PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:54 pm - Jerusalem Time

Updated || A young man was killed as a result of a shooting crime in occupied Jerusalem

قتل الشاب محمد غفاري (21 عامًا)، بعد وقت قصير من إصابته بجروح حرجة، جراء إطلاق النار عليه من قبل مجهولين في منطقة رأس خميس بمخيم شعفاط بالقدس المحتلة.


وأفادت مصادر محلية، بأن مجهولين أطلقوا النار صوب الشاب، ما أدى لإصابته بجروح حرجة، وبعد وقت قصير أعلن عن مقتله.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:49 pm - Jerusalem Time

Haniyeh arrives in Algeria and meets with the Speaker of the Algerian National Assembly

Ismail Haniyeh , head of the political bureau of the "Hamas" movement, met this evening, Wednesday, with the Speaker of the Algerian National Assembly, Saleh Goujil, at the assembly's headquarters upon his arrival in Algiers, at the head of a delegation from the leadership of his movement. A number of members of the National Assembly participated in the meeting.


The delegation included a number of members of the political bureau of the movement, and they are; Khalil Al-Hayyah, Hussam Badran, and Muhammad Nazzal, along with other leaders Osama Hamdan, Sami Abu Zuhri, and its representative in Algeria, Muhammad Othman.


During the meeting, the head of the "Hamas" movement expressed his appreciation and pride in Algeria's leadership and people, and his happiness at being on its land and enjoying the atmosphere of its celebrations of the victory of the great Algerian revolution.


He praised Algeria and President Tebboune's position on the Palestinian people, their national cause, and their efforts towards reconciliation, which resulted in Algeria's declaration of unity.


He emphasized the strong and well-established relationship between the two peoples, and the Algerian Arab and authentic positions on the Palestinian issue.


He pointed out that this visit to Algeria comes in light of a set of changes at the regional and international levels, especially the escalation of the dangers surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts to divide it, and the crimes of the occupation government, which is trying at the same time to proceed with normalization, which poses a threat to the nation, adding that "at the same time, the resistance that The occupation is working to annihilate it in the West Bank, which has become an arena of permanent clashes with the enemy." like he said.


He stressed that the strategy of "Hamas" is based on three priorities, namely: comprehensive resistance, foremost of which is armed resistance, and then arranging the Palestinian house, reiterating his movement's commitment to the Algiers Declaration.


He said, "The third element in this strategy is to strengthen the relationship with the Arab and Islamic nation, including Algeria, which always stands by the Palestinian right."


For his part, Speaker of the National Assembly, Saleh Goujil, affirmed the firm stance towards the Palestinian people struggling for their independence, stressing the Palestinian unity in accordance with the Algiers Declaration, and stressing the need for unity of resistance with political efforts and integration between them.


He affirmed Algeria's position against normalization, and said, "The Algerian president proceeds from the history of the Algerian revolution, and he is one of the most interested in the Palestinian cause and keen on achieving achievement, especially the unity of the Palestinian people."

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:35 pm - Jerusalem Time

"Teachers' Movement": We will not surrender, and we will not return except with our heads held high

The teachers' movement affirmed that if their demands as teachers are met, and as previously agreed upon, it will be announced on the official movement pages, and we will not surrender or return except with our heads held high, announcing the comprehensive strike tomorrow with proof of attendance, then departure.


Al-Hirak said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, "We were contacted to provide an opportunity for initiatives that are in their final touches, but they do not achieve the minimum level of what the Palestinian teacher deserves, and we did not agree to any of them."


He added that the unity of the teachers and their rallying around their movement will bring down all the conspiracies hatched against them, and will lead them to a resounding victory.


The statement also referred to the threat against teachers in Anata, specifically in Dahiyat al-Salam.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

France 24 terminates the work of a Lebanese journalist for "anti-Semitism"

After a two-day controversy, France 24 decided on Wednesday to dismiss an Arabic-speaking journalist who worked for her in Lebanon, on the grounds that she had published anti-Semitic messages in the past on social networks.


In a statement issued by the channel, the channel confirmed that it intends to file a complaint against journalist Joelle Maron , noting that the latter is not among its employees, but rather works for an external production company.


The statement, which was initially published internally to be later published on the channel's website, indicated that three other Arabic-speaking journalists had received warnings on charges of publishing anti-Israel messages.


The channel belongs to France Médias Monde, the public body in charge of French audiovisual media.


The decisions were taken following an internal investigation into the four Arabic-speaking journalists: Joel Maroun, Leila Odeh (reporter in Jerusalem), Dina Abi Saab (reporter in Geneva) and Sharif Bibi.


On Sunday, France 24 announced the temporary suspension of the journalists from work as a "precautionary measure" pending the results of the investigation.


The American non-governmental organization "Camera" had raised suspicions about these four journalists, and then the Simon Wiesenthal Center followed suit, against the background of old content they had published on mass communication networks.


According to "Camera", which was based on screenshots of the screen, Maroun's previous messages stated, "Every Palestinian must kill one Jew and the case is closed," and in another she wished the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler would return to burn some people.


The NGO also unearthed messages to the other three journalists implying anti-Israel bias in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.


"Following the investigation that made it possible to verify the authenticity of the published contents, France 24 informed the production company that Joel Maron works for in Lebanon that the channel had ended all cooperation with this journalist," a statement from the channel said.


The channel indicated that the reasons for the decision are "messages that cannot be tolerated, published in these personal accounts, which contradict the values defended by the international channel stations and are criminally reprehensible," noting that the channel has stations speaking in French, English, Arabic and Spanish.


The channel confirmed that it would "file a complaint" against the journalist "because of the damage to her reputation and the professionalism of the editorial board."


With regard to the three journalists, whom the channel revealed that warnings were addressed to them, "some of their messages published on social networks seemed like positions incompatible with the duty of impartiality stipulated in the group's code of ethics, especially in the principles that set frameworks for personal accounts."


And the channel added, "The personal use of social networks must fully respect this ethical framework, and what is required of these journalists is to adhere to this clearly. Their cooperation with France 24 can continue in this framework."


The statement concluded, "A joint work will be undertaken by the administration and the companies of journalists" affiliated with France Médias Monde "in order to deepen the principles of the charter that set frameworks for the use of the personal accounts of collaborators on social networks."

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

Parents of faith schools in Jerusalem stand in protest against the storming

Jerusalem - "Quds" dot com - Parents of faith schools in occupied Jerusalem organized, on Thursday morning, a vigil in front of their doors.


The vigil came as a protest against the storming of the school by the Israeli Ministry of "Education" staff, yesterday morning, and the search of students' bags in search of the Palestinian curriculum.


Tariq Akash, head of the parents' council in Al-Iman Schools, confirmed to Al-Quds.com that he filed a complaint yesterday with the Israeli police against employees of the Israeli Ministry of Education, who had stormed the schools earlier yesterday and terrorized students and teaching staff.


Akash said, "The complaint was filed with an Israeli police station in Jerusalem, against employees of the ministry, who terrorized students and teaching staff, and threatened them. They questioned the students about the curriculum being taught, and searched their bags, which is not within their jurisdiction."


According to Akash, the employees of the Israeli Ministry of "Education" raided the school and demanded to inspect the building and the number of students, and it is their job to inspect the school buildings technically only. Terrifying students, they threatened teachers and principals, and intimidated them.

Akash indicated that when the parents found out, they came to the schools, and altercations occurred between them and the Israeli Ministry of Education staff, and those staff were told that this was not within their powers, and after that they withdrew from the schools.


Since the beginning of the current academic year, the Israeli Ministry of "Education" has been trying to impose distorted curricula on a number of schools in Jerusalem, and has threatened to close six schools: the Abrahamic College, and five schools affiliated with faith schools. what they want for their children.

SPORT

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Executive Committee of the Arab Sailing Federation holds a meeting in the Sultanate of Oman

The Executive Committee of the Arab Sailing Federation held a meeting in the Wilayat of Musana Sports in the Sultanate of Oman. The Kuwaiti Federation is a second vice-president of the Arab Federation, Dr. Eng. Al-Basil Abdullah Hassan, President of the Egyptian Federation, Third Vice-President of the Arab Federation, Professor Dr. Sarah Hassan Al-Bayeh, Vice-President of the Arab Federation, Mr. Rashid Ibrahim Al-Kindi, President of the Omani Federation, member of the Executive Committee, and Mr. Khaldoun Abu Salim, President of the Palestinian Federation Member of the Executive Committee, and Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Obaidly, Secretary General of the UAE Sailing Federation, member of the Executive Committee.


And attended from the General Secretariat: Mr. Saeed Kamal Zadeh, Secretary General of the Federation, Mr. Noman Rashid Al Hassan, Assistant Secretary General, and Engineer Ahmed Muhammad Ismail Kamel Habash, Treasurer of the Federation, and Mr. Hassan Jassim Al Ali, a member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Federation and a member of the Executive Committee, also attended the meeting.


At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the Federation, Sheikh Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, welcomed the attendees and thanked all members of the Executive Committee for attending and for the success of holding the Arab Sailing Championship in its fifteenth edition for the current year 2022.


Al Khalifa stressed that the main goal of the Arab Federation is to unify our ideas and actions with each other, while he thanked and praised the effort made by the Omani authority to host the Arab championship and the excellent capabilities available for holding the championship and the sufficient time that was made available to the players for training and races and choosing the appropriate stage for holding the championship, which allowed participation A sufficient number of Arab countries, where 11 Arab countries and more than a hundred players participated in this tournament.


During the meeting, the reports of the Union Treasurer on the disbursement items for the years (2021/2022/2023) were discussed, where the reports were presented to the attendees, they reviewed them and decided to adopt them.


In turn, Mr. Khaldoun Abu Salim, member of the Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian Sailing and Rowing Federation, thanked the attendees for inviting him to attend the meeting, given the difficulty of access from the State of Palestine to the Sultanate of Oman.


Abu Salim explained during his speech that there are a set of obstacles facing the Palestinian Federation, so it is in dire need of support in order to develop this sport in the State of Palestine, expressing his happiness that the members of the Arab Sailing Federation are at the heart of one man, while praising the development that is taking place in This system, Abu Salim also thanked the efforts of the Sultanate of Oman, the host country for the championship and the distinguished organization.


During the meeting, Abu Salim reviewed some of the obstacles facing the Palestinian Federation in the practice of marine sports, as he confirmed that the Palestinian Sailing and Rowing Federation includes all marine sports at the level of Palestine and its headquarters is in Gaza City, and the problem facing us is that we do not have any equipment for sailing and there were 4 boats A donation from the State of Qatar, which was bombed by the occupation forces, so we hope that the Federation will be supported by the members of the Federation with boats of all makes.


Abu Salim also called for the need to develop sailing in the State of Palestine, because there are no cadres with great experience, so we want to support and develop these cadres of both sexes.
The members of the committee took a set of decisions, including organizing training courses and courses for referees, and recommending the holding of these training courses on the sidelines of the upcoming Arab championships in order to hold meetings on the sidelines of the championships. The next Arab Championship for sail.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

The occupation forces notify the demolition of residential and agricultural facilities in Tubas

Tubas - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces notified the demolition of several residential and agricultural facilities, southeast of Tubas.


According to local sources, the residential and agricultural facilities belong to the two brothers, Jihad and Khader Muhammad Fahd, in the al-Ras al-Ahmar area. These facilities include three residential tents, in addition to livestock pens with a total area of more than 400 meters.


Earlier today, the occupation forces raided al-Ras al-Ahmar area and the eastern area of Atuf, and proceeded to photograph most of the facilities there.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

A young man was killed in a self-driving accident in Jerusalem

Jerusalem - " Jerusalem " dot com - The young Hamza Yaghmour (19 years old) was killed, last night, as a result of a self- driving accident in occupied Jerusalem .' class='highlighted-tag'> occupied Jerusalem .


According to local sources, the accident occurred on a motorcycle near the town of Issawiya, east of occupied Jerusalem .

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

Suppression forces storm section (12) of "Ofer" prison

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The oppressive forces of the Israeli occupation prison administration, today, Monday, stormed section (12) in "Ofer" prison.


Hassan Abed Rabbo, spokesman for the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs, said, "The forces of repression stormed Section (12) and launched extensive searches, and tampered with the prisoners' personal belongings."


It is noteworthy that the number of prisoners in Ofer prison is about 900.


The oppression units of the occupation prisons administration, which include soldiers with strong bodies and experience who served in various military units in the occupation army, and its members received special training to suppress and abuse prisoners, using various weapons, including knives, batons, tear gas, and electrical devices that cause burns. In the body, weapons that fire incendiary bullets, internationally banned "dumdum" bullets, and strange bullets that cause severe pain.


Source / Wafa Agency

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

The occupation forces launch a campaign of arrests in the West Bank

Governorates - "Al-Quds" dot com - The Israeli occupation forces launched, at dawn and Monday morning, a campaign of arrests among citizens in separate areas of the West Bank .


According to local sources, these forces arrested the young man, Jihad Abu Hamid, brother of the captive martyr Nasser, and also arrested the liberators Fadi Abu Aita, Rami Eid from Al-Amari camp, and Moaz Jabara from Turmusaya.


From Nablus, the young men were arrested: Amid Al-Tiraqi, Mujahid Mabrouka, Amr Al-Shami, and the editor, Samer Abu Ayyash.


The editor, Yahya Harb, from Iskaka in Salfit, and Muhammad Omar Abdel Razeq, from the same governorate, were arrested.

Muhammad Ghatashah, from Al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron, and Nour Abu Aisha, from the same governorate, were arrested.


While Ahmed Faraj and Muhammad Abed Rabbo were arrested from Aida camp, north of Bethlehem.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

Hamas: The settlement projects are a flagrant violation of international resolutions

Gaza - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Monday, Hamas considered the decision of the so-called board of directors of the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, which is established east of Jerusalem, a project to establish a tourist hotel and a water city, as a "new crime, and a flagrant violation of all international norms and decisions rejecting the occupation's settlement projects, which The most recent was the resolution issued by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, calling for a complete cessation of all forms of settlement and related activities.

Muhammad Hamadeh, Hamas spokesman for the city of Jerusalem, reiterated his movement's rejection and condemnation of all the settlement and Judaization occupation projects in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

Hamada promised that it was "a desperate attempt by the Zionist government, which will not succeed in controlling the city of Jerusalem, Judaizing it, changing its features, and separating it from its Palestinian extension."

He held the occupation fully responsible for the repercussions of the escalation of its aggression against the Palestinian land, people, and sanctities, saying: "Our people stationed in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa will remain steadfast on their land, defending their sanctities, until the end of the occupation."

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

Tunisia intends to return a child who arrived in Italy without her parents through illegal immigration

Tunisia - (AFP) - The Tunisian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that they intend to return a four-year-old girl who arrived in Italy about two weeks ago in an illegal immigration process on a boat without her parents.


The family consisting of the father, mother, and a seven-year-old son, in addition to the girl, was supposed to participate in the migration journey that started from the coastal “Sayada” region in the east of the country, but “the father handed the girl over to one of the smugglers on board the boat and returned to help his wife and son, but the boat set off.” He arrived on the island of Lampedusa," according to what the "Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights," the organization that follows up the immigration file in Tunisia, told AFP.


The Ministry of the Family said in a statement on Wednesday that the Tunisian state "is keen to ensure the best interest of this child and to complete the necessary measures to secure her return to the homeland in safe conditions and as soon as possible."


On Friday, a Tunisian diplomatic mission will meet with the Italian family judge in charge of the case, according to the ministry.


The official spokesman for the Monastir court, Farid Ben Jahha, confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the judiciary had released the parents after they were detained last week, and had arrested the owner of the boat that transported the migrants.


The girl's parents work as street vendors on the Tunisian coast and paid 24,000 dinars (about 7,500 euros) to the smuggler in return for participating in the crossing, according to the Ministry of Interior.


Forum statistics show that from the beginning of this year until last August, 2,635 minors, including 1,832 without family accompaniment, managed to reach the Italian coast.


In recent days, 1,366 smugglers, including Tunisians and foreigners, have been arrested, according to the Interior Ministry.


The Tunisian authorities are finding it difficult to intercept or rescue migrants due to a lack of equipment.


With the improvement of weather conditions, irregular migration attempts are increasing from the Tunisian and Libyan coasts towards Italy, sometimes ending in drowning incidents.


Tunisia is experiencing an acute political and economic crisis, as poverty increases among its population of about 12 million.


The latest official figures reveal that more than 22,500 migrants have been intercepted off the Tunisian coast since the beginning of this year, including about 11,000 from sub-Saharan African countries.


In early September, 12 Tunisians died when their boat sank off the eastern coast of the country.


The security and military authorities daily rescue and intercept dozens of immigrants trying to reach the European coasts in boats that are often rickety.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

On the anniversary of the battle of "Saif al-Quds"... the provocative march of flags reopens wounds

Qalqilya - "Jerusalem" dot com - Mustafa Sabri - The insistence of the right-wing government of Occupation Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to organize a provocative flag march, this Sunday evening, from the place of the occupation municipality to the Hebron Gate, all the way to the historic Damascus Gate, passing through the center of the Old City from Al-Wad Road to The Al-Buraq Wall Square recalls the battle of "Saif Al-Quds" last year, which culminated in the first missile attack on Jerusalem at six o'clock in the evening of the month of Ramadan at the time.


Jerusalemites and retreaters who lived through the first blow of the Battle of the "Saif al-Quds" talked about the details of that day, and how thousands of settlers disappeared from the streets and the Western Wall square, which remained empty, leaving only snipers from the occupation army units above the Tanzi school that overlooks Al-Aqsa Mosque and its squares.


Al-Maqdisi Moataz Sagheer says: "I remember those moments when I was next to the clinic in Al-Aqsa Mosque, which overlooks the roof of Al-Marwani Mosque, and as soon as the sixth hour struck, we heard the warning sirens resounding in the sky of the city of Jerusalem, and moments later, the sound of the missile was heard near the Hebrew University opposite Al-Aqsa, And then shouts of takbeer rose up among the ranks of those in i'tikaf and the stationed."


Sugheir added: "At that time, we felt as if the spirit had entered the place, as we were in a bad psychological state and the music of the march of flags was loud in the place, and we were in a state of distress, as they were challenging everyone who was in Al-Aqsa in this march, and they were provoking us by deploying snipers and an intense presence." occupation forces at the gates of the mosque.


And he continued: "The sound of the missile was like the nutrient that is placed in the vein to resuscitate the patient, and cheers were raised in the Al-Aqsa square, and the soldiers and the occupation police prepared to suppress us. We are euphoric and happy."


He pointed out that those stationed in Al-Aqsa saw on social media how the settlers dispersed after lying on the ground for fear of rockets, and Al-Buraq Square remained completely empty of settlers, police and intelligence personnel.


As for the Palestinian retreater from the inside, Ziad Akoush, from Haifa, he says, "I remember the battle of Saif al-Quds in its details, as I and my family were near the Dome of the Rock preparing to break the fast during the month of Ramadan. Moments later, the sound of the missile coming from Gaza, followed by mass takbeers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.


Akoush added, "Those moments cannot be forgotten, and today the settlers are preparing for the same provocative scene in a march to Judaize Jerusalem and claim that it is their unified capital."


Ziad, one of the guards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, says, "The Battle of Saif Al-Quds was a decisive battle, and I witnessed panic, fear, and the mass flight of the settlers and the police who disappeared from the place after they reveled and gathered their numbers to suppress the stationed and the Mu'tikafin. This battle was a lever for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the march did not take place." As it was planned, and the war was on the Gaza Strip and on the Jerusalemites at the same time, the occupation police carried out arrest operations for the mosque guards and those in retreat, and in the neighborhoods of the Old City of Jerusalemites.


It is noteworthy that the march of flags is organized by settler groups claiming to unite the city after occupying the eastern part in 1967, and completely demolishing the Moroccan Quarter under the pretext of expanding the Al-Buraq Wall square. The Joint Operations Room is in permanent session to monitor field developments and the provocative march of flags, and the situation may explode suddenly if the settlers and the occupation government insist on the passage of the march through the Damascus Gate.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Dozens of settlers storm Al-Aqsa

Jerusalem - "Jerusalem" dot com - Dozens of settlers stormed, on Tuesday morning, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque , under the strict protection of the occupation police.


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


Settler groups storm Al-Aqsa on a daily basis, except for Friday and Saturday.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Syrian Democratic Forces announce the killing of eight of its members in the Turkish bombing of Al-Hol camp

Beirut - (AFP) - The Syrian Democratic Forces announced Thursday that eight of its fighters were killed in a Turkish bombardment that targeted Wednesday night the protection sites of Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, where tens of thousands of displaced people and members of the families of the Islamic State reside.


The US-backed forces led by Kurdish fighters said in a statement that the Turkish raids led to "the martyrdom of eight of our fighters who carry out the tasks of protecting the camp" located in the farthest province of Hasakah.


On Wednesday night, Turkish warplanes targeted sites belonging to the camp's protection elements with five strikes, according to a Kurdish spokesman, which sparked panic inside the camp, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.


On Wednesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces warned of an attempt to escape some families in the camp, which houses more than 50,000 people, about half of whom are Iraqis, including 11,000 foreigners from about 60 countries who are staying in their own section.


On Sunday, Turkey launched, within the framework of what it calls Operation "Claw Sword", a series of air strikes and continuous artillery bombardment against the positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and the Kurdish People's Protection Units in northeastern Syria.


Ankara holds the two parties, despite their denials, responsible for the November 13 explosion in Istanbul, which killed six people and wounded 81.


On Thursday, according to the Observatory, Turkey launched artillery shelling on several areas in Al-Hasakah Governorate (northeast) and Aleppo Governorate (north), targeting a point of the regime forces east of the city of Kobani (Ayn Al-Arab), without recording any casualties.


The Observatory's director, Rami Abdel Rahman, reported "relative calm" on Thursday, with an almost cessation of Turkish air strikes, after Wednesday's escalation with Ankara's concentrated targeting of infrastructure, oil and gas facilities, and military targets.


The Turkish bombardment, according to the Observatory, since dawn on Sunday, has killed 35 Kurdish forces and 23 members of the Syrian regime forces. A Kurdish journalist was also killed.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, "We will continue our air operations non-stop and will enter the territory of the terrorists when we see fit."


He specified his main objectives, speaking of the areas of "Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ayn al-Arab" (Kobani in Kurdish), with the aim of securing Turkey's southern borders by establishing a safe area 30 km deep.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Four members loyal to Iran were killed in the Israeli bombing near Damascus

Beirut - (AFP) - Four members loyal to Iran were killed in the Israeli bombardment that targeted, after midnight, Wednesday, Thursday, points in the vicinity of Damascus , according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.


And the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement at night, quoting a military source, that "at about 00:30 in the morning today, the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction of the occupied Palestinian territories, targeting some points in the vicinity of the city of Damascus."


"Our air defenses intercepted the aggression's missiles and shot down some of them, and the losses were limited to material," it added, without clarifying what the targeted sites were.


The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in turn, reported that the Israeli strikes targeted "weapons and ammunition depots and headquarters of Iranian-backed militias a few kilometers from Damascus International Airport," noting that the bombing killed four fighters loyal to Iran.


This is the third strikes of its kind within a week.


On Friday, Israeli air strikes targeted points in the vicinity of Damascus, and were repeated again on Monday during the day, resulting in the injury of one soldier.


Over the past years, Israel launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria, targeting Syrian army sites and Iranian and Hezbollah targets.


Israel rarely confirms the implementation of strikes in Syria, but it repeats that it will continue to confront what it describes as Iran's attempts to consolidate its military presence in Syria.


Syria has been witnessing a bloody conflict since 2011, which has killed about half a million people, caused massive damage to infrastructure, and led to the displacement of millions of people inside and outside the country.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Fears of losing more.. The death of a cancer patient in Gaza who was prevented by the occupation from traveling for treatment

غزة – “القدس” دوت كوم – أكد المركز الفلسطيني لحقوق الإنسان، اليوم الأربعاء، وفاة المريض حسن أحمد الخرطي (62 عامًا)، والذي كان يعاني من ورم سرطاني في الحنجرة واللسان، أمس الثلاثاء، بعد منع الاحتلال له من السفر عبر حاجز بيت حانون “إيرز” إلى مستشفى المقاصد بالقدس المحتلة لتلقي العلاج.

وبحسب المركز، فإن الخرطي حصل على تحويلة لاستكمال العلاج في مستشفى المقاصد، وقدمت دائرة التنسيق والارتباط في وزارة الصحة طلبًا له بالسفر بتاريخ 27/5/2021، إلا أن سلطات الاحتلال لم توافق عليه.

ووفقًا لمتابعات المركز، فقد أغلقت السلطات الإسرائيلية معبر بيت حانون “إيرز” بتاريخ 11/5/2021، تزامنًا مع بدء العدوان الحربي على قطاع غزة، ومنعت مرور كافة الفئات المحدودة التي كانت تسمح بمرورها، ومن ضمنها المرضى، المحولين للعلاج في الخارج.

وبعد انتهاء العدوان أعلنت السلطات المحتلة أنها ستسمح بمرور الحالات العاجلة “إنقاذ الحياة”، غير أن الواقع يشير إلى أن سلطات الاحتلال رفضت الاستجابة لعشرات الطلبات التي قدمتها دائرة التنسيق والارتباط في وزارة الصحة لمرضى يعانون من أمراض خطيرة، ولا يوجد علاج لهم في مستشفيات قطاع غزة، ومحولين للعلاج في المستشفيات الإسرائيلية ومستشفيات الضفة الغربية والقدس المحتلة والخارج.

ولم تسمح سلطات الاحتلال بمرور سوى 13 مريضًا، من أصل 191 طلبًا، تقدمت دائرة التنسيق والارتباط في وزارة الصحة بها للسلطات الإسرائيلية خلال الفترة 25-30/5/2021.

وتلقى المركز شكاوى من مرضى أو جرحى تعرضوا للإصابة خلال فترة العدوان على قطاع غزة، يطالبون فيها بالتدخل العاجل لضمان سفرهم لتلقي العلاج في الخارج بعد أن تدهورت أوضاعهم الصحية وعجزت مستشفيات القطاع عن تقديم العلاج لهم.

ونجح المركز في انتزاع موافقات بسفر 5 مرضى وجرحى، من ذوي الحالات الخطيرة، بعد أن رفع شكاوى للجهات القانونية، والنيابة العامة الإسرائيلية.

كما تقدم المركز باعتراض للجهات القانونية الإسرائيلية المختصة حول منع المرضى من السفر، وهو الآن بانتظار الرد.

وبين المركز، أن من ضمن المرضى الممنوعين حاليًا من السفر لتلقي أو استكمال علاجهم في مستشفيات خارج قطاع غزة نحو 8700 مريض بالسرطان، لا يتوفر لهم البديل العلاجي المكتمل والملائم في مشافي القطاع، وتتطلب أوضاعهم الصحية الحصول على الجرعات الكيماوية والعلاج الإشعاعي بشكل دوري، حيث يعاني هؤلاء من تدهور أوضاعهم الصحية، وهناك خشية حقيقية على حياة العشرات منهم إن لم يتمكنوا من السفر فورًا لاستكمال بروتوكولاتهم العلاجية.

وقال المركز، إن هذه القيود تترافق مع ما تعانيه المنظومة الصحية في قطاع غزة من تدهور خطير ناجم عن سياسة الحصار الذي تفرضه سلطات الاحتلال الإسرائيلية على القطاع منذ 14 عامًا، وناتج أيضًا عن تداعيات الانقسام الفلسطيني الداخلي، كما تعاني المرافق الطبية من نقص دائم في قائمة الأدوية الأساسية، والأجهزة الطبية، ونقص الكادر الطبي المتخصص، وهو ما أدى إلى عجز المستشفيات عن علاج العديد من الأمراض الخطيرة، وبالتالي ارتفاع عدد المرضى المحولين للعلاج في الخارج خلال الأعوام الأخيرة.

وجاء العدوان الحربي الإسرائيلي ليفاقم الأوضاع الصحية ويزيد من الأعباء الملقاة على الطواقم الطبية والمنظومة الطبية، نتيجة اكتظاظ المستشفيات وغرف العناية المركزة بمئات الجرحى، الذين تعرضوا للإصابة خلال عمليات القصف الإسرائيلي.

وبلغت الحصيلة الإجمالية لضحايا العدوان الإسرائيلي (247) شهيدًا، بينهم (66) طفلاً و(39) امرأة، و(1417) مصابًا، بينهم (277) طفلاً و(412) امرأة.

ووفقاً لمصادر وزارة الصحة، فإن المستشفيات والمراكز الطبية في قطاع غزة تعاني حاليًا نقصًا خطيرًا بلغ 45 بالمائة، من قائمة الأدوية الأساسية، و33 بالمائة، من المستهلكات الطبية، و56 بالمائة من لوازم المختبرات وبنوك الدم.

كما تتزامن هذه القيود مع تفاقم أزمة الكهرباء جراء توقف عمل محطة توليد الكهرباء بسبب حظر السلطات الإسرائيلية المحتلة توريد الوقود اللازم لتشغيلها، بما يمثل من تهديد لوقف الخدمة العلاجية لمئات المرضى، من بينهم مرضى السرطان.

وقال المركز الفلسطيني لحقوق الإنسان، إنه يتابع بقلق شديد استمرار سلطات الاحتلال الإسرائيلية منع مرضى قطاع غزة، الذين يعانون أمراضًا خطيرة، من السفر للعلاج خارج القطاع.

ويخشى المركز من انعكاس ذلك على حياة مئات المرضى، وخاصة الذين يعانون من الأورام السرطانية ولا يوجد لهم علاج في مستشفيات القطاع.

واعتبر المركز أن استمرار إغلاق معبر بيت حانون “إيرز” يمثل شكلاً من أشكال العقوبات الجماعية وأعمال الانتقام التي تقترفها قوات الاحتلال ضد المدنيين الفلسطينيين.

ودعا المركز الفلسطيني لحقوق الإنسان، المجتمع الدولي إلى الضغط على السلطات المحتلة من أجل فتح معبر بيت حانون، والسماح بخروج المرضى ومرافقيهم والمصابين للعلاج خارج قطاع غزة، مطالبًا السلطات الإسرائيلية بالإقلاع عن استخدام سياسة العقوبات الجماعية التي تفرضها على سكان القطاع، ومن بينها إغلاق المعابر، والتي تؤدي إلى تدهور خطير في تمتع السكان المدنيين بحقوقهم الاقتصادية والاجتماعية.

ECONOMY

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Bank of Palestine and the European Bank are preparing to launch the climate change risks conference

Ramallah- “Jerusalem” dot com- Bank of Palestine , in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is preparing to launch the activities of the first conference under the slogan “Climate Change Risks and the Role of the Financial Sector in Reducing them by Adopting Environmentally Friendly Policies”. Its activities will start on the 8th of this December at the Abdul Mohsen Qattan Foundation in Ramallah, in the presence and participation of the Governor of the Monetary Authority, Dr. Firas Mohalim, Hashim Shawa, President of the Bank of Palestine Group, Heika Harmgart, Regional Director for the Middle East at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Dr. Nisreen Al-Tamimi, Head of the Environmental Quality Authority, in addition to a group of speakers, local and international experts and specialists in various economic and development sectors, including local, Arab and international financial and banking institutions, the most important of which are: the Central Bank of Morocco, the Commercial International Bank of Egypt, and the Turkish Bank.


The conference will discuss a number of issues related to the risks of climate change and the role of the financial sector in reducing them, as well as its impact on various aspects of economic, developmental, financial, agricultural and environmental life, and discuss the challenges and obstacles facing our society through the search for radical solutions to reduce the risks of climate change.


From his side, Bank of Palestine Group Chairman Hashem Shawa said that our organization of this conference aims primarily to discuss the effects of climate change on our entire lives, including the banking sector, which bases its operations on knowledge of environmental economics, prevention of environmental pollution, and resource depletion. Reducing environmental decline, and identifying the adverse impact of human activities on the climate and various sectors, to ensure economic growth and sustainable development.


Shawa stressed the important role of the banking sector in facing the repercussions of the impact of climate change on the economy in its various sectors, adding that the Bank of Palestine Group, since adopting the sustainability approach in all its banking and financial operations, has attached special importance to the issue of climate change, in addition to preserving and protecting the environment from By promoting the concept of green economy, in addition to sponsoring many different environmental projects and initiatives in partnership with many local and international institutions.


In turn, Heika Harmgart, Regional Director for the Middle East at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, said: “We are proud to launch the first conference of its kind on climate risk management for the Palestinian financial sector. We look forward to having insightful discussions on this topic with the participation of our local counterparts, including the Palestinian Monetary Authority.” And the Environmental Quality Authority.As well as through the speeches of the regional and international participants.This conference will be only the starting point, and we hope to work with our partner financial institutions to create a greener and more sustainable future for the Palestinian economy."


It is noteworthy that the convening of the conference comes in light of the climatic changes the world is witnessing, which have cast a shadow over various aspects of economic, developmental and agricultural life, including the banking sector, which necessitates standing and uniting in the face of these challenges by searching for radical solutions to reduce the risks of climate change.


ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Zelensky asks donors for 38 billion dollars, and Russia bombs Bakhmut

Kiev ( Ukraine ) - (AFP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called on the international community to make financial efforts to cover the expected budget deficit for his country next year, amounting to $38 billion, due to the Russian invasion.


Meanwhile, Russian heavy bombardment targeted the city of Bakhmut, located in the Donbass region (east), where AFP correspondents saw the smoke of fierce battles rising between Moscow's forces and the Ukrainian army, which is trying to repel them.


The pro-Russian authorities in the city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine, which is currently controlled by Moscow forces, said that a car bomb exploded near the offices of a local media, wounding five people.


During an international conference devoted to the reconstruction of Ukraine, Zelensky urged European leaders to provide greater financial support to his country, more than eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his forces to Ukraine.


"At this very conference, a decision should be taken on aid covering Ukraine's budget deficit next year," Zelensky said in a video call, adding, "It is a very large amount, a deficit of 38 billion dollars."


For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the reconstruction of Ukraine will be a "generational task" that should begin immediately, even if the Russian invasion continues.


And he believed that the matter "is nothing less than a new Marshall Plan for the twenty-first century, a generational task that must begin now."


Pushed back from Kiev at the start of the invasion and from the Kharkiv region to the north-east, Russian forces set their sights on capturing swaths of the Donbass, the industrial region to the east.


In Bakhmut, a town that the Russians have been seeking to control for weeks, an AFP correspondent saw smoke rising despite the heavy rain, and a Ukrainian missile shooting down a Russian drone.


A 28-year-old soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told AFP that Ukrainian forces had made gains in the area overnight, but declined to provide further details.


Seven civilians were killed and three injured in the town known for making wine and salt mines a day earlier, the regional governor announced on Tuesday.


Governor Pavlo Kirilenko confirmed the discovery of the bodies of three civilians killed earlier, in two locations in the region, which has been witnessing intense fighting with the Russian army for months.


In a residential neighborhood in Bakhmut, AFP correspondents saw bloodstains on the ground in the aftermath of what residents described as a bloody attack a day earlier.


"I saw here a body without a head. I am shocked," said Sergey, 58, adding, "It was just a man walking down the street."


Donetsk, the region to the east and includes Bakhmut, is one of four Ukrainian regions declared annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and applying martial law.


However, the Ukrainian forces were able to a large extent to repel Moscow's advance towards Bakhmut, while in the Kherson region (south) it is getting closer to its largest city.


Russian-backed authorities said on Tuesday that more than 22,000 citizens had fled the town and nearby areas to the left bank of the Dnipro River, following calls to turn away from the Ukrainian advance.


On the road to Kherson from Ukrainian-controlled areas, two friends, who had worked before the war as bus drivers, sat in a ditch.


One of them, 51, said, "We go that way under fire and we come back that way under gunfire."


The sunflower fields do not provide a cache of the Russian bombs and missiles that the two men were expecting to fall any minute.


A 40-kilometre road from Mykolaiv, which is controlled by government forces, to Kherson, occupied by Russian forces, will be necessary for Ukraine's efforts to restore the link to the Sea of Azov and cut off Russia's land connection to Crimea.


Further east, in Melitopol, Russian-appointed authorities announced that a car bomb exploded, injuring five people, near the offices of the media group Zamedia. Pictures showed a gray building with its windows blown out and smoldering rubble on the ground.


There was no confirmation or denial from Kiev of the responsibility of its forces for the bombing.


"This is what heating should be like in the premises of the conspirators and propagandists. And it will get hotter," the exiled Ukrainian authorities of Melitopol said on social media.


Kiev officials hinted on social media of official Ukrainian support for previous attacks in Moscow-controlled areas, including an attack earlier this month on the only bridge linking Russia with Moscow-annexed Crimea.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Occupation forces demolish a house near Tuqu'

Bethlehem - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Tuesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces demolished a house in the Al-Manshiya area near the town of Tuqu' , south of Bethlehem, under the pretext of not having a permit.


According to local sources, the house belongs to Amin Al-Rajabi, and its area is 100 square meters.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Palestine objected to the International Parliament to the presence of a representative of Israel in the Anti-Terrorism Committee

The State of Palestine , represented by the National Council, submitted a written objection to the office of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, strongly protesting Israel's presence in the Committee for Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism within the European Community.


The European Geopolitical Group in the International Parliament, to which Israel belongs, had recommended the Israeli Danny Danon for membership in the committee, succeeding Avi Dichter, who left it a year after joining it after his appointment as Minister of Agriculture in the fascist government of Benjamin Netanyahu.


In a speech during the meetings of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Vice-President of the National Council, Musa Hadid, confirmed that when the senior advisory group for combating terrorism and violent extremism was formed, we hoped that it would do justice to the victims of terrorism and work to reduce terrorism and extremism, unless The presence of the representative of Israel in this body undermines the purpose for which he was raised.


Hadid added that the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) is controlled by a group of terrorist settlers who have established gangs that adopt and practice terrorism as an approach and call for the extermination of the Palestinian people, and some of them are wanted for justice in the occupying state itself, in addition to that the Israeli parliament is the first and last responsible for a number of laws Racism, which in its contents represents the true meaning of terrorism and extremism, such as the law of the Jewishness of the state and seeking to approve the law of executing Palestinian prisoners and other laws.


Hadid stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, represents the highest degree of terrorism and violation of human rights, and continues to deny hundreds of UN resolutions without deterrence or accountability.


He said, "Israel seeks, through its presence in this committee, to impunity, to cover up its organized terrorism (state terrorism) against the defenseless Palestinian people, to obtain a certificate of innocence from the terrorism it practices, and to expose the set of values and principles on which this union of ours is based to accountability and danger." This is something we must all reject."


Source: The official news agency "Wafa"

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Russia bans more European personalities from entering its territory

MOSCOW (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday banned more people from European Union countries from entering Russia in response to their anti-country actions.


Among those newly blacklisted are representatives of European manufacturers of weapons and military equipment that supplied Ukraine and some lawmakers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the ministry said in a statement.


The Russian side did not specify the identity of those subject to the travel ban.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

In an arbitrary measure, Facebook shuts down the "Al-Quds" website

Ramallah - "Al-Quds" dot com - Facebook closed the "Al-Quds" newspaper's website in an arbitrary measure aimed at silencing voices that publish facts without falsification or incitement, leaving the reader to judge that.


This arbitrary measure comes against the “Al-Quds” website to prevent its followers, who number up to ten million followers per day, from viewing the local, Israeli, Arab and international news that the website publishes without bias to any side or incitement against any side as well, but rather with the testimony of the website’s followers. What he publishes is realistic and reflects the Palestinian, Arab and international reality.


Palestinian, Arab and international media sites have denounced what Facebook has done against the "Al-Quds" website, and demanded that it be reopened so that its followers and participants can view the facts without obstacles or hindrances.


The "Al-Quds" website is a neutral site, at the same distance from all local, Arab and international countries, forces, parties, and organizations. It has won more than once that it is considered one of the important and realistic sites.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Kurdish Autonomous Administration in Syria handed Iraq over hundreds of relatives of fighters linked to the "Islamic State" organization

Beirut - (AFP) - The Kurdish self-administration region in Syria handed over to Iraq more than 600 relatives of suspected jihadist fighters who were being held in al-Hol camp, according to what the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a Kurdish security source said Tuesday.


"The Iraqi government has transferred 161 families, including 659 people, from Al-Hol camp to Iraq," the Observatory reported.
According to the Observatory, these Iraqi families left Al-Hol camp in the countryside of Al-Hasakah towards their country, in coordination between the Baghdad government and the Kurdish "Autonomous Administration".


Al-Hol camp is located less than ten kilometers from the Iraqi border.


A security source in the Autonomous Administration told AFP on condition of anonymity, "Today... Iraqi families left... 634 people crossed through the Al-Faw crossing."


Al-Hol camp houses about 56,000 people, and it is the largest among a number of camps established in northeastern Syria, where relatives of suspected jihadist fighters are held, most of whom are women and children.


The United Nations reported more than 100 killings in the camp in 18 months.


Last month, the Kurdish security forces announced the arrest of more than 220 people as a result of a three-week security operation against groups affiliated with the Islamic State in the overcrowded al-Hol camp.


In a statement, the Kurdish forces (Asayish) stated that the security operation had "completed" with the arrest of "226 people, including 36 extremist women, who participated in the killings and intimidation" that the camp witnessed in recent months.


It said it found "25 trenches and tunnels" and confiscated weapons, torture tools and communications equipment.


The Kurdish authorities appeal to countries to recover their nationals and "not leave them vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment" by the organization.


Despite repeated calls and warnings by international organizations of "catastrophic" conditions, especially in Al-Hol camp, most countries refuse to take back their citizens. Nor did it respond to the Autonomous Administration's call for the establishment of an international tribunal to try the jihadists in its prisons.


Earlier this year, the Iraqi News Agency quoted the spokesman for the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, Ali Abbas Jahangir, as saying that "500 families were scheduled to be transferred from Al-Hol camp this year" in batches.

ECONOMY

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Tunisia's trade deficit increased by 58.8% in 11 months

تونس - (شينخوا) سجل العجز التجاري لتونس ارتفاعا بنسبة 58.8 بالمائة خلال الأشهر الـ11 الأولى من العام الجاري مقارنة بنفس الفترة من العام الماضي، بحسب ما أفاد اليوم (الثلاثاء) المعهد الوطني التونسي للإحصاء.


وأظهرت بيانات المعهد الإحصائية، وهو مؤسسة حكومية، أن قيمة العجز التجاري لتونس خلال هذه الفترة بلغت 23.281 مليار دينار (7.275 مليار دولار) مقابل 14.653 مليار دينار (4.579 مليار دولار) خلال نفس الفترة من العام الماضي.


وأشارت إلى أن نسبة تغطية الواردات بالصادرات تراجعت بـ5.1 نقطة بالمقارنة مع النتائج المُسجلة خلال نفس الفترة من العام الماضي لتصل بذلك إلى مستوى 69.1 بالمائة.


ولفت المعهد في المقابل إلى أن المبادلات التجارية لتونس حافظت في نهاية الأشهر الـ11 من العام الجاري على المنحى التصاعدي مع تسجيل حركية أكبر للواردات، حيث ارتفعت الصادرات بنسبة 24 بالمائة، مقابل 20.4 بالمائة خلال نفس الفترة من سنة 2021.


وبلغت قيمة هذه الصادرات 52.164 مليار دينار (16.301 مليار دولار)، مقابل 42.069 مليار دينار (13.146 مليار دولار) خلال نفس الفترة من سنة 2021، بينما ارتفعت الواردات بنسبة 33 بالمائة مقابل زيادة بـ21.7 بالمائة في نهاية شهر نوفمبر 2021.


وبلغ قيمة الواردات 75.445 مليار دينار (23.576 مليار دولار)، مقابل 56.723 مليار دينار (17.725 مليار دولار) خلال نفس الفترة من العام الماضي.


ويعود الارتفاع المسجل على مستوى صادرات البلاد إلى تحسن أداء العديد من القطاعات، ومنها قطاع الفوسفات ومشتقاته الذي سجل ارتفاعا بنسبة 50.4 بالمائة، وقطاع المنتجات الزراعية والغذائية 35.3 بالمائة وقطاع النسيج والملابس والجلد بنسبة 21.4 بالمائة، وقطاع الصناعات الميكانيكية والكهربائية بنسبة 14.6 بالمائة.


أما ارتفاع الواردات فهو يعود بالأساس إلى تطور واردات البلاد من جملة من المواد الأساسية، منها الطاقة 87 بالمائة والمواد الأولية ونصف المصنعة 35.8 بالمائة ومواد التجهيز 12.5 بالمائة وكذلك المواد الاستهلاكية بنسبة 14 بالمائة .

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Pentagon is working to reduce the rank of the US security coordinator with Palestine

Washington - "Jerusalem" dot com - Saeed Erekat - The American Axios website revealed that four current and former Israeli officials and officials revealed to the site that the US Department of Defense (The Pentagon) is considering downgrading the rank of the person responsible for security coordination with the Palestinian Authority from the rank of three-star brigade to the rank of colonel. .


The site says: "The US State Department and the Israeli Ministry of Defense are concerned that such a decision could harm security cooperation between the United States and Palestine, and damage security coordination between Israeli and Palestinian officials as tensions escalate in the occupied West Bank."


General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in recent months laid out a plan to reduce the number of generals and admirals under the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, current and former US officials say.


The Trump administration had decided (in 2017) that a large part of the reduction should come from reducing the number of US generals and admirals deployed at bases and positions around the world.


According to the site, "the plan includes downgrading the rank of the US security coordinator with the Palestinians from the rank of three-star brigade to the rank of colonel, and the ranks of the US military attaches in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will also be reduced, according to current and former US officials."


The position of the US Security Coordinator (USSC) was created in 2005 in an effort to rebuild and reform the Palestinian security services after the second intifada, and the coordinator has always been a three-star US general reporting to the Secretary of State and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as rank allows. The Coordinator has direct access to the top military and political echelons of the United States, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority.


The Security Coordinator's team also includes military experts from eight different NATO countries.


According to the site, US officials (from the State Department) were opposed to the Pentagon's plan, especially with regard to the issue of the position of the USSC coordinator with the Palestinians, but also regarding other positions in the Middle East. Secretary of State Tony Blinken sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirming his ministry's reservations about the plan, and the US ambassador to Israel, Tom Naides, urged the Pentagon not to implement the plan and asked other senior officials, including CIA Director Bill Burns, give your opinion.


According to the site's report, the current US security coordinator, Lieutenant General (Major General) Michael Wenzel, said in a closed session at a think tank in Washington several weeks ago that he was concerned that the job cut might harm the mission and damage security coordination between Israel and Palestine.


Colin Kahl, the US undersecretary of defense for policy, is expected to present Austin later this week with various options for retaining the National Security Council and other positions in the Middle East, said a former US official.


A senior Israeli official told the site that the Israeli government is also concerned about the repercussions of the plan. The Palestinians also object to it.


Dan Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel, who is currently serving as a distinguished fellow in Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council, said, “At a time when Israelis, Palestinians, and many Arab countries are searching for signs that the United States remains committed to the region, the downgrading of the Council The security of the United States and other regional military attaches is meaningless."


Shapiro told the site that the US National Security Council, in particular, continues to play a critical role in maintaining Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation.


"Especially on the eve of President Biden's first trip to the region, it would send exactly the wrong message," he said.


The Biden administration seems to understand that, Shapiro added, "There are clear efforts under way to reverse these unwise decisions that they inherited."

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

A delegation from An-Najah University visits Abu Dhabi University and discusses enhancing joint cooperation


نظمت جامعة النجاح الوطنية، اليوم الأربعاء، زيارةً إلى جامعة أبوظبي في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة لبحث آفاق التعاون والتواصل المشترك بين الجامعتين.


وحضر اللقاء من جامعة أبو ظبي مدير الجامعة للشؤون الإدارية والمالية د. حمد العضابي وبحضور من الهيئتين الإدارية والأكاديمية للجامعة ممثلة بكل من الأستاذ الدكتور فيليب هامل نائب مدير الجامعة المشارك، والدكتور سريثي باير عميد كلية الآداب والعلوم، والبروفيسور باري اوماهوني عميد كلية إدارة الأعمال، وسالم الظاهري المدير التنفيذي للعلاقات المجتمعية، بالإضافة إلى عدد من أعضاء الهيئة التدريسية والإدارية فيها.


ورحب د العضابي بوفد جامعة النجاح الذي ضم كلا من نائب رئيس جامعة النجاح للشؤون الأكاديمية د.عبد السلام الخياط، ومدير مركز الإعلام في الجامعة المهندس غازي مرتجى، ومدير مركز التعليم المستمر ومركز التميز في التعلم والتعليم د.محمد صباح، وعمار الكردي رئيس نادي الصداقة الإماراتي الفلسطيني.


وأشاد د. العضابي بجامعة النجاح وإنجازاتها على المستويات كافة وحرصها الدائم على تعزيز العلاقات مع الجامعات العربية، كما تحدث عن جامعة أبوظبي والكليات التي تضمها ومن ضمنها كلية الآداب والعلوم، وكلية إدارة الأعمال، وكلية القانون وكلية الهندسة، وكلية العلوم الصحية.


من جهته، شكر د. الخياط إدارة جامعة أبوظبي على حسن الاستقبال، وتحدث عن إنجازات جامعة النجاح، وتصدرها للعديد من التصنيفات العالمية والعربية للجامعات، وحرصها على مستقبل الطلبة وتحصيلهم العلمي، وعملها الدائم والمتواصل لتوفير بيئة علمية مناسبة لهم ولتطلعاتهم.


وتم خلال اللقاء بحث آفاق التعاون الأكاديمي بين الطرفين وسبل تعزيزه، إضافةً لتأكيد التعاون الثقافي المشترك للطلبة والعاملين في جامعة النجاح، وفي مجال البحث العلمي تم بحث إمكانية تبادل الخبرات ونشر الأبحاث المشتركة حول المواضيع ذات الاهتمام المتبادل.


واختتم الوفد زيارته بجولة في حرم جامعة أبوظبي للتعرف على الجامعة وكلياتها ومرافقها المختلفة.


يذكر أن جامعة أبوظبي لها فرعان في دبي والعين، ويشكل الطلبة الوافدون ما نسبته 38% من عدد الطلبة الملتحقين في برامجها.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Four prisoners suffer from difficult health conditions in the "Raymond and Nafha" detainees

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Today, Wednesday, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Prisoners Affairs reported the details of the health status of four patients who are in "Raymond and Nafha" detainees. They are deliberately depriving them of proper treatment and content themselves with giving them sedatives and sedatives that exacerbate their illnesses and pains.


Among those cases monitored by the commission’s report is the case of the prisoner Bakr Abu Obeid (41 years) from the city of Tulkarm, who has been suffering from chronic headaches for many years, and his condition worsened during 2017 after he went through a strike for freedom and dignity with other prisoners, and he now suffers from Daily headaches cause him to swell in the arteries, and the administration of "Raymond" prison deliberately ignores his condition and refuses to treat him. It only gives him 6 types of analgesic and sedative drugs that make him sleep, without caring about his proper treatment, noting that he is in dire need of an MRI image, a diagnosis of his health problem and treatment.


While the prisoner Issam Zein El-Din (38 years) from the village of Majdal Bani Fadel near the city of Nablus, who is currently in the “Nafha” desert prison, faces a disturbing health condition, as he complains of a chronic allergy to his skin, which he has been suffering from for several years, as it causes him to spread a large number of grains. His body has strong itching and unbearable pain, and he seriously needs to conduct accurate medical examinations and present him to a specialized doctor in order to diagnose what he is suffering from and treat him as soon as possible, but the prison administration has been neglecting him and recently increased the dose of medicines for him, but to no avail, as they are mostly painkillers only. .


The prisoner, Iyad Qawasmeh (55 years), from the city of Hebron, suffers from pain in the back and loins, and has been complaining of hemorrhoids for a long time. He is still waiting for an operation, but the “Raymond” administration is delaying his transfer, as well as referring him to a specialized doctor to find out what he suffers from with his back problems. .


Prisoner Ali Sobeih (45 years), from the village of Kafr Ra’i, Jenin district, has been complaining since 2012 of severe dental problems, and of the severity of the pain. Sobeih is unable to sleep. He has visited the clinic of “Raymond” prison several times, but the occupation doctors only provide painkillers.

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Texas massacre... She smeared herself with the blood of her murdered colleague to escape the killer

AVAILD - (AFP) - An 11-year-old survivor of the horrific massacre in an elementary school in Texas revealed that she smeared herself with the blood of a murdered classmate, trying to escape from the shooter.


Mia Cirillo, who lost the ability to speak to men after the massacre, agreed to interview a CNN correspondent off camera, telling her that she used her dead teacher's phone to call for help, while the killer was killing children at her school in a rural Texas area.


This is the first testimony of a surviving student from inside Rob Elementary School in Yuvaldi, in which Salvador Ramos carried out his mass crime that claimed the lives of 19 boys and girls and two teachers, in one of the worst shootings in the United States.


Mia, who suffers from hair loss after the massacre, recounted that Ramos exchanged glances with one of the teachers as he made his way to her classroom.
After that he said "good night" and finished off the teacher with his semi-automatic rifle, then pointed the gun at the second teacher and several of Mia's classmates and started shooting and killing them.


Ramos later moved to another classroom, shooting the terrified children, Mia told CNN.


Mia added that she and a colleague searched for her victim's teacher's phone and called the police, saying, "Please come." But her fear of the killer's return prompted her to smear herself with the blood of a murdered colleague in order to camouflage herself, while she was lying on the ground for a period of what she described as hours before help arrived.


Mia's mother, Abigail Fellowes, launched a page on the "Go Fund Me" website to collect donations for her daughter, who suffered head and shoulder injuries, in order to pay for her physical and psychological treatment after the massacre.


Fellowes wrote on the page that her daughter's classroom was "one of the primary rooms targeted by the shooter," adding that Mia "will need a lot of help due to the trauma she is going through."


The page had raised more than $270,000 as of Friday afternoon, although the target was set at $10,000.

PALESTINE

Wed 15 Mar 2023 10:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Jerusalem: The occupation arrests a child and a young man and extends the detention of 5 others

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Israeli occupation forces arrested the child Ali Muhammad Siam (12 years) from the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, after he was summoned today, Monday, to the Al-Mascobiyya investigation center, west of occupied Jerusalem, while they arrested a young man this evening, after he left the Al-Aqsa Mosque.


In the context, the occupation authorities extended the arrest of five young men from the town of Al-Tur, east of occupied Jerusalem, who are: Amir and Raed Siam, Dawood and Mustafa Abu Al-Hawa, and Milad Khwais.


The occupation forces released the Jerusalemite prisoner, Majd Mustafa, from the town of Al-Isawiya, northeast of Jerusalem, after re-arresting him the moment he was freed from the Negev prison after serving his 27-month sentence, on the condition that he be deported from the Old City in Jerusalem for a period of 3 days and not participate in any activities.