https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:13:14 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-a-single-acknowledgement-of-israeli-settler-terror-changes-nothing/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:08:12 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658832 For the first time, the US State Department has described the murder of a Palestinian — 19-year-old Qusai Jamal Matan — in the occupied West Bank as a "terror attack" by "Israeli extremist settlers". So far there has been no attempt by Washington to amend its statement. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller insisted yesterday that the statement clarified the US position on "extreme settler violence". This, presumably, leaves out the many other forms of violence inflicted by Israelis on Palestinians, since the US is clearly stating that not all settler violence should be considered to be equally serious. Within Israel, former Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar have been warning of an increase in Jewish settler […]]]> 658832 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-415-prominent-jewish-and-palestinian-academics-decry-israeli-apartheid/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 12:39:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658730 More than 400 prominent academics and public figures from Israel, Palestine and the Jewish community have united to sign an open letter that establishes a "direct link" between the Israeli government's ongoing judicial overhaul and its occupation of Palestinian territories. The letter, a resounding call to action, urges the Jewish community in the US to break its "silence" and engage in meaningful discourse. Railing against the controversial judicial overhaul, the letter says that the purpose of the proposal is "to tighten restrictions on Gaza, deprive Palestinians of equal rights both beyond the Green Line and within it, annex more land, and ethnically cleanse all territories under Israeli rule of their Palestinian population." Highlighting the critical importance of equal rights as a […]]]> 658730 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-heba-saadieh-palestines-first-world-cup-referee/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 12:23:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658724 READ: Moroccan women's football team progress to World Cup final 16]]> 658724 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-tunisia-bakeries-protest-ban-on-sale-of-subsidised-flour/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:59:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658720 Dozens of Tunisian workers and owners of modern bakeries staged a sit-in yesterday in front of the Ministry of Commerce in protest of a government decision to stop selling them subsidised flour, Anadolu news agency reported. The protesters called on the government to sell flour "justly" and rejected the "policy of cutting off the livelihoods" of bakery owners and workers. In statements to the media, Mohamed Jamali, president of the Association of Modern Bakeries, said: "We demand our right to work with dignity." "Our bakeries receive only a little government support while other bakeries take flour with 100 per cent support. The state's measures came to exclude us from the scene and force 18,000 workers into unemployment," he added. Modern bakeries are […]]]> 658720 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-aipac-led-us-delegation-raises-concerns-about-deadly-israeli-settler-violence/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:51:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658712 A delegation of Democratic Members of the US Congress in Israel this week on an AIPAC-sponsored visit voiced concerns over settler violence against Palestinians during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is leading the delegation, told reporters in Jerusalem of the concerns in the US about the escalation of deadly violence against Palestinians by illegal Jewish settlers. The visit comes three days after a "Jewish terrorist" shot and killed a young Palestinian near the village of Burqa in the occupied West Bank. The US State Department described the incident as a "terror attack". However, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose party has been described as the political wing of […]]]> 658712 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-syria-regime-tortured-to-death-returning-displaced-person-in-aleppo/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:32:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658710 The Syrian Network for Human Rights accused the Syrian regime on Monday of arresting and torturing to death a displaced person after he had returned to his home in the regime-held areas in Aleppo. Muhammad Abdul Rahman Majo, from the Khan Al-Assal neighbourhood, had been displaced to Atarib, which is controlled by anti-regime forces. He returned to Aleppo in May to settle his security situation and live in his house. However, on 15 June, security agents arrested him there. According to the human rights group, no arrest warrant issued by a court or the public prosecutor was presented, and none of his relatives were notified of his arrest. The young man was taken to a detention centre in Damascus and […]]]> 658710 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-iraq-water-reserves-at-lowest-in-history-says-ministry/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:30:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658708 Iraq's water reserves are at the "lowest" in the country's history, a spokesman for the Water Resources Ministry was quoted as saying yesterday, having reduced to almost half of last year's amount. "Current water reserves in Iraq are the lowest in the history of the country, and are 50 per cent of last year," spokesman Khaled Shamal told Rudaw. Shamal also revealed that the amount of water flowing into Iraq through the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is lower than the amount being released by the retention dams on both waterways. The Mosul dam on the Tigris River receives 275 cubic metres of water per second (mcps) but releases 400 mcps, while the Haditha dam on the Euphrates River releases 200 mcps […]]]> 658708 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-growing-gazas-anti-cancer-fruits/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:21:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658705 Palestinian Aed Abu Ramadan inspects his dragon fruit plants daily as the time of harvest is here. Though the fruit is not native to the besieged Gaza Strip, Aed has cultivated it and seen it flourish in spite of the difficulties faced by farmers in the enclave. Aed's nurseries have been bombed by the Israeli occupation forces and Israeli nurseries have refused to sell him seedlings to help his business. While the siege imposed on Gaza means he is unable to export the fruit to regional markets. "The success of dragon fruit cultivation represents a victory over all of the above, and confirms the ability of the Palestinian farmer to defy the odds despite all the obstacles that the occupation puts before us […]]]> 658705 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-netanyahu-calls-to-produce-and-use-a-credible-military-threat-against-iran/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:19:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658694 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that, the "most important thing" is to produce a "credible" military threat against Iran, Anadolu has reported. Netanyahu told a US Democratic Congressional delegation, organised by pro-Israel lobbyists and led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and AIPAC President Michael Tuchin that, "The other thing is to use it." Israel and Iran are arch enemies. However, while Israel is doing all it can to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear power for civilian use, never mind nuclear weapons, according to Western intelligence reports it possesses a large nuclear arsenal of its own, which it refuses to let the international community monitor. "We don't want a world in which Iran can threaten New […]]]> 658694 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-zelenskyy-peace-plan-fails-to-secure-consensus-in-jeddah-talks/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:15:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658691 Participants in the Jeddah peace talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war did not reach a consensus on the ten-point peace plan put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Anadolu has reported. According to the head of Zelenskyy's office, the participants agreed to hold another meeting for political advisors within six weeks. "The meeting did not discuss any peace initiatives other than the Kyiv initiative," Andriy Yermak told reporters in the Ukrainian capital. He pointed out that all of the countries represented at the meeting expressed full support for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Ukrainian official added that a framework document will be drafted for adoption by a future peace summit. The international meeting on Ukraine was […]]]> 658691 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-us-activists-call-for-blacklisting-of-israeli-settler-hilltop-youths/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:10:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658681 American activists have called for their government to blacklist the radical Jewish settler gangs known as "Hilltop Youths", which are backed by the Israeli government, Maan News Agency reported on Monday. The activists called for the US administration to add the gangs to the list of terrorist entities. The call has been made amidst an escalation of settler violence against the Palestinians as settlement expansion is intensified and settlers become more aggressive against non-Jews and their property. Some of the settler attacks are deadly. The latest was the killing of an unarmed Palestinian youth in the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah on Friday. According to Maan, the activists blame the Israeli occupation government for the settler violence because it […]]]> 658681 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-the-uncomfortable-truth-about-ain-al-hilweh-the-capital-of-palestinian-shatat-and-agony/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:56:48 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658643 The Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon is known as the "capital of Palestinian shatat". The term might not stir many emotions among those who do not fully understand, let alone experience the harrowing existence of ethnic cleansing and perpetual exile, and the tremendous violence which followed. 'Shatat' is translated roughly as "exile" or "diaspora". However, the meaning is much more complex. It can only be understood through lived experience. Even then, it is still not easy to communicate. Perhaps, the Kafkaesque blocks of concrete, zinc and rubble, towered one on top of another and serving as "temporary shelters" for tens of thousands of people, tell a small part of the story. Violence in the extremely crowded Palestinian camp […]]]> 658643 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-israel-settlers-protest-building-palestinian-homes-in-west-bank/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:49:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658683 Dozens of Israeli Jewish settlers yesterday gathered to protest against the construction of Palestinian homes east of the illegal Jewish-only settlement of Gush Etzion, Akka news website reported. According to Israel Hayom, Palestinians had permission from the Israeli occupation authorities to build five homes in the area. Gush Etzion is a group of illegal Jewish-only settlements located south of Jerusalem, between the occupied West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron. It is home to about 40,000 illegal Israeli Jewish setters The settlers highlighted an expected alleged threat on their life if Palestinians reside in the area. More than 670,000 illegal Israeli Jewish settlers live in illegal Jewish-only settlements built in the occupied West Bank. WATCH: Israeli settler violence rocks the West Bank]]> 658683 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-israel-refuses-to-release-palestinian-prisoner-who-served-his-sentence/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:27:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658678 Israel's Lod District Court refused to release sick Palestinian prisoner Walid Daqqa despite his serious health condition and despite the fact he has served the sentence handed to him, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported yesterday. Daqqa has been in prison since 1986. He is suffering from a rare type of cancer and has had his repeated requests for parole denied. He completed his 37-year prison term on 24 March, but the Israeli occupation authorities added two years to his term in 2018 over claims he helped other prisoners make phone calls to their families. Daqqa's family said his continued incarceration is a death sentence. READ: Paralysed Palestinian prisoner at brink of death in Israel's jails, rights groups warn]]> 658678 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-sudan-dozens-forced-to-flee-homes-in-omdurman-amid-violent-clashes/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:16:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658675 Dozens of Sudanese people fled their homes yesterday in the Abu Rouf residential area of Omdurman, a suburb west of Greater Khartoum, to escape the fighting between the Sudanese army and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia group. A resident of Abu Rouf told AFP that the area witnessed the "most violent" clashes "to date". "The army's artillery and warplanes are bombing the Shambat Bridge [which connects Omdurman and Bahri, north of Khartoum] to stop the RSF supply roads," he said. As a result, the Armed Forces ordered all homes be evacuated and an "operations area" was declared. The Resistance Committees called on "all residents of the nearby neighbourhoods to support the people of Abu Rouf" who had been forced out […]]]> 658675 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-rights-group-accuses-egypt-of-disappearing-2-men-detained-in-bahrain/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:33:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658671 Their Right, a human rights organisation which specialises in defending prisoners of conscience in Egypt, yesterday accused the Egyptian authorities of disappearing two citizens who were detained in Bahrain and deported. The organisation posted on Facebook that Al-Sayyed Al-Ajez and Muhammad Al-Iraqi, both Egyptian citizens, were detained in Bahrain and forcibly deported to Egypt, but were not presented to the public prosecution, and their current whereabouts are unknown. Earlier, Egyptian human rights organisations said the Bahraini authorities had arrested the two Egyptian citizens on political grounds, although they had been legally residing in the country for eight years. Fifty-nine-year-old Al-Sayyed Al-Ajez, a father of eight who hails from Dakahlia Governorate, was arrested on 2 August over a 2014 judicial order […]]]> 658671 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-mp-warns-against-law-granting-israelis-right-to-own-land-in-jordan/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:14:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658669 Jordanian MP Saleh Al-Armouti yesterday warned against amending the real estate property bill to give Israelis the right to buy land in Jordan as investors, Quds Press reported. Speaking to the news site, Al-Armouti said that this law may lead to state land being handed to Zionist firms or figures who hold foreign passports without sufficient checks being made. "This is dangerous," he said, "and it will give Zionists a chance to own land in the kingdom," recalling previous Zionist attempts to own land in Wadi Musa and Wadi Araba. If this happens, he explained, their ambitions may expand to points beyond this "as there are Zionist voices who claim rights to Jordanian lands." OPINION: What remains of Jordan's special role in […]]]> 658669 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-a-van-cat-for-every-home-saves-the-breed-from-extinction/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:05:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658647 Purebred cats are often hard to find, especially in countries like Turkiye where the stray cat population is high, and interbreeding is commonplace. But for the people behind 'A Van cat for every home project', this is a serious issue which needs to be addressed to stop the unique Van breed of cats from becoming extinct. Van cats are distinctive in their look, with their white, fluffy coat and startling eyes; often one amber and one blue. These traits are being preserved through a breeding programme run by the Van Cat Research and Application Centre within Van Yuzuncu Yil University. Cats are bred and then rehomed as part of the scheme, with 100 finding families annually. Each is microchipped, vaccinated […]]]> 658647 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-pa-security-forces-continue-detention-of-palestinian-fighters/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:43:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658641 The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues detaining Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank, including Islamic Jihad members and leaders, Islamic Jihad in Palestine (IJP) said yesterday. In a press release, the IJP said that the PA security services raided homes of several of its leaders and members in Hebron. "This is part of a wide detention campaign targeting IJP fighters across the occupied West Bank," the movement said in the press release, describing the detention campaigns "as brutal as those carried out by the Israeli occupation." Meanwhile, the IJP said that two of its fighters have been on hunger strike for ten days in protest against their "harsh detention conditions in Jericho slaughterhouse," where they have been suffering since July. A large number of IJP members have […]]]> 658641 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-israeli-settler-violence-rocks-the-west-bank/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:36:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658635 READ: Palestinian teen, 17, dies after being shot by Israel settler ]]> 658635 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-netanyahu-normalisation-with-saudi-not-linked-to-creation-of-palestinian-state/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:31:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658632 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that reaching a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia is not conditional on creating a Palestinian state, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported Netanyahu saying that Israel and Saudi Arabia will deepen economic and business ties even if they don't formally recognise each other. Netanyahu said he is confident he can strike a deal with the Saudis under which the countries have official diplomatic relations. Without one, the two can still build an "economic corridor" running from the Arabian Peninsula to Europe that encompasses energy, transport and communications technology, he explained. At the same time, Netanyahu implied that the Saudis are note specially concerned about what the Palestinians get out of a potential deal. "I think the Palestinian thing is brought […]]]> 658632 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-is-there-anything-new-on-turkiyes-path-towards-europe/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:16:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658629 As usual, Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan has made another political U-turn with his country's foreign policy. After stressing repeatedly just a few days before the NATO summit in Lithuania last month that Sweden has still not done all that is required of it to Turkiye's satisfaction as agreed (along with Finland) in June last year, and criticising the Swedes for allowing protesters to burn copies of the Holy Quran, Erdogan has agreed to proceed with the country joining NATO. Following a meeting between Erdogan, the Swedish Prime Minister and NATO's secretary-general, the organisation's closing statement included Turkiye's agreement to refer Sweden's NATO accession to the parliament in Ankara. In return, Sweden made certain commitments, including cooperation with Turkiye to […]]]> 658629 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-lebanon-sets-measures-to-stop-ain-al-hilweh-clashes-spreading-out-of-the-camp/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:59:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658625 Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said yesterday that measures have been taken to maintain security in Lebanon after clashes that broke out in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp last month and killed 11 people. Mawlawi said in a press conference that Lebanon is as concerned for the Arabs on Lebanese soil as it is for the Lebanese citizens, and security violations and the endangering of lives will not be tolerated. The head of the Federation of Tourism Syndicates in Lebanon, Pierre Al-Ashqar, said that nothing has changed after some foreign embassies had issued warnings over the past few days against their citizens travelling to Lebanon. OPINION: Who ignited Ain Al-Hilweh and why?]]> 658625 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-football-star-mohamed-salah-isnt-heading-for-saudi/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:50:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658622 Liverpool football player Mohamed Salah will not be transferred to the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, according to the Egyptian player's agent Rami Abbas. "If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn't have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC," Abbas wrote on Twitter yesterday after recent reports in the Saudi press that Al-Ittihad had offered the Egyptian international €180 million ($198 million) for two seasons, in addition to the £60 million ($77 million) that his club, Liverpool, would receive. The Egyptian football star has a contract with Liverpool that is valid until 2025; and is currently preparing for the start of the English Premier League season. Liverpool will not participate in the Champions League this season because it […]]]> 658622 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-israel-army-veteran-commits-suicide-day-after-his-former-comrade/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:46:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658618 An Israeli veteran from the Kfir Brigade committed suicide yesterday evening a day after his former comrade took his own life. Or Donio, from the Kfir Brigade, committed suicide a day after another Israeli army veteran, Bar Klaf, set himself on fire. Both veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their military service. Donio was awaiting recognition of the trauma he incurred while in the Israeli military. "He fought in the Kafir Brigade and participated in Operation Brother's Keeper," Donio's parents said. They went on to explain that despite waiting ten months following a request to be recognized as a disabled veteran, he had heard nothing from the Defence Ministry. 'Operation Brother's Keeper' was an 11-day Israeli […]]]> 658618 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-4-syrian-regime-soldiers-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-on-damascus/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:55:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658369 Four Syrian regime soldiers were killed in an Israeli airstrike near the capital Damascus early Monday, Syria's official media reported, says Anadolu Agency. Citing an anonymous Syrian military source, SANA said: "The Israeli enemy carried out an aerial act of aggression from the direction of occupied Syrian Golan, targeting some sites in Damascus." Four regime soldiers were killed and another four injured in the attack, SANA said, adding that the regime's air defense batteries downed some Israeli missiles. Israel has launched airstrikes on the regime's military sites and Iranian-backed groups since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011. READ: Israel detects missile attack attempt from Syria]]> 658369 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-market-prices-in-somalia-rise-after-black-sea-grain-deal-terminated/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:22:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658366 Market prices in Somalia increased after Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, reports Anadolu Agency. In Africa, 25 countries currently rely on Russia and Ukraine for over one-third of their imported wheat. In some countries, the dependency on external sources for grain has surpassed 90%. During the Russia-Africa Summit on July 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country will provide free grain to six African countries in the next three to four months. "We will be ready in the coming months, in the next three to four months, to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25,000-50,000 tons of grain free of charge. We will also provide free […]]]> 658366 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-1st-batch-of-migrants-in-uk-moved-to-bibby-stockholm-barge-more-expected/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:01:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658363 The first batch of UK asylum seekers has arrived on the Bibby Stockholm barge as more migrants are expected to move later Monday, reports Anadolu Agency. Video footage showed a bus with the migrants entering the port, although the exact number of arrivals is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, a number of people also gathered near the entrance of the port to protest the government's asylum policies, especially the barge plan. Carrying placards, the protesters chanted slogans: "'Refugees are welcome here,' 'No prison barge,' and 'Stop the far-right'." The British government's plan to start moving the first batch of 50 migrants to the barge, moored at Portland Port in Dorset in the country's southwest for three weeks, was delayed last […]]]> 658363 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uk-increases-fines-for-bosses-landlords-supporting-illegal-migrants/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:35:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658361 Fines in the UK will be more than tripled for employers and landlords who allow "illegal migrants" to work for them or rent their properties, the government announced on Monday, terming it the "biggest shake up" of civil penalties since 2014, reports Anadolu Agency. It is the latest attempt by the government to prevent asylum seekers crossing the English Channel on small boats. "The civil penalty for employers, which was last increased in 2014, will be raised to up to £45,000 ($57,400) per illegal worker for a first breach from £15,000 ($19,130), and up to £60,000 (some $76,500) for repeat breaches from £20,000 ($25,500)," the Home Office said in a statement. Meanwhile, fines will increase for landlords from £80 per […]]]> 658361 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-iranian-foreign-minister-meets-with-japanese-premier-kishida-in-tokyo/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:09:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658358 Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Monday and discussed bilateral cooperation as well as the Iran nuclear deal, reports Anadolu Agency. Amirabdollahian arrived in the Japanese capital on Sunday evening and is also scheduled to meet with senior government officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues. "As a supporter of the Iran nuclear deal, Japan is seriously concerned about the expansion of Iran's nuclear-related activities and requested full and unconditional cooperation in the joint statement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Kishida said in a statement released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He also urged Iran to respond in a "constructive" way. Earlier, the Iranian […]]]> 658358 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-the-director-of-the-palestinian-museum-reflects-on-her-years-in-charge/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:00:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658336 Duty and care are the words that would best describe the approach of Dr Adila Laidi-Hanieh towards the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit. She is stepping down as director of the museum at the end of this month, and we took the opportunity for her to reflect on her years in charge, changing the institution from the inside out. The museum is in a beautifully designed building which nestles in green terraces and overlooks the Mediterranean. It aims to represent the history and aspirations of the Palestinian people; explore their past and present; and reflect on their future. The flagship project of private foundation Taawon Welfare Association, the museum opened in 2016 and held its first on-site exhibition in 2017. However, […]]]> 658336 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-clashes-intensify-in-ethiopias-amhara-region-as-local-militia-challenges-military-control/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:40:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658354 The conflict in Ethiopia's Amhara region reached a critical point on Monday as Ethiopia's federal authorities acknowledge the loss of territories to militia fighters, reports Anadolu Agency. Fighting continued Monday between local militias and the military in the Amhara region. Both Bahir Dar, the regional capital, and the historic city of Gondar have become the epicenters of violent confrontations, leading to deep distress among the local population. The fighting in the Amhara region involves the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the Fano Militia. Clashes in the region started in April, triggered by the federal government's decision on April 11 to issue an integration order. The order aimed to merge security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions into the federal forces, […]]]> 658354 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-erdogan-palestinian-leaders-meeting-with-hamas-political-chief-in-turkiye-has-different-dimension/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:35:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658350 Palestinian president's meeting with Hamas political chief in Turkiye has a "different dimension," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, reiterating support for the Palestinian cause and the struggle of the Palestinian people, reports Anadolu Agency. "We hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara. On this occasion, we once again renewed our strong support for the Palestinian cause and the struggle of the Palestinian people," Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara. On July 27, Erdogan held a closed-door meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas group's political chief. "The meeting of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh, hosted by our country, added a different dimension to […]]]> 658350 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-us-ukraine-discuss-security-arrangements-saudi-arabia-peace-talks/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:28:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658347 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, over the phone, discussing recently held peace talks in Saudi Arabia, and "long-term security arrangements", reports Anadolu Agency. "The two discussed developments in Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts, recent conversations about a just and durable peace in Ukraine held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and long-term security arrangements between the two countries," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "The Secretary reiterated the United States' staunch and ongoing support of Ukraine's defense against Russia's aggression and reaffirmed continued support of a strong Ukrainian military and accountable defense institutions," Miller added. Talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Ukraine conflict concluded Sunday with the participants […]]]> 658347 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-quran-burnings-do-not-represent-sweden-says-swedish-fm/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:46:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658343 READ: Denmark studying legal measures to prevent Quran burning: Egyptian Foreign Ministry ]]> 658343 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-pakistan-abandons-gas-pipeline-project-with-iran-due-to-us-sanctions-threat/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:06:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658340 Pakistan has cancelled the building of its major gas pipeline with Iran due to the threat of economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The decision seemingly concludes around a decade of expectations for the project. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the country's Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Musadik Malik, said in written testimony to the National Assembly that, "Pakistan has issued a Force Majeure and Excusing Event notice to Iran under the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA), which resultantly suspends Pakistan's obligations under the GSPA." He confirmed that the pipeline – which aimed to supply 750 million cubic feet of gas per day to Pakistan from its western neighbour – "is stalled due to international sanctions on […]]]> 658340 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-to-incorporate-palestinian-americans-in-gaza-into-the-us-visa-waiver-pilot/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:00:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658338 Israel has followed the US' demand to allow American citizens residing in Gaza to travel via Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, as part of the continuous negotiations between Israel and the United States regarding Israel's inclusion in the visa waiver programme (VWP). According to Gil Bringer, Israel's VWP project manager, there are approximately 100 to 130 Palestinian Americans residing in Gaza. As part of the pilot programme, those who meet Israel's security criteria will be eligible to enter the country on "B2" tourist visas and depart from the main Ben Gurion Airport, reported Reuters. Israel will also grant Palestinian-Americans living in Gaza tourist visas allowing them to stay in Israel for three months. READ: Palestinian teen, 17, dies after being shot by […]]]> 658338 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-can-no-longer-rely-on-an-acquiescent-international-community/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:00:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658321 The Zionist state of Israel has been receiving preferable treatment and support from an acquiescent international community, mainly countries in the West which dominate international bodies and other countries around the world, even before it was created in occupied Palestine in 1948. Despite never declaring where its borders lie (so that it can continue to expand on stolen Palestinian land) and not even fulfilling a major condition of its membership the UN — allowing the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland — it is recognised as a full member of the international organisation. Most of its citizens are so uncertain about its viability that they maintain dual citizenship. Meanwhile, most countries of the world do not recognise the State […]]]> 658321 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-petition-to-bear-grylls-draws-900-in-support-of-scout-leader-expelled-on-anti-semitism-claims/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:39:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658333 A petition from expelled scout leader Pete Gregson to Chief Scout Bear Grylls has raised 900 signatures, just a month after it was launched on Change.Org. Gregson, treasurer of the 150th Craigalmond Scout Group, was expelled for being affiliated to the Campaign Against Bogus Antisemitism (CABA). He believes the Scouts appear to be working to the IHRA Definition of anti-Semitism which equates criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism, while Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta says: "Pete is in no way anti-Jewish." Gregson was expelled after a complaint was lodged because his number was used on a CABA Facebook page five years after the same number was published in a 2017 advert on behalf of the Scout Group seeking volunteers for the committee. […]]]> 658333 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uk-government-divided-over-labelling-irans-revolutionary-guards-terrorist-group/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:09:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658326 The UK government is divided over designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, the Financial Times has reported. Disagreement between Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on labelling Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group is said to be causing tension within the government. Braverman is increasingly alarmed by alleged plans of Iranian agents to target British citizens. However, Cleverly and officials at the Foreign Office are hesitant to classify the Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, fearing that such a move could be counterproductive. READ: UK security minister labels Iran-funded mosque a 'vile threat' to the country Labelling the armed force of another nation as terrorists is quite unusual for the UK, officials in the Foreign Office have argued. There are […]]]> 658326 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uae-bear-sedated-after-escaping-cargo-crate-from-iraqi-airways-plane/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:39:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658318 An Iraqi Airways plane travelling from Baghdad to Dubai was delayed on Friday, after a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold on Friday at Dubai International Airport. In a statement, Iraqi Airways said: "The company apologises to the passengers of the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company, regarding a shipment in the cargo hold." "Upon arrival to Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment," the airline said, adding that the animal was being transported in line with international animal welfare guidelines: "The plane crew co-ordinated with UAE's authority who sent a specialised team to sedate the animal and take it off the plane." […]]]> 658318 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-palestinian-teen-17-dies-after-being-shot-by-israel-settler/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:07:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658310 A 17-year-old Palestinian has died this morning as a result of wounds he sustained after being reportedly shot by an Israeli settler near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, reported WAFA news agency. The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that Ramzi Fathi Hamed was shot on Friday while sitting in a car near the illegal Ofra settlement, which is built on the land of the towns of Silwad and Ein Yabroud in Ramallah. According to Raed Hamed, the mayor of Silwad, the settler was a guard for the Ofra settlement and shot Ramzi with two bullets in the chest and belly. He also suffered a severe pulmonary embolism while undergoing treatment in hospital, resulting in his death, according to medics. It comes after […]]]> 658310 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-saudi-signs-deal-to-localise-production-of-turkiye-drones/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:47:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658308 Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with key Turkish defence firm Baykar Tech to help the kingdom localise the manufacturing of drones, in the latest deal signifying the improved relations between Riyadh and Ankara. In a post on the platform X, formerly Twitter, the state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) yesterday announced "the signing of a strategic localisation agreement with Baykar Tech, to localise the manufacturing of the 'Bayraktar Akıncı' UAVs and their systems within the Kingdom." It added that the agreement, which was signed under the patronage of Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, "will enhance SAMI's role in supporting the national defence industry and strengthening our local capabilities." برعاية سمو #وزير_الدفاع؛ يسرنا أن نعلن عن […]]]> 658308 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-parts-of-africa-are-switching-from-obedience-to-france-to-obedience-to-russia/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:29:22 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658304 In my previous article, I mentioned the military coups in the Arab region, which are a plague. They were not done for the sake of God and the homeland, but rather for the sake of America and its interests and influence in the region. America came up with the idea of coups and encouraged other colonisers to follow suit. We now see Russia creating a coup in Niger from behind the scenes and overthrowing elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who is loyal to France. Russia used senior Niger army officers loyal to Moscow to lead the coup and create a military council headed by Abdul Rahman Chiani. It was Chiani who announced the expulsion of 1,500 French soldiers from Niger and […]]]> 658304 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-far-right-minister-defends-jewish-terrorist-following-murder-of-young-palestinian/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:49:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658301 Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has backed a Jewish settler accused of carrying out a terrorist attack against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, following the killing of 19-year-old Palestinian Qusay Jamal Matan. Two illegal Israeli settlers are currently under arrest on suspicion of shooting Matan on Friday in the West Bank village of Burqa, east of Ramallah. A security official said that they are far-right activists from the Ramat Migron outpost. Matan was shot four times according to details of the deadly incident reported in Haaretz. In unusually sharp language indicating tense relations between Washington and Tel-Aviv, the US condemned the incident as terrorism committed by Israeli settlers. "We strongly condemn yesterday's terror attack by Israeli extremist […]]]> 658301 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-palestinians-in-israel-hold-protest-to-highlight-israeli-indifference-to-murders/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:39:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658293 Hamas: praising settler who killed Palestinians reflects Israeli 'fascism']]> 658293 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-quran-burnings-proof-of-broader-bias-against-migrants-in-europe-ex-un-rapporteur/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:22:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658295 A recent wave of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark is "an assertion of a broader anti-immigrant, anti-non-European right-wing bias that has grown to be quite politically strong," a former UN special rapporteur has said. "There's no legitimate purpose by allowing groups to burn the holy scriptures of another religious faith," Richard Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, said. "It seems to me to serve … no possible constructive purpose. And I think there is a strong case for [such acts to be] prohibited." In recent months, far-right groups have desecrated and burnt several copies of the Quran in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden, drawing fierce condemnation from Muslims around the world and calls for measures to stop […]]]> 658295 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-turkiye-ruling-ak-party-urges-sweden-to-adopt-balanced-policy-against-hate-crimes/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:56:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658291 The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Turkiye called yesterday on Sweden to adopt an "effective and balanced" policy against all hate crimes, Anadolu has reported. Party spokesman [ made his comment after the "provocative parade" organised by PKK supporters that targeted Turkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Stockholm on Saturday. Celik condemned the provocative PKK supporters as well as the Swedish authorities which "tolerate such acts". He called on the authorities in Sweden to fulfil their obligations in the fight against terrorism. The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by Turkiye and other countries, including the US, Canada and Australia, as well as the EU. "There should be no place for terrorist acts and activities that […]]]> 658291 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-egypt-hotel-asks-israel-model-to-leave-over-nationality/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:40:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658289 An Israeli model and influencer was expelled from a hotel in Egypt after management discovered her nationality, according to Israeli media. Yesterday, the Jerusalem Post reported that Shay Zanco "arguably one of Israel's most successful models," was kicked out of the hotel in Cairo having arrived in the country as part of the entourage of US rapper Travis Scott whose planned concert at the Pyramids in Giza was cancelled by Egypt's Musicians Syndicate over the show being at odds "with the societal values, customs, and traditions of Egypt and the Arab world." The Post reported that despite the show being called off, Zanco decided that she would visit tourist sites and make the most of her stay, "However, within about a day of her arrival, her hotel discovered […]]]> 658289 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-forcibly-displaces-palestinian-bedouin-families-in-occupied-west-bank/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:34:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658287 The Israeli authorities have forced six Palestinian families from the Al-Qaboun Bedouin community east of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank to leave their homes due to attacks and threats by extremist settlers and the Israeli army. The general supervisor of Al-Baydar Organisation for the Defence of Bedouin Rights, Hassan Malihat, said that the six families had no choice but to leave their homes as a result of a sharp rise in almost daily attacks and violence by both Israeli settler militias and soldiers. He added that a total of 36 individuals from the Kaabneh family had to leave the community which was displaced from their land during the 1948Nakba, "only to face another story of displacement today." Malihat […]]]> 658287