Day: 2 August 2023

The Palestinian Authority (PA), yesterday said, Israel’s daily attacks against the Palestinians, undermine the opportunity to implement the two-state solution.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement that, “the Israeli forces and settlers, daily, attack the Palestinians, their property and their sanctities, which dominate the daily scene of the lives of the Palestinians.”

The ministry listed the Israeli violations against the Palestinians in the West Bank, including the demolition of a commercial facility in Salfit, establishment of a settlement outpost west of Jericho, storming of the archaeological site in Sebastia, close to Nablus, as well as, bulldozing and uprooting olive and fruit trees belonging to the Palestinians in Tarqumiya near Hebron.

It said that, the Israeli practices “are deepening the gradual annexation of the occupied West Bank, by imposing more changes to close the door to the opportunity to embody the Palestinian state on the ground with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

The PA urged the international community to take necessary measures and practical steps to protect the two-state solution, the statement said.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks stalled since 2014, due to differences on major issues, particularly, Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the establishment of a future independent Palestinian state. The Palestinians want to establish an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital

Source: Nam News Network

The Israeli occupation forces fired live bullets on Tuesday injuring a Palestinian young man near the town of Al-Samou, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

The occupation forces fired live bullets towards a Palestinian citizen from Eshtemoa settlement established on the town’s territory and prevented medication crews and citizens from reaching him, security sources reported.

The occupation forces arrested the brothers of the martyred Mohannad Al-Mazra’a from Al-Eizariya city, northeast of the occupied Jerusalem, while local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the house of Al-Mazra’a family and inspected it prior to arresting his brothers.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced so far, the martyrdom of Al-Mazra’a (20-years-old) after the occupation forces shot him at the entrance of Ma’ale Adumim settlement built on the citizens’ lands, east of Jerusalem. (QNA)

Source: Qatar News Agency

Trade exchange between Jordan and the United Arab Emirates amounted to JD508 million during the first five months of 2023. National exports to the UAE grew to JD150 million, compared to JD70 million in the January-May period of 2022, according to foreign trade data issued by the Department of Statistics on Wednesday. The Kingdom’s imports from the UAE decreased during the comparison period to JD358 million against JD449 million in 2022. Therefore, Jordan’s trade balance deficit with the UAE declined to JD208 million compared to JD379 million for the same period last year. The Kingdom’s exports to the UAE are mostly cheese, vegetables, fruits, dried dates, spices, olive oil, meat, sugar, chocolate, and dough. While imports from the UAE include petrol, chemicals, polyethylene, propylene polymers, paint, seafood, dairy products, legumes, grapes, dried dates, roasted coffee, seeds, and spices.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Lower House of Parliament on Wednesday approved the draft electronic crime law, which had been amended by the Senate. The Senate had made amendments to Articles 15, 16, and 17 of the draft law, which were subsequently approved by the Lower House. The Senate’s amendments to Article 15 included the removal of the conjunction “and” after the phrase “three months,” replacing it with “or,” and the addition of the phrase “or both of these penalties.” The amended Article 15 now criminalizes the deliberate transmission, re-transmission, or publication of false news, defamation, libel, or slander against any person via the internet, information technology, information system, website, or social media platforms. Violators of this provision face imprisonment for a period no less than three months or a fine of no less than 5,000 dinars and not exceeding 20,000 dinars, or both of these penalties. Furthermore, the Public Prosecution may pursue these crimes without the need for a complaint or civil lawsuit if they are directed at government authorities or public employees. The Senate’s amendment to Article 16 involved the deletion of the conjunction “and” after the phrase “three months,” which was replaced with “or.” The phrase “of 25,000 dinars and not exceeding 50,000 dinars” was also removed, and the phrase “or both of these penalties” was added. The amended Article 16 now criminalizes the spread of rumors or unfounded accusations via the internet, information technology, information system, website, or social media platforms that would damage a person’s reputation. Violators of this provision face imprisonment for a period no less than three months or a fine of no less than 5,000 dinars and not exceeding 20,000 dinars, or both of these penalties. The Senate’s amendment to Article 17 involved the deletion of the conjunction “and” after the phrase “three years,” which was replaced with “or.” The phrase “or both of these penalties” was added. The amended Article 17 now criminalizes the use of the internet, information technology, information system, website, or social media platforms to incite sedition, strife, hatred, violence, or contempt for religions. Violators of this provision face imprisonment for a period of three years or a fine of no less than 5,000 dinars and not exceeding 20,000 dinars, or both of these penalties.

Source: Jordan News Agency

National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) took part in 20th Conference of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) and its General Assembly in Cairo, held under the theme: “National Human Rights Institutions Established in Accordance with the Paris Principles: Roles and Challenges, Visions and Aspiration.” Addressing the the conference, the NCHR’s facilitator, Reem Abu Dalbouh, said the center operates within the framework of its law, which guarantees its independence and legal mandate in promoting and protecting human rights in the Kingdom. On its vision, Abu Dalbouh also noted NCHR was established under Royal directives to support Jordan’s human rights system. Abu Dalbouh added that the center continued to enhance means of cooperation with the Kingdom’s relevant civil society institutions and non-governmental organizations by organizing related activities and launching networks and alliances globally. Moreover, she noted NCHR conducted a survey on school curricula aimed to measure steps made to integrate human rights concepts, principles and standards, in cooperation with Ministry of Education. Abu Dalbouh indicated that the center established a “clear” scientific methodological mechanism in preparing the annual human rights report, which features “obvious” recommendations for this purpose.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Israeli forces Tuesday evening shot and killed a Palestinian child near the town of al-Sumo’, to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The Ministry of Health said it was informed by the Civil Affairs Authority of the death of Mohammad Farid al-Za’areer, 15, after he was shot by Israeli soldiers. Securtiy sources said that the Israeli army opened fire at the Palestinian child near the illegal Israeli settlement of “Eshtmou” and prevented medical crews from reaching it. According to local sources, Za’areer had just successfully finished the 9th grade and was one of the top students in his class.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Dozens of Palestinians suffered from suffocation while others were shot by Israeli gunfire during an Israeli military raid into the eastern area of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. The Ministry of Health said that a Palestinian youth with a serious injury in the abdomen and another injured in the thigh were transferred to the Rafidia Governmental hospital. The Red Crescent in Nablus also reported dozens of suffocation cases, whereas a number of Palestinian suffocated after inhaling toxic gas fired at them by the soldiers. Additionally, a man and his wife were transferred to the Rafidia Hospital after the Israeli forces opened fire at their vehicle. Ambulance crews treated a shrapnel wound to the eye. Palestinian youths closed the streets surrounding Joseph’s Tomb with burning rubber tires to repel the army and settlers’ incursions to the site. The occupation forces, backed by dozens of military vehicles, including two bulldozers, stormed the eastern region of the city through the Beit Furik checkpoint, while forces also stormed the city from the Al-Tur area as the vehicles stormed the western region through the Sarra checkpoint. The occupation forces deployed in Amman Street and the streets surrounding Joseph’s tomb as snipers climbed the rooftops of a number of high buildings.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Aden TV channel from Yemen condemned on Wednesday the closure of the YouTube company, its channel on the platform, in an arbitrary and repeated step.

In a statement, a copy of which was received by Saba, Aden TV considered the closure of its YouTube channel, days after the closure of other national platforms, as an indication of the double standards and policy of double standards pursued by the company’s management in support of the hostilities of the US-Saudi-UAE coalition of aggression against Yemen, politically and economically. Media and social to undermine the will of the Yemeni people against the American-Zionist project.

The statement stressed that the closure of YouTube channels proves the company’s endeavor to harness the media assets of the countries of aggression to serve its colonial project.

Source: Yemen News Agency