https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:33:31 +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-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-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/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-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/20230806-brazilians-remember-beirut-port-tragedy-at-copacabana-beach/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:13:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658185 READ: Lebanon marchers mourn port blast victims three years on, angry at stalled probe]]> 658185 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-virtual-reality-initiative-enables-palestinians-to-visit-their-homeland/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 08:31:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658144 READ: Palestine minister attacked during West Bank anti-settlement protest]]> 658144 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-jewish-settlers-kill-palestinian-teen-in-west-bank/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 15:07:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658110 A 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. […]]]> 658110 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-hnaina-eggs-and-dates/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 09:10:16 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657067 When people think of breakfast, eggs are usually one of the first things that come to mind. They are super popular, with every culture making them their own way, adding ingredients that are popular in their cuisine; from cheese, to bacon, potatoes, tomatoes and much more. Today's recipe, Hnaina, includes an ingredient we don't usually pair with eggs, but believe me, once you try it, you'll wonder why more people aren't having it. That special ingredient is dates. Hnaina is usually made in Iraq as a pre-dawn meal during the month of Ramadan, as it is perfect to keep you full and energised for a day of fasting. A version of this dish is also made in Iran. It is […]]]> 657067 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-gaza-farmers-harvest-mangoes/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:23:12 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658036 READ: Gaza's first fish farms begin first harvest]]> 658036 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-moroccan-womens-football-team-progress-to-world-cup-final-16/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:29:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657998 WATCH: French pundit lashes out at hijabi footballer]]> 657998 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-toilet-humour-israeli-restaurant-serves-food-in-a-bog/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:26:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657980 WATCH: No Ban? As Egypt releases Barbie film]]> 657980 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-no-ban-as-egypt-releases-barbie-film/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:02:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657920 READ: Egypt court lifts order to seize funds of 146 Muslim Brotherhood members]]> 657920 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-french-pundit-lashes-out-at-hijabi-footballer/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:00:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657858 READ: France calls on Israel to end all unilateral measures likely to fuel tensions]]> 657858 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-cooling-off-in-iraqs-scorching-heat/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:37:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657789 READ: Daily wagers in Iraq endure 50 degrees of heat to make ends meet]]> 657789 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-refugees-as-grassroots-activists-memo-in-conversation-with-dr-anne-irfan/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:00:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656121 The international humanitarian body UNRWA was created to support Palestine refugees functioned as a surrogate state, however Palestinian refugees have continued to demand their political rights while resisting the UN's categorisation of their plight as an apolitical humanitarian issue. Join us as we speak to Dr Anne Irfan about her book 'Refuge and Resistance: Palestinians and the international refugee system' to discover how engagement with world politics was driven as much by the refugee grassroots as by the upper echelons of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), making refugee groups important actors in global politics, not simply aid recipients. Dr Anne Irfan is Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Race, Gender and Postcolonial Studies at UCL. Her work examines colonial legacies in displacement and bordering […]]]> 656121 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-palestinian-bangs-the-drum-for-recycled-waste/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:38:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657508 READ: Gaza campaign aims to replace plastic bags with cloth ones]]> 657508 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-syria-security-forces-arrest-latakia-residents-over-social-media-posts/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:30:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657197 The Syrian regime security services have launched a campaign of arrests against residents of the western city of Latakia who criticised the deteriorating living conditions and the government on social media, local media outlets reported. The North Press Agency said the regime's military security service arrested four people, including a 60-year-old man, for criticising the government and calling for a sit-in in protest of power outages. According to the site, the "political security branch" arrested Firas Ghanem and referred him to trial on charges of "undermining the state's prestige and the nation's psyche" as a result of a Facebook post he shared. "A question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, if I may…..If the Russian or Iranian authorities had killed a child, […]]]> 657197 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-un-demands-immediate-end-to-expulsion-of-migrants-from-tunisia/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 20:00:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657159 The UN, Tuesday, called for an immediate end to the expulsions of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from Tunisia to the borders with Libya and Algeria, Anadolu Agency reports. In July, hundreds of people from sub-Saharan African countries were forced from the coastal city of Sfax by Tunisian security forces, and left stranded in a desolate desert area, without food, water or shelter, according to human rights groups. "We are deeply concerned about the expulsion of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Tunisia to the borders with Libya and also Algeria," UN deputy spokesperson told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. "Several have died at the border with Libya and hundreds including pregnant women and children reportedly remain […]]]> 657159 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-mullet-season-begins-in-gaza/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:19:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657110 WATCH: Warmer waters bring jellyfish to Gaza's shores]]> 657110 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-libya-border-guards-find-bodies-of-6-black-africans-in-desert/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:38:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656959 Libyan border guards have found the bodies of six African migrants in the desert, according to the Interior Ministry. The news comes just one week after a video circulated online of a Libyan border guard giving water to black African migrants who had been dumped in the middle of the desert by Tunisian authorities. Two days earlier Libya's Interior Ministry said that the bodies of five black African migrants were recovered during a routine patrol along the border. Then in mid-July, Libyan border guards said they rescued 80 migrants left in the desert without food or water in the town of Al-Assah 150 kilometres west of Tripoli. Border guards say they were exhausted, dehydrated and left in temperatures of 40 degrees. Conditions were particularly […]]]> 656959 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-italy-releases-migrant-rescue-boat/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:31:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656943 The migrant rescue boat Louise Michel is back at sea after being impounded in the Italian port of Lampedusa in March. Yesterday, the crew responded to a distress call by 41 people – including a baby – who were adrift in the Mediterranean Sea. Their boat had left the Tunisian port town of Sfax with a second boat which was rescued by the Italian coastguard, but this vessel was left drifting at sea. Reports have made global headlines in recent weeks that hundreds of people are gathering in Sfax to escape across the Mediterranean in search of safety. Tunisian authorities have been rounding up black African migrants, beating them and dumping them in the desert. In February Tunisian President Kais Saied […]]]> 656943 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-after-30-years-in-his-post-lebanese-central-bank-governor-steps-down/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:41:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656932 Controversial Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank, Riad Salameh, has stepped down after 30 years in office, news agencies reported, noting he is facing charges of money laundering, fraud and embezzling public funds. The 73-year-old's term ended yesterday, as Lebanon's financial losses stood at in excess of $72 billion, more than three times its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, the World Bank said. Late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri appointed him to the post in 1993 and he maintained the stability of the Lebanese Lira stable at 1,500 against the dollar, but Lebanon's economy has now almost collapsed and the World Bank has warned that it is facing one of the worst economic crises of the last 150 years. Salameh accused […]]]> 656932 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-gambia-repatriates-127-of-its-nationals-from-tunisia/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:24:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656822 Gambian authorities have reportedly repatriated a total of 127 Gambian nationals from Tunisia and Libya over the course of two days, AFP reports. According to the report, authorities in the Gambia repatriated 40 citizens from Tunisia in the night, from Thursday to Friday. Since Tunisian President Saied's xenophobic and racist comments in February, western African countries have been returning hundreds of their nationals. READ: Irregular arrivals up 10% in first half of 2023 The group, who reportedly returned to their home country voluntarily, left Tunisia Thursday evening and arrived in the capital, Banjul, around 2:00 am the next morning, the report added. One day earlier, the West African nation had repatriated 87 of its citizens from Libya, the same spokeswoman […]]]> 656822 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-qatar-slackline-champion-sets-new-record-185m-above-ground/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:17:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656738 READ: Qatar and Oman support Palestine with written statements to ICJ]]> 656738 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-us-presidential-candidate-kennedy-affirms-israel-support-after-anti-semitism-claims/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:06:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656729 READ: Report: Israel army to resume attacks on Jenin]]> 656729 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-turkiye-launches-underwater-museum/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:37:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656684 READ: Turkiye earns $21.7bn from tourism in first half of 2023]]> 656684 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-syrians-weighed-down-by-failing-currency/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:09:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656665 WATCH: Israeli forces wake up Palestinian child under house arrest at dawn for ID check]]> 656665 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-abbas-calls-for-national-unity-against-israeli-aggression/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:29:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656625 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Sunday for the leaders of the Palestinian factions attending the secretaries-general meeting in Cairo to unite against "Israeli aggression," Anadolu has reported. "We must ensure our national unity to fight against the occupation, which targets our rights and sanctities as well as our existence," said Abbas. He described the Israeli occupation attacks on the Palestinians as a "barbaric aggression." He also called the Hamas takeover of government responsibilities in Gaza following its resounding victory in the 2006 Palestinian election the "coup d'état in 2007" and insisted that "the division that befell us afterwards must end." Abbas stressed that the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) is the "sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," […]]]> 656625 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-israeli-forces-wake-up-palestinian-child-under-house-arrest-at-dawn-for-id-check/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 15:32:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656518 READ: Israel detained 570 Palestinian minors in first half of 2023]]> 656518 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-israel-to-build-27-bln-rail-expansion-eyes-future-link-to-saudi-arabia/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 15:16:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656509 Israel will build a 100 billion shekel ($27 billion) rail expansion that will connect its outlying areas to metropolitan Tel Aviv and, in the future, could provide overland links to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, reports Reuters. The announcement followed a trip by top US officials to Saudi Arabia last week to advance a possible forging of formal relations between the Muslim powerhouse and Israel. Opening the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting, Netanyahu appeared to sidestep the constitutional crisis that has roiled the country for seven months, denting its economy and shaking Western allies' confidence in its democratic health. Instead, he promoted infrastructure initiatives including the "One Israel Project", which he described as designed to reduce travel time by […]]]> 656509 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-twitter-replaces-iconic-blue-bird-logo-with-x-at-us-headquarters/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:13:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656478 OPINION: Marc Owen Jones on disinformation, misogyny and Twitter's future under Musk]]> 656478 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-paramilitary-group-in-sudan-ready-to-negotiate-with-army-under-certain-conditions/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 09:25:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656453 Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, who has been fighting the army since April, said Sunday that the group is ready to reach a deal within 72 hours if there is a change in the army's leadership, reports Anadolu Agency. Daglo announced in a video recording on the RSF's social media account that it is ready to reach an agreement if the army's chief commander surrenders. He said the RSF confronts not only the army but unlawful groups. Daglo said the RSF does not kill civilians or engage in looting. The RSF's leader's absence since April had been interpreted as him being either injured or killed. The message comes after more than three months of fighting between the […]]]> 656453 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-haifa-church-protesters-foil-israeli-settler-raid-attempt/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 08:07:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656442 READ: In Palestine, illegal Jewish settlers escalate attacks against Christian sanctities]]> 656442 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-thousands-head-to-gazas-shores-as-heat-waves-hits-the-region/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:13:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656106 READ: Warmer waters bring jellyfish to Gaza's shores]]> 656106 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-iraqis-mark-martyrdom-of-imam-al-hussein-with-fireballs/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:55:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656078 READ: Day workers try to earn living in northern Iraq in temps higher than 113F]]> 656078 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-gaza-protests-the-storming-of-al-aqsa-mosque-by-far-right-minister/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:56:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656048 READ: Far-right Israeli minister storms Al-Aqsa]]> 656048 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-summer-camp-for-amputee-children-in-gaza/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:44:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656030 READ: UK Big Ride for Palestine heads for South Wales]]> 656030 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-israel-uses-weapons-to-force-palestinians-out-to-allow-settlers-to-storm-hebron/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:57:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656000 Israeli occupation forces closed the Valley of the Thorns (Wadi et-Tuffah) and Bir Seba Street in the centre of Hebron yesterday, along with dozens of businesses, to prevent Palestinians from accessing an area considered sacred by illegal settlers. "For the first time, the army allowed settlers to raid a Palestinian area in Bab El-Zawiye at this time of the year, which is something new," President of the Youth Anti-Settlement Union, Isa Amro, told Anadolu in a statement. He said fanatic settlers were due to head to "Hebron tomb" on Bir Seba Street. READ: Far-right Israeli minister storms Al-Aqsa Amr said shops were closed and women and children were intimidated with live weapons and tear gas. "This issue is related to strengthening the settlement […]]]> 656000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-egypt-warns-of-dangerous-consequences-of-right-wing-israel-minister-storming-al-aqsa/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:55:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655991 The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli government officials and hundreds of extremists and the prevention of Muslim worshippers from exercising their "inherent right to access and worship" at the holy site. "The repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts to divide it temporally and spatially will not diminish its established legal and historical status as a purely Islamic endowment and a place of worship for Muslims," the ministry said in its statement. It called on Israel to immediately end these "provocative and escalatory acts" that only ignite anger and increase the existing state of tension in the occupied Palestinian territories. Moreover, the statement warned of the "dangerous consequences of such irresponsible practices" for […]]]> 655991 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-jordan-king-uk-fm-discuss-de-escalation-in-palestine/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:46:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655988 King Abdullah II of Jordan UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly yesterday discussed intensifying efforts to de-escalate the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Abdullah and Cleverly met in the Jordanian capital, Amman, as part of the British foreign secretary's visit to the Middle Eastern country. Discussions between the two sides "covered the latest regional and international developments, in addition to the importance of stepping up efforts towards calm and de-escalation in the Palestinian Territories, and ceasing unilateral measures that would undermine stability and peace prospects," according to a statement issued by the Royal Hashemite Court. "The two sides also discussed stopping any unilateral measures by Israel that would destabilize and undermine the chances of achieving peace, according to the same source." The statement added […]]]> 655988 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-jordan-adopts-cybercrime-law-seen-as-threat-to-free-speech/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:34:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655984 Jordan's Parliament, on Thursday, approved a widely criticised cybercrime law empowering the government to control more online content, prompting US concerns and alarms from rights groups that say it will further quash civil liberties, Reuters reports. The measure tightens prison sentences and penalties for any website, social media platform or person responsible for a public account deemed to have violated privacy and a host of other provisions. It passed by a majority vote after a marathon six-hour debate and is expected to be enacted in coming days. The law has alarmed journalists, human rights activists and pro-democracy groups worried that its vague language would curtail further free speech and that criminalising conversations online will enable more crackdowns on political opponents. "Jordan will become a big jail," Saleh Al Armouti, […]]]> 655984 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-sister-sinead-shuhada-misunderstood-much-maligned-much-loved-and-muslim/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:45:30 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655960 Headlines and photographs of the singer Sinéad O'Connor told us that the iconic star had died. What followed have been well-deserved eulogies, despite some glaring omissions. Sinéad was beautiful, brave and talented, and an uncompromising rebel who often railed against the Establishment and has never been forgiven by some for ripping up a photograph of the Pope on live TV more than thirty years ago. The singer, who has died at the age of 56, was also a Muslim convert who chose the name Shuhada, although you'd never know it from the obituaries published in the Islamophobic media. Very little mention was made of her chosen faith. Some elements of the Jewish media flirted with the idea that her inspiration […]]]> 655960 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-israel-settlers-rampage-in-palestinian-americans-west-bank-hometown/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:52:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655600 When Kayed Abu Awwad sold his home in Oak Lawn, Illinois, in June, he never imagined that he and his family would be homeless a few weeks later. Like many American-born Palestinians, Abu Awwad, a 38-year-old truck driver, planned to move his family to "our homeland" for two or three years, so his American-born children, aged three, 11 and 14, "could learn the language and the culture." It's what his father did with him when he was a kid growing up in the US. He and his wife, Dina, who became a US citizen through marriage, shipped their furniture to a house that his father had built in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, next door to the house […]]]> 655600 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-far-right-israeli-minister-storms-al-aqsa/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:43:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655647 Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem was stormed by hundreds of illegal Jewish settlers led by Israel's extreme far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir this morning, Wafa has reported. The settlers entered the compound through the Maghrebi Gate with special guards and performed prayers and Talmudic rituals under the protection of the Israeli security forces. "This place is important to us and we have to return to it and prove our sovereignty, " claimed Ben-Gvir in a video message. "The unity of the nation of Israel is important." Israeli soldiers prevented Palestinian worshippers from entering the mosque to perform their morning prayers at Al-Aqsa and kept them in the Old City alleyways leading to the holy site. READ: Israel […]]]> 655647 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-israeli-soldiers-seal-palestinian-well-with-concrete/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:27:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655621 Report: Israel army to resume attacks on Jenin]]> 655621 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-irish-singer-sinead-oconnor-passes-away/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:50:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655615 Legendary Irish singer and activist Sinead O'Connor died yesterday aged 56, her family has said. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead," the singer's family announced in a statement. The cause of her death is not yet known, but she is said to have been found unresponsive at her home in London and pronounced dead at the scene. Her family added in the statement that they were "devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time." Born in Dublin, Ireland, Sinead converted to Islam in 2018 and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat. She was best known for her 1990 cover song Nothing Compares 2 U, which drove her to global stardom and topped […]]]> 655615 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-tunisia-president-no-turning-back-on-reform-plan/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:24:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655560 Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Tuesday that there is "no turning back" on the reform plan he adopted to improve the situation in Tunisia. This came during a visit to a local neighbourhood in the capital, Tunis, on the 66th Republic Day. "We are moving forward and not going backwards," Saied told bystanders. A video shared by the Tunisian presidency on Facebook, showed many citizens complaining about water, electricity and bread shortages, to which Saied responded that "there is a close follow-up of these problems in all regions of the country." Saied blamed many of the problems being faced by Tunisians on high temperatures and power outages. "I know that you feel distressed, but all these problems will be […]]]> 655560 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-erdogan-meets-palestine-president-hamas-leader-haniyeh/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:07:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655553 Turkiye's President, Tayyip Erdogan, met Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, together with Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian group, Hamas, in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan's office said. Abbas is paying a visit to Turkiye and had previously met with Erdogan on Tuesday. Abbas and Haniyeh have been unable to repair a rift since 2007, when Hamas, which opposes peace deals with Israel, seized control of the Gaza Strip. Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority remains dominant in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On Tuesday, Abbas agreed with Haniyeh, who currently resides between Qatar and Turkiye, to hold a broad meeting of factions in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, at the end of July, to discuss the conflict with Israel and ways to end internal […]]]> 655553 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-tunisia-says-it-has-contained-wildfires-that-have-swept-several-regions/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 16:32:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655239 Tunisian firefighters have completely contained the fires that broke out in a number of regions of the country, with the help of members of the Algerian army and fire fighting planes from Spain, the Tunisian Interior Minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Wildfires that swept across regions of Algeria, leaving at least 34 people,  including 10 soldiers, dead, spread to Tunisian regions including forests of Tabarka, Jendouba, Beja, Bizerte and Siliana. Earlier on Wednesday, Algeria managed to contain the bush fire that had been raging in its forests, the state TV said. Wildfires in Tunisia forced hundreds to evacuate their homes, as a heat wave spread across North Africa and southern Europe. Temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) were recorded in some […]]]> 655239