Day: 25 May 2021

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Comparison of Advanced Aesthetic Technologies, Inc.’s 2.5% Agarose Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Filler for the Correction of Moderate to Severe Nasolabial Folds Reveals Equivalent Results

Results of Split-Face Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of 2.5% Agarose Gel Filler for the Correction of Nasolabial Folds Published in Peer Reviewed Journal

BROOKLINE, Mass., May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Advanced Aesthetic Technologies, Inc. (AAT), a leader in aesthetic gel implant technology, is proud to announce that Algeness® VL (2.5% Agarose Gel) demonstrated equivalent efficacy, safety, and usability compared to those of NASHA-L based on a split-face study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Algeness®

“Agarose gel filler is a naturally occurring polymer gel with a three-dimensional structure similar to the extracellular matrix, which achieves its duration without the need for crosslinking. Our objective with this study of 66 patients was to determine the efficacy and safety of 2.5% agarose gel filler for the correction of nasolabial folds as compared with NASHA-L. Our assessments included assessment of the nasolabial fold (NLF), Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS), Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS [blinded investigator]), as well as subject satisfaction, adverse events, and usability,” according to lead investigator Nicolò Scuderi MD of the Department of General and Plastic Surgery at the University of La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.

Among the 66 participants in the study, 46 individuals or 66.7% were available for evaluation at 3 months, when mean change in WSRS was identical for both products (−1.1 ± 0.4 for 2.5% agarose; −1.1 ± 0.4 for NASHA-L). Scores for each product remained similar across all time points and began to return to baseline between 7 and 8 months. GAIS score followed a similar pattern, rising between months 7 and 8 (2.7 ± 0.6 for 2.5% agarose at month 7 and 3.3 ± 0.5 at month 8, vs.  2.7 ± 0.6 for NASHA-L at month 7-3.3 ± 0.5 at month 8). The longevity of both fillers was confirmed by Ultrasound. All adverse events were transient in nature and resolved within 15 days, most events were mild in nature, and the number and severity of events was similar between the two fillers. According to Dr. Scuderi, “We continue to be impressed with the clinical outcomes of the novel Algeness® range of dermal fillers. This is the first 100% natural, biocompatible and biodegradable filler on the market to date, which differentiates it from other injectable products.”

U.S. based investigator Brian Kinney, MD, FACS, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, in Beverly Hills, CA, adds, “These results add to the growing body of evidence that confirms that Algeness® (2.5% agarose gel filler) has a high safety profile and is well tolerated by patients. We concluded that this unique dermal filler compound had a longevity which was equivalent to one of the most widely used fillers, NASHA-L a hyaluronic acid.”

Doug Abel, CEO of AAT commented, “We are very pleased with the outcome of this important study which demonstrate that in this initial clinical study, the results with 2.5% agarose gel are equivalent to those of NASHA-L. This is another significant milestone demonstrating the efficacy and performance of our proprietary Algeness® technology. This notable recognition from three internationally respected plastic surgeons reconfirms the durability of the Algeness® technology and secures its place as a differentiator in the global dermal filler market.  We have begun the process to pursue both US FDA approval for Algeness® and, through our strategic Partner, registration in China.”

Algeness® is a patented family of fully resorbable injectable gel implant dermal fillers that are 100% natural, providing advantages in terms of safety, skin rejuvenation, and natural looking results both at rest and during facial movement. Typical clinical advantages include minimal swelling upon injection and immediately visible results. Algeness® holds a CE Mark and is currently distributed in over 30 countries worldwide.

About Advanced Aesthetic Technologies, Inc.

AAT is a fast growing, global corporation developing new technologies for aesthetic medicine. Our lead products, the Algeness® family of injectable implants, are the culmination of more than 10 years of scientific and clinical research and were developed with the goal of providing aesthetic injectors advances in the ability to achieve deep structural support, clean definition, and exceptional clinical outcomes where the result at the time of treatment is the final outcome. Algeness® is a 100% natural and biodegradable filler based on purified agarose with a differentiated clinical and safety performance profile. AAT continuously invests in research and product development to expand the scientific knowledge on Algeness® and agarose as well as in pursuit of new and innovative technologies to enhance aesthetic medicine and expand our portfolio. Algeness® is CE Marked, has multiple additional country level registrations, and is currently available in over 30 countries. AAT is in the process of pursuing registration in the US through the FDA and also in China through the partnership with Lanzhou Biotechnique Development Co., LTD (Lanzhou) and their parent company China National Biotec Group Co., LTD (CNBG). http://www.algeness.com

References

Scuderi N, Fanelli B, Fino P, Kinney BM. Comparison of 2.5% agarose gel vs hyaluronic acid filler, for the correction of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021;00:1– 8. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13962

Contact: filler@algeness.com

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1517333/algeness_logo_Logo.jpg

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Blue California Opens New Possibilities in Functional Food and Beverages Following Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) GRAS Status

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., May 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue California’s Taxifolin BC-DHQ® with super antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties is now Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in a range of foods and beverages following a letter of no objection from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Naturally found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, Dihydroquercetin (DHQ), also known as taxifolin, is a flavonoid commonly found in apples, olive oil and red onions. As a flavonoid, taxifolin possesses powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may support immune health.

“This GRAS status is good news for consumers and brands alike, because it opens new doors for brands to create products that will excite health-conscious consumers,” said Dr. Linda May-Zhang, research, science and innovation officer at Blue California. “DHQ is a powerful antioxidant that has a greater antioxidant capacity when compared to vitamin C, and it is ideal in a variety of on-trend food applications, including beverages, yogurt and chocolate products.”

Health-conscious consumers are actively exploring new functional food and beverages for supporting immune health and wellness. Immune health will remain a top priority for consumers as 64% of global consumers are looking to improve their immunity over the next 12 months, reported by FMCG Gurus, Top Ten Trends for 2021, Dec. 2020.

DHQ seeks and neutralizes free radicals in the body, and its unique molecular structure makes it especially effective at preventing cellular damage. It can also play an important role in skin health since it protects cells and stimulates collagen and elastin production in the skin.

“Taxifolin BC-DHQ has much to offer as a powerful antioxidant in food and beverages as it provides improved color stability for beverages, extends shelf life, and enhances flavor,” said May-Zhang. “Not only is DHQ regarded as a promising ingredient to immune health, it may also be used in cosmetic applications for anti-aging and UV-protection.”

Blue California offers food and beverage manufacturers its high purity Taxifolin BC-DHQ made by a sustainable process. Innovation partner Conagen developed a clean, reliable, and scalable DHQ using its proprietary bioconversion process, resulting in a sustainable production method.

“Conagen is unlocking novel compounds from nature which are more sustainable and offer better options for ingredient applications, said Dr. Casey Lippmeier, vice president of innovation at Conagen. “Our ability to rapidly scale-up and commercialize this and other novel ingredient solutions demonstrates our strength as a strategic service partner.”

Taxifolin BC-DHQ,® is a registered trademark of Blue California, Inc.

About Blue California

Blue California is an entrepreneurial, science-based solutions provider and manufacturer of clean, natural, and sustainable ingredients used in food, beverage, flavor, fragrance, dietary supplements, personal care and cosmetic products. For more than 25 years, Blue California has built a strong reputation for creating value in these diverse natural product and nature-inspired industries.

About Conagen

Conagen is making the impossible possible. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop sustainable, nature-based molecules bio-manufactured into the highest quality products available. We focus on the bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. For more information, visit www.conagen.com

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Ana Arakelian
Blue California ingredients
+1-949-635-1991
ana@bluecal-ingredients.com
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Israeli settlers assault families, uproot 35 olive trees near Hebron

Israeli settlers Tuesday morning assaulted Palestinian families and uprooted 35 olive trees in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, according to local sources.

They confirmed that the settlers assaulted several houses belonging to the Es‘ifan family in the Hebron’s neighborhood of Wadi al-Hasin, northeast of the city.

Settlers also physically assaulted members of the Abu Halawa family and uprooted 35 olive trees and other summer crops from a 2-donum plot of land in al-Rayhiya town, southwest of the city.

The assailants came from Hagai, one of the Israeli colonial settlements notorious for their hardcore fanatic community in Hebron district.

The city of Hebron, which houses the Ibrahimi Mosque, is home to roughly 160,000 Palestinian Muslims and about 800 notoriously aggressive Israeli settlers who live in compounds heavily guarded by Israeli troops.

Israel has expelled the only international monitors protecting Hebron’s Palestinians from 800 heavily guarded settlers, one of whom committed the 1994 massacre that triggered their deployment.

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

There are over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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+400 Australian academics send open letter in solidarity with Palestine, call for action

More than 400 Australian scholars and academics have released an open letter in solidarity with Palestine, and called on the Australian government to condemn Israel and its actions.

“As scholars, academics and students in Australia, we stand in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for liberation and against Israeli settler colonialism,” the letter said. “In the past month, Palestinians have faced brutal Israeli settler colonial violence in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque, the West Bank, Gaza, and in Palestinian cities and towns in Israel. This violence is rooted in a century of colonisation and Palestinian dispossession.”

“Israel has declared a war on Palestinians. We have seen worshipers attacked in al-Aqsa mosque during the holy month of Ramadan, families facing the threat of forced removal from their homes, protestors shot and tear gassed, Israeli security forces and Israeli-Jewish mobs attacking Palestinians in Lydda, Jaffa and Haifa. We have witnessed massacres in Gaza, with entire families obliterated.

Israel’s actions are in violation of international law. East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza are considered occupied under international law and Israel is responsible to guarantee Palestinian residents of these territories special protection. Instead, Israel is confiscating Palestinian land and homes, committing ethnic cleansing, and engaging in war crimes and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention. The recent report of Human Rights Watch has concluded that Israeli actions towards Palestinians in territories it controls, from both sides of the Green Line, amount “to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.”

“The shelling of Gaza from air, sea and land; the mob violence enacted against Palestinians within Israel; and Israeli military and settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem should not go unanswered by the international community. While ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza has been declared, we remind the world that Palestinians across all historic Palestine continue to be subject to Israeli colonisation, apartheid and occupation,” the statement added.

The letter emphasized that ‘silence is not an option.’

“We call on the Australian government to condemn the state of Israel and its actions, and re-evaluate its current and proposed trade agreements. We also call on the Australian government to suspend its defence cooperation with Israel and halt acquisitions of Israeli military equipment. As scholars, academics and students committed to decolonising knowledge, it is our responsibility to speak up and stand with Palestinians against the forces of colonialism, injustice and inequality and for an immediate cessation of Israeli violence in all its forms,” the letter concluded.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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Palestinian killed by Israeli gunfire in al-Bireh raid

Undercover Israeli forces dawn Tuesday killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank city of al-Bireh, according to medical sources.

Undercover Israeli forces, known as Mista’arvim, sneaked their way into Umm Al Sharayet neighborhood, where they shot and killed a young man identified as Ahmad Jamil Fahd, and left him to bleed to death. The Mista’arvim forces were carrying out arrests in the area.

Speaking in an interview with Voice of Palestine radio, Director of the Palestine Medical Complex, Ahmad al-Bitawi, confirmed that that body of Fahd, a resident of Am’ari refugee camp, east of Ramallah city, was rushed to the medical facility, where medics announced him dead.

The killing of Fahd came several hours following the killing of a 17-year-old teen by Israeli police near the French Hill colonial settlement in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Israeli police fired multiple gunshots towards Zuhdi al-Tawil several times near the tram stop after he purportedly carried out a stabbing attack, killing him.

The killings came following weeks of simmering tensions, confrontations and sweeping detention raids across the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, and the Palestinian towns and cities in Israel, with tensions mounting over the Israeli occupation authorities’ decision to ban people from sitting on the stairs outside Bab al-Amoud, encroachments upon al-Aqsa Mosque compound, including settler intrusions during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

The tensions further escalated following the forced expulsions of Palestinian families from their houses in Sheikh Jarrah and the 11-day Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which killed some 280 Palestinians, including 70 children and 40 women, and wounded over 8,500 others and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished strip, which triggered a general strike in the occupied territories and inside the Palestinian towns and cities in Israel.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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Palestine receives more than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccines

Health Minister Mai Alkaila said today that Palestine has received 102,960 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccines, donated by UNICEF through COVAX global group.

She said that 46,800 doses were sent to the Gaza Strip, calling on citizens in the Strip to take the vaccinations, especially in light of the current critical circumstances following 11 days of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has caused the displacement of hundreds of Palestinian families who were forced to take shelter in schools, streets, and public spaces, thus exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation and considerably worsening the COVID-19 outbreak in the Strip.

Regarding the Covid-19 vaccination rollout, al-Kaileh said in her daily report on the coronavirus pandemic, that 290,505 people have received the vaccine so far in the West Bank and Gaza, including 203,161 people who received the second dose of the vaccine.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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President Abbas discusses ongoing Israeli aggression, Gaza reconstruction with Jordan’s FM

President Mahmoud Abbas today discussed the ongoing Israeli aggression and Gaza reconstruction with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi.

President Abbas received Safadi, who arrived aboard a Jordanian helicopter at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, and conveyed a message of solidarity from Jordan’s King Abdullah II to the Palestinian people.

He briefed Safadi along with the accompanying delegation on the latest political developments on the Palestinian arena and the ongoing diplomatic contacts that the Palestinian leadership has initiated with the US, the UN in addition to Arab and international relevant parties to collaborate on halting the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, particularly Jerusalem.

He stressed the need to intensify efforts to rebuild what the Israeli occupation has destroyed in the besieged Gaza Strip and that ensure the ceasefire include an immediate end to the Israeli assaults in Jerusalem and across the West Bank, including police and settler intrusions upon Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and respect for the historic status quo at the holy places, including Jordan’s custodianship over the holy sites in Jerusalem.

The consolidation of the ceasefire, Abbas pointed, should be followed by the pursuit of a political track, under the International Quartet’s supervision, to end the Israeli occupation and enable the Palestinian people to gain their freedom and independence and establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the UN resolutions and international law.

Highlighting the intra-Palestinian dialogue, President Abbas reaffirmed the leadership’s willingness to proceed with the dialogue to form a national unity government that adheres to the UN resolutions.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Safadi, stated that he came to deliver a message from Jordan’s King, Abdullah II, expressing Jordan’s support and constant readiness to coordinate efforts to halt the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and the holy sites, reinforce the their steadfastness in Jerusalem, including Sheikh Jarrah, and halt settler assaults.

He underscored the significance of a ceasefire in the West Bank and Gaza, rebuild Gaza and hasten the pursuit of a political solution which ends the Israeli occupation and establish the independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the UN resolutions and international law.

Safadi’s visit came a day after President Abbas met Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Ramallah and days after the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire came into effect between the Palestinian factions and Israel, putting an end to Israel’s 11-day onslaught, which killed some 254 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, wounded around 1948 others and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished strip.

Recent tensions and confrontations started in Jerusalem over the Israeli occupation authorities’ decision to ban people from sitting on the stairs outside Bab al-Amoud and encroachments upon al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and further escalated over the forced expulsions of families from Sheikh Jarrah.

Tensions spread other parts of the West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian towns and cities inside Israel, culminating in a general strike and mass protests against Israel’s brutal settler-colonialism and apartheid regime.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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Dutch scholars, educators call Dutch government to cut relations with Israel

Some 570 Dutch scholar and educators have so far signed an online petition calling on their government to cut all relations with Israel as a means to achieve just peace.

The scholar and educators, one of whom is Kylie Thomas who serves as an associate professor at the Netherlands Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people worldwide and denunciation of the relentless Israeli colonial dispossession and occupation.

“We are scholars and educators in Dutch higher education and we stand against the ongoing dispossession, occupation and war that is being inflicted on Palestinians by the Israeli state. On Nakba Day, the 73rd anniversary of the forced expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in present day Israel, we stand in solidarity with all Palestinians. Our support goes out to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, as well as those 7 million refugees around the world, including those residing in the Netherlands, some of whom are our colleagues and students.”

The signatories slammed using the term ‘conflict’ to refer to the situation in Palestine as “dangerous obfuscation”.

“The perception that this is a conflict between two equal sides is a dangerous obfuscation; it deflects from the reality that it is the Palestinians who live under military occupation, who are dispossessed of their homes, and who live as second class citizens in a system of segregation, described as apartheid by both Btselem and Human Rights Watch. It is this brutality and discrimination that is the cause of the escalation of violence that is currently taking place.”

They called for cutting all their country’s relations with Israel as a means to achieve a just peace as well as for the application of all United Nations resolutions on Palestine.

“We call on the Dutch government to ensure that justice is achieved for Palestinians and that they are granted their full rights. This is the only means by which both Israelis and Palestinians will live in peace. We call on the Dutch government to take action to achieve a just peace by cutting all economic, political, and military relations with Israel, until such a time as all sections of the Palestinian people are afforded their rights. We also ask for the application of numerous UN resolutions that serve this aim, including the right to self determination and the return of Palestinian refugees.”

The expressed support to Palestinian academics and students, hundreds of whom are placed in Israeli detention without trial or charge.

“We would like to extend our support and solidarity to Palestinian academics and students, whose freedoms and rights are continually violated. Over the last 10 years, more than 400 students have been arrested and detained by Israeli forces. Often these students are held in military detention without trial on the accusation of alleged membership of banned political groups. There are many reports of these detainees being subjected to forms of torture. Palestinian scholars have been subjected to harassment, and academics living abroad are banned from entering Israel.”

They expressed their adherence to boycotting Israeli academic institutions over the latter’s collaboration with the military.

“As a result of these violations we pledge to adhere to the call of our Palestinian colleagues to boycott Israeli academic institutions. This is justified on the basis of formal relationships between Israeli universities and the Israeli military, as well as other state institutions that form the architecture of the occupation. It should be made clear that this position has no effect on collaboration and cooperation with individual Israeli scholars and colleagues.”

They pointed that their support to the Palestinian rights is part of their broader support for decolonization.

“As scholars in the Netherlands, a former colonial power, we consider that our support for Palestinian rights is integral to the broader process of decolonisation. We advocate for equality for all people, an end to all racism, and an end to all colonial violence. This is a purpose that is integral to both our teaching and scholarship. On this basis we stand up for the Palestinian people and their right to self determination.”

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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PCBS: Indexes of construction, roads, water networks and reservoirs increased in April

The Construction Cost Index (CCI) for residential buildings has reached 110.26 with an increase of 0.89% in the West Bank during April 2021 compared with March 2021, according to a report Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

At the level of major groups, the prices of raw materials increased by 1.51%, and rental of equipment slightly increased by 0.07%. At the same time, labour costs and wages remained stable during April 2021 compared with the previous month.

The Construction Cost Index (CCI) for non-residential buildings reached 109.84 with an increase of 0.86% in the West Bank during April 2021 compared with March 2021.

At the level of major groups, the prices of raw materials increased by 1.42%, and rental of equipment increased by 0.10%. At the same time, labour costs and wages remained stable during April 2021 compared with the previous month.

The Construction Cost Index (CCI) for skeleton buildings reached 110.26 with an increase of 1.52% in the West Bank* during April 2021 compared with March 2021.

At the level of major groups, the prices of raw materials increased by 2.41%, and rental of equipment slightly increased by 0.07%. At the same time, labour costs and wages remained stable during April 2021 compared with the previous month.

The overall Road Cost Index (RCI) reached 107.92 with an increase of 0.35% in the West Bank* during April 2021 compared with March 2021.

At the level of major groups, the prices of raw materials increased by 0.57%, and rental of equipment slightly increased by 0.09%, while operating costs of equipment and maintenance decreased by 0.15%. At the same time, labour costs and wages remained stable during April 2021 compared with the previous month.

The overall Water Networks Cost Index (WNCI) reached 119.09 with an increase of 0.83% in the West Bank during April 2021 compared with March 2021.

Water Reservoirs Cost Index reached 112.60 with an increase of 2.00%, and Water Networks Cost Index reached 122.03 with an increase of 0.35% during April 2021 compared with the previous month.

The overall Sewage Networks Cost Index (SNCI) reached 109.19 with a slight decrease of 0.04% in the West Bank during April 2021 compared with March 2021.

The data for the West Bank excludes those parts of Jerusalem which were annexed by the Israeli occupation in 1967.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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Over 500 Democratic staffers urge US President to ‘hold Israel accountable’

More than 500 former Democratic Party staffers have signed an open letter on Monday urging US President Joe Biden to “hold Israel accountable for its actions” in and over Gaza and take “concrete steps” to end Israeli occupation of the Palestine.

The letter was signed by staffers and organizers who worked either directly at Biden’s national campaign headquarters, at the Democratic National Committee or at state Democratic parties that worked to campaign for Biden.

“The very same values that motivated us to work countless hours to elect you demand that we speak out in the aftermath of the recent explosive violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, which is inextricable from the ongoing history of occupation, blockade, and settlement expansion. We remain horrified by the images of Palestinian civilians in Gaza killed or made homeless by Israeli airstrikes,” the letter added.

“We are outraged by Israel’s efforts to forcibly and illegally expel Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. We are shocked by Israel’s destruction of a building housing international news organizations. We remain horrified by reports of Hamas rockets killing Israeli civilians.”

The former staffers argued that it’s ‘critical to acknowledge the power imbalance between Palestine and Israel.

“While Israelis had to spend nights hiding in bomb shelters, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had nowhere to hide. It is critical to acknowledge this power imbalance — that Israel’s highly-advanced military occupies the West Bank and East Jerusalem and blockades the Gaza Strip, creating an uninhabitable open-air prison,” the letter argued. “While we should never reduce the loss of human life to numbers, Palestinians have suffered hundreds of casualties, demonstrative of Israel’s power over Palestinians and its penchant for disproportionate responses. Israel’s protracted refusal to consider a ceasefire also put Israelis in harm’s way, prolonging the violence of Hamas’s barrage of rockets and Israel’s air strikes — a cycle that is bound to repeat itself as long as we allow the status quo to stand, where Palestinians have no freedom and Israel controls their lives in perpetuity.”

“We appreciate your recent work to broker a temporary peace, and we also acknowledge that a temporary peace is not a suitable long-term resolution. We are firm in our belief that it is time for your administration to take concrete steps to end the occupation in pursuit of justice, peace, and self-determination for Palestinians,” the letter added.

The move, according to the Guardian, comes amid a deepening split in Democratic ranks, between some vocal members of its progressive wing – such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez – and more centrist figures including those who have taken a consistently pro-Israel stance in the past.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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Jordan summons Israeli ambassador over detention of two Jordanians in Israel

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate summoned the Israeli ambassador to Amman to convey a strongly worded message of protest regarding the detention of two Jordanian citizens in Israel and the manner in which the Israeli authorities treated them.

The ministry stressed the need to allow staff of the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv to visit them as soon as possible, in order to assess their situation and provide them with the necessary support in accordance with the relevant international laws.

The ministry held the Israeli authorities fully responsible for their safety, demanding the Israeli ambassador to convey an urgent message to the Israeli authorities to release them.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

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Israeli authorities to confiscate thousands of dunums of land to construct water pipeline serving two illegal settlements in Salfit

Israeli authorities today handed a number of local councils in the Salfit governorate notices for the seizure of thousands of dunums of agricultural lands belonging to Palestinian residents in the area for the benefit of constructing a water pipeline that serves two illegal settlements in the area.

Mayor of Salfit, Abdallah Kmail said the order notified for the expropriation of thousands of dunums of Palestinian-owned agricultural lands for the construction of a 15-kilometers-long water pipeline that would serve two illagl settlements in the area. The pipleine would run through five towns and villages in the Salfit governorate, subsantially damaging the lands.

The mayor stressed the need to promptly move at all official and popular levels to confront this Israeli judaization scheme, calling upon all local bodies to communicate with the affected residents to prepare the necessary papers to file an objection at the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority and the competent authorities.

The establishment of settlements in the West Bank violates international humanitarian law, which establishes the principles applying during war and occupation. Moreover, the settlements lead to the infringement of international human rights law, said the Israeli information center for human rights in occupied territories, B’Tselem.

“Israel uses the seized lands to benefit the settlements, while prohibiting the Palestinian public from using them in any way. This use is forbidden and illegal in itself, even if the process by which the lands were taken were fair and in accordance with international and Jordanian law. As the occupier in the Occupied Territories, Israel is not permitted to ignore the needs of an entire population and to use land intended for public needs solely to benefit the settlers,” it said.

“In 1967, Israel seized control of all water resources in the newly occupied territories. To this day, Israel retains exclusive control over all the water resources on the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea,” said B’Tselem.

“Israel uses the water as it sees fit, ignoring the needs of Palestinians in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip to such an extent that the two areas suffer a severe water shortage,” it said.

“In both areas, residents are not supplied enough water. In Gaza, even the water that is supplied is substandard and not potable,” added B’Tselem.

“The right to water and sanitation is a fundamental human right enshrined in international conventions of which Israel is a signatory. Israel is therefore obligated to uphold this right in all territories under its control,” said the human rights center.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA