Middle East MonitorLatest news from the Middle East and North Africa2023-08-07T15:00:55Zhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/feed/atom/WordPresshttps://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1saifhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583382023-08-07T15:00:55Z2023-08-07T15:00:55ZIsrael 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 […]]]>0saifhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583212023-08-07T14:00:58Z2023-08-07T15:00:09ZThe 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 […]]]>0saifhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583332023-08-07T14:39:10Z2023-08-07T14:39:10ZA 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. […]]]>0saifhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583262023-08-07T14:09:53Z2023-08-07T14:09:53ZThe 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 […]]]>0saifhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583182023-08-07T14:12:43Z2023-08-07T13:39:40ZAn 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." […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583102023-08-07T13:07:53Z2023-08-07T13:07:53ZA 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583082023-08-07T12:47:54Z2023-08-07T12:47:54ZSaudi 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583042023-08-07T12:29:22Z2023-08-07T12:29:22ZIn 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6583012023-08-07T12:29:40Z2023-08-07T11:49:41ZIsrael'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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582932023-08-07T13:12:22Z2023-08-07T11:39:21ZHamas: praising settler who killed Palestinians reflects Israeli 'fascism']]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582952023-08-07T11:22:45Z2023-08-07T11:22:45ZA 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582912023-08-07T10:56:35Z2023-08-07T10:56:35ZThe 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582892023-08-07T12:29:56Z2023-08-07T10:40:47ZAn 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582872023-08-07T10:34:53Z2023-08-07T10:34:53ZThe 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 […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582842023-08-07T10:10:00Z2023-08-07T10:10:00ZWashington has condemned as "terrorism" the killing of a Palestinian by suspected Jewish settlers, in language that appears to reflect US frustration with surging violence in the occupied West Bank under Israel's hard-right government, Reuters reported. Israeli police detained two settlers following Friday's attack near the village of Burqa. According to Palestinians, they were part of a group that threw rocks, torched cars and, when confronted by villagers, shot a 19-year-old dead and wounded several others. Initial findings by Israel's military described the incident as a confrontation that escalated, with casualties on both sides. A defence lawyer said the settlers – one of whom was absent from a court hearing due to a head injury – acted in self-defence. In their arraignment, a transcript […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582822023-08-07T12:30:08Z2023-08-07T10:01:49ZIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US of encouraging smuggling by sea in the Gulf region, in the latest sign of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. "Today, the Americans are targeting oil tankers while helping the maritime smuggling networks in our region," said Khamenei on state television yesterday, Bloomberg News has reported. "This is a major violation on their part." Media reports said on 3 August that the US might seek to station military personnel on board civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to counter "Iranian aggression". The state-run Nour News agency in Iran responded by saying that the US "cannot use maritime protection as an excuse to expand its military […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582782023-08-07T12:32:00Z2023-08-07T09:32:02ZArtists have been working diligently for the past few weeks to create a mural that covers a whole building in 23 de Enero neighbourhood in Caracas, Venezuela. The artists were brought together by local artist Julvio Millar to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and put the spotlight on Palestine's ongoing struggle to resist Israeli colonialism. The mural includes a map of Palestine, a key of return, the Palestinian flag, as well as a picture of a Palestinian fighter wearing the traditional keffiyeh and making the V for Victory sign. The giant artwork is part of a larger project undertaken by Plataforma de solidaridad con Palestina group that is currently working on several initiatives and activities in Venezuela to […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582762023-08-07T09:28:25Z2023-08-07T09:28:25ZThe head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the danger posed by the increasing level of violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, Ynet News reported on Sunday. Ronen Bar called the settler violence a "strategic threat" and warned that the Palestinians are expected to increase their attacks on Israelis in retaliation for the settler attacks. Bar also said that settler "terror" boosts Islamic Jihad and Hamas in the occupied territories. He warned of attempts to kidnap a settler when attacks against Palestinian villages take place. On Friday, settlers shot and killed a Palestinian from the village of Burqa and wounded three others after storming the village and attacking residents. According […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582742023-08-07T09:24:26Z2023-08-07T09:24:26ZThe Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned in the strongest terms Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's calls to honour settlers who murdered Palestinian Qusai Jamal Maatan in "cold blood" and provide them immunity. On Saturday morning, the Israeli authorities arrested two settlers suspected of killing Maatan after violently storming his village of Burqa on Friday and shooting residents there. Israeli media outlets said one of the settlers is a spokesman for a member of the Knesset in the government coalition, and an activist in Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power Party. In a statement, the Palestinian ministry considered Ben-Gvir's rants a call to encourage Jewish terrorists to murder more Palestinians. It warned against the Israeli occupation government's release of the murderers under "false pretexts". It […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582702023-08-07T08:25:52Z2023-08-07T08:25:52ZThe Court of Appeal in Gaza yesterday issued death sentences against seven people charged with collaborating with the Israeli occupation, the Interior Ministry said. Seven others were handed life terms with hard labour. According to the ministry, the sentences were issued with reference to Article 131 of the Palestinian Revolutionary Penal Code of 1979. The collaborators were indicted for having contacts with the Israeli occupation's intelligence, carrying out missions related to spying on Palestinian fighters and providing information about the Palestinian resistance. READ: Gaza Palestinian-Americans urge Washington to include them in Israel visa deal]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582632023-08-07T08:10:06Z2023-08-07T08:10:06ZIsraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has frozen grants planned for Arab municipalities in the apartheid state, Kan public broadcaster reported on Sunday. The amount frozen is NIS 200 million ($55m) set by the previous Israeli government for economic development. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel from Shas party warned of negative consequences if the grant was not transferred to Arab local authorities. Far-right Smotrich told Kan that he is "reconsidering" the transfer of funds as he weighs his "priorities" for the funding and the "supervision mechanisms" in place. He added that the current government is "not beholden" to a promise made by former Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked to Ra'am party chief Mansour Abbas. At the same time, the far-right extremist minister blocked […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582612023-08-07T12:31:45Z2023-08-07T07:49:02ZMore than 30 people are missing after two boats carrying migrants sank off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa over the weekend. According to the UN migration agency, IOM, survivors who were on one of the boats spoke about 28 people who were on a boat with them and are now missing. Three other migrants were reported missing from the second boat. IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo told AFP that his organisation believes there are at least 30 missing based on testimonies from survivors. An investigation into the tragedy has been opened in the city of Agrigento on the island of Sicily. Agrigento police chief Emanuele Rechevari said the smugglers no doubt knew the waves would be rough as a storm […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582582023-08-07T12:31:35Z2023-08-07T07:44:25ZThe Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement has condemned the call by Israel's far-right minister of national security to award a "medal of honour" to the illegal Jewish settler who murdered a 19-year-old Palestinian in the occupied West Bank. "Such a move reflects how terrorist and fascist the extreme far-right Israeli occupation government is," said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem on Sunday. He pointed out that the call by Itamar Ben-Gvir proves the Israeli occupation government's disregard for international law. The praise for the Israeli colonial settler came after he shot dead Palestinian youth Qusai Maatan on Friday during a brutal attack by settlers on the village of Burqa, near Ramallah. READ: Jewish settlers raid Palestinian village in occupied West Bank]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582562023-08-07T12:31:25Z2023-08-07T07:41:32ZThe former head of Israel's Mossad spy agency has said that he believes that the occupation state is heading for self-destruction, the religious-Zionist Makor Rishon news outlet reported on Sunday. Tamir Pardo explained that he came to his conclusion after the signing of the coalition agreement among the current parties in the far-right cabinet, even before the announcement of the judicial reform plan by Minister of Justice Yariv Levin. Israel, said Pardo, has been trapped in a destructive operation – the judicial overhaul plan – for the past five months without any logical reason. He noted that the present cabinet is moving towards self-destruction with the whole Zionist state. If Iran did this when he was in office, he pointed […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582542023-08-07T07:37:00Z2023-08-07T07:37:00ZTunisian authorities recovered ten bodies over a 48-hour period from the coast of Sfax on the Mediterranean, they revealed yesterday. "Ten bodies were recovered in the last 48 hours by coast guard units on the coasts of Louata in Sfax," the Tunisian National Guard, which is affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior, said in a brief statement. Prosecutors in Sfax were authorised to take necessary measures regarding using forensic medicine to identify the victims, the statement continued. Tunisia has witnessed a remarkable increase in the pace of irregular migration to Europe across the Mediterranean, especially towards the coasts of Italy, due to the repercussions of the economic and political crises in the region. Earlier this year, Tunisian President Kais Saied said that his country […]]]>0Marwa Ahttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582502023-08-07T12:31:16Z2023-08-07T07:20:18ZThe preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, affirmed yesterday that the Israeli occupation is "seeking to impose its hegemony on Al-Aqsa Mosque," adding and that "our Palestinian people will not allow it to be harmed or touched." Sheikh Sabri stressed that the Israeli occupation is seeking to convert Al-Aqsa into military barracks to allow non-Muslims to enter it in the morning. He added that despite Israeli excavations under the mosque, the occupation authorities have failed to find proof to support their imaginary stories or to obtain international legitimacy. Israel will not succeed in implementing its goals of Judaising the mosque, he continued, adding that it has no right to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that Muslims will remain present in the mosque […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6582132023-08-07T12:31:07Z2023-08-06T16:17:59ZAlgerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has rejected any external military intervention in Niger, where a military coup overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum last week, Anadolu reports. "A military intervention could ignite the whole Sahel region and Algeria will not use force with its neighbors," Tabboune said in an interview with local media on Saturday. "No solution is possible in Niger without the participation of Algeria, as it is concerned by what is happening in this neighboring country," he said, adding: "Algeria is willing to help the Nigeriens restore the constitutional legitimacy." On July 26, a group of soldiers calling themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country delivered a statement on Nigerien state television shortly after detaining President Mohamed Bazoum, […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581922023-08-07T09:33:43Z2023-08-06T15:45:33ZIn a thought-provoking op-ed published on Friday by Saudi Arabian daily newspaper Okaz, entitled "Friday is a working day," writer Mona Al-Otaibi questions whether the Kingdom's traditional Friday-Saturday weekend needs an overhaul, igniting a debate on social media. The piece highlighted the potential financial losses incurred due to Friday being an important workday in the financial world, and it has sparked discussions about whether Saudi Arabia should consider shifting its weekend to Saturday-Sunday, following in the footsteps of neighbouring UAE which made the controversial change last year, after plans were announced in 2021. At the time, the Emirati the government said it would "ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries that follow a Saturday-Sunday weekend, facilitating stronger international […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581852023-08-07T12:30:57Z2023-08-06T15:13:11ZREAD: Lebanon marchers mourn port blast victims three years on, angry at stalled probe]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581832023-08-06T14:46:18Z2023-08-06T14:46:18ZIraq plans to ask Interpol to issue international alerts seeking the arrest of former senior officials including an ex-finance minister and an ex-intelligence chief over the alleged theft of more than $2.5 billion from the country's Tax Commission, Reuters reports. The scandal centres on suspected illegitimate cash withdrawals from the Commission between 2021 and 2022 totalling around $2.5 billion, according to Iraqi officials – a staggering amount even in a country that regularly ranks among the world's most corrupt. Iraq's top anti-corruption official, Integrity Commission chief Judge Haider Hanoun, announced the move to seek so-called Interpol Red Notices on Sunday. Hanoun said the judiciary would also ask for notices to be issued for the private secretary and a political adviser […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581812023-08-06T14:17:36Z2023-08-06T14:17:36ZIranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, discussed relations and regional and international issues Saturday in Tehran, according to a statement, Anadolu reports. Amirabdollahian said Iran is prepared to increase collaboration with Sri Lanka across various domains, encompassing the establishment of the Iran-Sri Lanka joint economic commission and the joint consular and tourism committee, according to his Foreign Ministry. "Amirabdollahian further enumerated the possibilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of new technologies and the capabilities of Iranian knowledge-based companies, saying Iran is ready to export technical and engineering services, technologies and medical equipment," it said. READ: Wildfire sets off landmines around Tehran's Evin Prison, Iran judiciary says He noted implementation of previously […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581782023-08-07T12:30:47Z2023-08-06T14:08:45ZLibyan Presidential Council President Mohamad al-Menfi highlighted the importance Saturday of cooperation between neighboring countries and an African bloc for regional stability, particularly in Niger, Anadolu reports. Menfi met Nigeria's Special Envoy Babagana Kingibe, who is the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in Tripoli, according to a statement from his office. Kingibe delivered a letter from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Menfi expressed satisfaction with consultations between Libya and Nigeria to maintain stability in Niger. He cited the military takeover of the elected government in Niger is not acceptable and stressed the importance of cooperation between Libya, Algeria, Chad and ECOWAS to preserve stability in Niger and the region. READ: Algeria, EU call for return […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581762023-08-07T12:30:36Z2023-08-06T13:56:12ZIraq's telecoms ministry said it has blocked the Telegram messaging app over national security concerns and in order to preserve the integrity of users' personal data, which it said the app had mishandled, Reuters reports. The app is widely used in Iraq for messaging but also as a source of news and for sharing content. Some channels contain large amounts of personal data including the names, addresses and family ties of Iraqis. The ministry said in a statement it had asked the app to close down "platforms that leak the data of the official state institutions and the personal data of citizens… but the company did not respond and did not interact with any of these requests." "The Ministry of […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581682023-08-07T12:30:26Z2023-08-06T12:32:09ZTurkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday spoke over the phone and discussed steps that can be taken for the revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, according to Turkish diplomatic sources, Anadolu reports. On July 17, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, saying the Russian part of the agreement was not implemented. It sought the loosening of banking restrictions and the ability to ship its fertilizer before returning to the agreement. The agreement, signed in July 2022 in Istanbul by Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports halted due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022. Turkiye has said […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581632023-08-06T16:33:12Z2023-08-06T12:17:28ZIsraeli protesters took to the streets again Saturday to protest the coalition government's judiciary regulation, Anadolu reports. Demonstrators, who have organized mass protests every Saturday against the far-right coalition government's judiciary regulation and conservative policies led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were on the streets for the 31st straight week of protests. Tens of thousands attended demonstrations in Tel Aviv, West Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, Herzliya and Rehovot. As usual, the most significant demonstration took place in Tel Aviv, where protesters gathered in front of the Government Complex on Kaplan Street and made speeches criticizing the regulation. Protest leaders accused Netanyahu of attempting to undermine the rule of law and potentially causing a constitutional crisis. Demonstrators holding Israeli flags chanted slogans […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581642023-08-06T16:33:00Z2023-08-06T11:00:13ZJewish settlers in the occupied West Bank raided a Palestinian village Saturday, accompanied by soldiers, Anadolu reports. Dozens of settlers conducted the raid in Et-Tevane, in the Mesafir Yatta area in southern Hebron, according to sources. Settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned vehicles and attacked Palestinians who protested, leading to fighting with residents. Israeli soldiers intervened and used tear gas and rubber-coated bullets against Palestinians. Some victims faced suffocation due to the tear gas. Soldiers also assaulted and arrested a 19-year-old Palestinian, according to the Palestinian official news agency, WAFA. In another incident, a group of Jewish settlers gathered at a checkpoint to the entrance to Ramallah and threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles, causing damage. At the entrance to the Turmus […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581602023-08-06T16:32:48Z2023-08-06T10:47:43ZA total of 130 irregular migrants pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces were rescued on Saturday by the Turkish Coast Guard off the coasts of western Izmir province's Menderes, Karaburun, Foca and Cesme districts, Anadolu reports. Meanwhile, 265 irregular migrants and a migrant smuggler were caught off the coasts of Karaburun and Dikili. Irregular migrants were handed to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after procedures. READ: Tunisia rescues 15,000 migrants in first half of 2023 And 170 irregular migrants in rubber boats were caught by the Coast Guard off the coast of western Canakkale province's Ayvacik district. Coast Guard Northern Aegean Group Command teams detected four rubber boats with irregular migrants off the coast of Ayvacik. During […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581572023-08-06T10:43:51Z2023-08-06T10:43:51ZSaudi Arabia sent an 18th humanitarian plane to support victims of the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in southern Kahramanmaras province which affected several cities in Turkiye and Syria, according to media reports, Anadolu reports. The Saudi Arabian official news agency SPA said the plane carrying 32 tons of medical supplies and equipment, departed from the International King Khalid Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for Gaziantep Airport. The plane was sent as part of the aid bridge established by Saudi Arabia for earthquake victims in Turkiye and Syria. Saudi Arabia sent the last aid plane to Turkiye on June 17. READ: Saudi Arabia urges its citizens to quickly leave Lebanon]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581552023-08-06T16:32:37Z2023-08-06T10:38:42ZAlgeria and the EU have called for unifying political and diplomatic pressures to ensure a return of the "constitutional order" in Niger, Anadolu reports. This came during a phone call between Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf and EU foreign policy chief, according to a statement issued by the Algerian Foreign Ministry. The duo discussed developments in Niger and exchanged views on the threats they pose to both Niger and the entire region. READ: Algeria warns against foreign military intervention in Niger Meanwhile, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution in Niger, saying: "We call for the restoration of constitutional legitimacy, and if they seek assistance from Algeria in this matter, we would gladly welcome it." On July […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581522023-08-06T12:07:07Z2023-08-06T10:30:51ZTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over the phone on Saturday and discussed the revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the security of the Black Sea and NATO enlargement, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the two also discussed developments in the South Caucasus and the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia during the phone call held at Blinken's request. READ: UK takes lead in Turkiye earthquake aid, donating over £150 million]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581532023-08-06T16:32:28Z2023-08-06T10:28:39ZEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is on an official visit to Egypt, Anadolu reports. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders met in the city of Al-Alamain and discussed regional and international issues. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the frameworks and mechanisms of joint cooperation between the two countries. The two also underlined the 'importance of intensifying joint Arab action to confront the growing regional and global challenges.' READ: US senators call for withholding of military aid to Egypt over human rights record]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581492023-08-07T09:33:34Z2023-08-06T09:37:14ZI know none of the details of the arrest of Palestinian Amin Abu Rashid and his daughter Israa in Holland recently. I do know, however, that the track record of European governments in levelling allegations of "funding terrorism" against Palestinian-European organisations over the past twenty years or so has been abysmal. In almost every case, when taken to court the authorities have lost the legal argument. Will this happen again with Abu Rashid and Israa? Time will tell, but what is interesting is that it introduces to the world another no doubt well-funded "Israeli activist group", Ad Kan. It is well known, of course, that all allegations of "terrorism" and "funding Hamas" arise from "intelligence" shared by Israel and its […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581442023-08-06T16:32:17Z2023-08-06T08:31:37ZREAD: Palestine minister attacked during West Bank anti-settlement protest]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581422023-08-06T16:32:07Z2023-08-06T08:18:11ZThe United Kingdom has taken the lead in supporting the appeal for victims of the deadly earthquakes in Turkiye six months ago, with donations from the country's population reaching over £150 million. According to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a UK-based umbrella group for charities, announced this week that donations to aid the victims of the February 6th earthquakes have reached £151.8 million, an amount which includes the £5 million matched by the British government through the Aid Match scheme. The earthquakes and their aftershocks during the first week of February this year killed around 60,000 people across southern Turkiye and north-west Syria, destroying thousands of homes and causing severe infrastructural damage. While donations flooded in and continue to do […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581402023-08-06T16:31:57Z2023-08-06T07:54:17ZA group of senators in the United States have urged the government to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Egypt, citing the country's increasingly poor human rights record. In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, 11 senators – including ten high-profile Democratic senators such as Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tim Kaine, and the independent Bernie Sanders – highlighted the Egyptian government's failure to improve its human rights violations as a cause to withhold up to $320 million of the overall $1.3 billion allocated for military aid to the country if it continues to not address the issue. The senators cited a provision in the 2022 fiscal year State Department funding bill […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581362023-08-05T15:19:03Z2023-08-05T15:19:03ZTunisia's president highlighted the importance his country attaches to strengthening relations with the United Arab Emirates, the Tunisian Presidency said Friday, Anadolu reports. Kais Saied received Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at the Carthage Palace, it said on Facebook. During the meeting, Saied pointed to the solid foundations of the promising bilateral relations for partnerships between the two countries in various sectors, including renewable energy, seawater decontamination, health, digital transformation, education, tourism and infrastructure, the statement noted. READ: Tunisia rescues 15,000 migrants in first half of 2023 Emphasizing that his country cares about strengthening and diversifying relations with the UAE, Saied emphasized that UAE investments in various […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581102023-08-06T16:29:31Z2023-08-05T15:07:15ZA 19-year-old Palestinian was killed in a raid by Jewish settlers on the village of Burqa, Palestinian state news agency WAFA reported Friday. The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that Qusai Jamal Maatan was shot dead by settlers who stormed the village, which is located east of Ramallah, Anadolu reports. He was killed during a clash between the settlers and Palestinian villagers. The settlers also brought animals with them to show that they wanted to establish a settlement by confiscating Palestinian land in the region, WAFA said. In a message of condolence issued by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on the occasion of the murder of the boy, it called on Palestinians to mobilize to counter the attacks of Jewish settlers. […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581052023-08-05T13:57:36Z2023-08-05T13:57:36ZThe 14th annual Ambassadors Conference on Saturday started in the capital Ankara with the participation of Turkish ambassadors serving abroad and at home, Anadolu reports. The conference, being held under the theme of "Our Foreign Policy in the Century of Turkiye," will continue through Aug. 9. The conference has been organized annually by the Turkish Foreign Ministry since 2008, where ambassadors discuss regional and global developments. The ambassadors will also have the chance to exchange views on the global trends and recent challenges and opportunities as the conference plays important role for in-house planning of foreign policy and inter-institutional coordination. As part of the conference, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will receive the ambassadors to give them foreign policy evaluations and […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581042023-08-06T16:31:47Z2023-08-05T13:47:34ZThe US State Department said Friday that it is in talks with Congress as a pair of Republican lawmakers continues to block the dispersal of some $75 million in food aid for Palestinian refugees in hopes of seeing the funds released, Anadolu reports. "The Department of State remains in discussion with Congress regarding funds provided in the FY 2023 appropriations act intended to maintain food assistance to vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in response to rising food and transport costs," a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu "The Administration supports the intended use of the funds in question, which are designed to address worsening food insecurity in Palestinian communities," the spokesperson added in an emailed statement. READ: Palestine minister […]]]>0MIhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=6581022023-08-06T16:31:36Z2023-08-05T13:29:54ZDenmark is studying several measures and legislation to prevent the recurrence of Quran burning incidents, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen affirmed this in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement. Rasmussen told Shoukry that the recent incidents involving the burning and desecration of the Quran in Denmark were "regrettable and contradicted Denmark's societal values," the statement added. Reiterating Egypt's strong condemnation of Quran burning, Shoukry said that such incidents provoke Muslims worldwide. READ: Iran-born Swedish woman burns Quran in Stockholm He also affirmed that these incidents violate human rights, threaten peaceful coexistence and fuel extremism. On Tuesday, despite wide-ranging condemnation, members […]]]>0