Day: 22 November 2022

DOHA– Even though Palestine is not playing in the World Cup 2022 currently underway in Qatar, it is, nevertheless, heavily present in the stadiums and in the streets of Qatar.

The Palestinian flag was seen raised in the stands of Al Bayt Stadium during the opening ceremony of the tournament and the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador. Many of the fans were seen wearing the checkered black and white Palestinian kuffiyeh.

Raising the Palestinian flag was not limited to the Palestinian or Arab fans, a number of supporters from other countries were also seen carrying the flag, as one of the fans of the Mexican team wore the flag and chanted freedom for Palestine.

Before the start of the opening match of the World Cup, the Lusail area witnessed sporting and artistic activities, as well as songs and chants in support of the Palestinian cause with the participation of the Palestinian and Arab communities in the capital, Doha, who distributed the kuffiyeh and the Palestinian flag to the people and talked about the suffering of the Palestinians as a result of the Israeli occupation.

One of the Syrian female fans chanted, “Our blood is Palestinian and we all support the Palestinian cause,” which was echoed by two other fans from Algeria and Tunisia.

A young Saudi who was selling flags of the participating countries decided to give away the Palestinian flag and kuffiyeh for free to the public. “I decided that the flag of Palestine should be distributed and not sold. This is the least I can do to support Palestine and its cause because all Arabs are brothers and support this just cause.”

He called on everyone to wear the kuffiyeh and not take it off, expressing his joy and happiness at distributing the flag of Palestine, saying: “I will turn all of Qatar into Palestine.” He stressed that he will wear the kuffiyeh all the time on this trip.

Although the Palestinian national team did not qualify for this global event, there is a large presence of people from Palestine and the Palestinian community in Qatar who took this opportunity to introduce the Palestinian cause to visitors from all over the world.

But not only that, fans from different Arab countries either shunned Israeli reporters who tried to interview them and refused to appear on their cameras or stood behind an Israeli reporter carrying the Palestinian flag while giving a live broadcast to his TV station in Israel.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency

JERUSALEM– Palestinian journalist Lama Ghosheh, 30, from Jerusalem, was hoping an Israeli court hearing in her case scheduled for today would end her house arrest and ban on the use of social media. Instead, she has to wait for a longer period after the Israeli District Court postponed her hearing until December 20 while keeping the same restrictions in place.

Ghosheh, a mother of two young girls, five and two years old, who works for Al-Qastal news network, was arrested at her family home in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem on September 4 for her writing on social media, mainly her interviews with former Palestinian prisoners and publishing the interviews on social media and also for her writing against attempts by extremist Israeli settlers to take over Palestinian homes in her neighborhood. Her phone and computer were also seized.

Her detention was extended several times until she was released on September 13 on the condition that she will not use social media and be kept under house arrest, along with a bail of $15,000, until her next court hearing, which is now scheduled for a month from now.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency

SALFIT- The Israeli occupation forces today handed notices to stop work and construction on eight houses in the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit in the north of the West Bank.

The head of Qarawat Bani Hassan municipality, Ibrahim Assi, told WAFA that the occupation forces delivered notices to stop work and construction in eight houses, some of which are inhabited, and others under construction in the northeastern region of the town.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency

RAMALLAH- President Mahmoud Abbas sent his condolences to his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo over the victims of the earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Java and so far killed more than 250 people and injured over 300 others while causing heavy damage and destruction.

“We are following with great sorrow and concern the news of the earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Java, and which has claimed the lives of dozens and injured hundreds of the brotherly Indonesian people,” said President Abbas in his message. “As we extend to your Excellency, your people, and the families of the victims our heartfelt condolences, we want to express our full solidarity with you in this calamity and ask God Almighty to have mercy on the dead, speedy recovery to the wounded, and a safe rescue to the trapped.”

The death toll from the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the island of West Java continues to rise and is believed to have exceeded 250 and more than 300 are injured, as work to rescue people who are still trapped under the rubble continues.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which struck at noon on Monday, was near the town of Cianjur in a mountainous area in Indonesia’s largest province in terms of population.

The earthquake, which was felt in the capital, Jakarta, about 75 km away, damaged at least 2,200 homes and displaced more than 5,000 people, according to Indonesian officials.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency