exclusive jurisdiction to manage the affairs of the mosque and regulate entry to it.

The official spokesman reiterated that Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 dunums, is a pure place of worship for Muslims.

Earlier today, large numbers of settlers entered Al-Aqsa Mosque in successive groups from the direction of the Mughrabi Gate, and performed religious prayers in its courtyards under the protection of Israeli police forces, according to a statement by the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem.

This morning, the Old City of Jerusalem witnessed a state of tension in light of strict measures imposed by the Israeli police coinciding with the celebrations of the Hebrew New Year, according to what official Palestinian sources reported.

Jordan supervises the management of Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city of Jerusalem in accordance with the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty signed between the two sides in 1994.

On Sunday evening, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Arraba, south of Jenin, and detained three young men.

According to local sources, these forces stormed the town, detained three young men, set up two checkpoints at its entrances, and stopped citizens’ vehicles and searched them.

A number of citizens were injured, Sunday evening, after the Israeli occupation forces suppressed a march on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip.

According to local sources, journalists Fadi Al-Danaf and Bilal Al-Sabbagh were injured by a gas bomb in the foot, while others suffered from suffocation.

The occupation soldiers, stationed inside their positions and military vehicles, used live bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, and gas bombs against the “rebellious youth.”

Dozens of young men demonstrated on the eastern border in protest against the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by settlers, protected by the occupation police, to commemorate the so-called "Hebrew New Year."

The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, arrived this Sunday evening in New York to participate in the work of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, coming from the Cuban capital, Havana.

Next Thursday, the twenty-first of September, President Abbas is scheduled to deliver a speech before the United Nations General Assembly.

On the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Abbas will meet with many world leaders.

The work of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly will begin tomorrow evening, Monday, the eighteenth of September, and will conclude its work with a high-level plenary session on the 26th of the same month.